111 Balkan Peninsula Facts To Learn More About The Region

The Balkan Peninsula is one of the three major peninsulas in South-Eastern Europe.

It has a diverse mix of ethnicities and cultures and is home to a large chunk of the European population. The region is geopolitically active and is mostly urbanized.

There are 11 Balkan nations, namely Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, and Romania. European Turkey is also a part of the Balkan states.

Facts About The Balkan Peninsula

The following are some fascinating facts about the Balkans and the Balkan Peninsula.

• It is a beautiful and strategically important location in Southern, Eastern, and Central Europe.
• German geographer, August Zeune, is credited with creating the concept of the Balkans (1808).
• The natural borders of the Balkans do not coincide with the definition of a peninsula.
• The Balkans have played a critical role in the Second World War.
• The region has been historically important and the focus of Ottoman conquests.
• The Balkan Peninsula is home to 60 million people.
• Out of the 60 million people living in the Balkans collectively, the Balkan Peninsula is home to 45 million.
• The Balkan Mountains are strategically significant to the region.
• At 9,596 ft (2,925 m) high, the highest point of the Balkan Peninsula is Mount Musala.
• The Balkan Mountains were called Haemus in the Middle Ages.
• Balkans were said to be created by Zeus in Greek mythology.
• Banitsa is a famous pastry known in the Balkans.
• Filo pastry originated in the Balkans during the ottoman presence.
• The first region in Europe where farming spread in the Neolithic Era was the Balkans.
• It is known as the 'crossroads of cultures.'
• It is ethnolinguistically diverse, housing many cultures and cuisines.
• Balkans were largely led by the Ottoman Empire till the late 1800s.
• Latin and Greek portions of the Roman Empire met in the Balkans.
• Balkans have been home to Greeks, Illyrians, Paeonians, and many others.
• It was once a crucial point of conquest for the Ottomans.
• 'Balkans' is a Turkish word that means mountains.
• There are multiple definitions of what's collectively called the Balkans.
• The Balkans have some of the oldest cities on the planet.
• Balkan states are renowned for their stunning architecture.
• Balkanization is a phenomenon of fragmentation of large countries in the region into smaller ones.
• Illyria was the Roman designation of the Balkan region in the late seventh century.
• The Balkan League was formed in 1912 and is one of the first alliances of the Balkan states.
• The Balkan lynx is one of the world's rarest cats.
• The Balkan domain is known for its geopolitical turmoil.
• The Balkan Wars, which lasted from 1912-13, are considered the prelude to World War One.
• The nation of Yugoslavia was located in the Balkans until its fall in 1991.
• Balkans have been thoroughly studied to understand the turmoil that a diversity-rich region brings.
• The beautiful country of Albania lies at the foot of the Balkans.
• The Balkans have historically been highly imperialistic.
• Albania is located in the Balkans and has about 2.88 million inhabitants living in the country.
• Balkan cuisine often features hot peppers and pickled vegetables.
• The music culture of the Balkans is exceptional and home to artists such as Goran Bregović.

Geographical Facts About The Balkan Peninsula

Find below the amazing facts about the geography of the Balkan Peninsula.

• The Balkan Peninsula is mostly covered by mountainous zones.
• The total area of the Balkan Peninsula is 257,400 sq mi (666,700 sq km).
• The word 'Balkan' was first mentioned in the early 14th century by the Ottomans.
• There are four main mountain ranges in the Balkans.
• The Carpathian Mountains are a prominent feature of northern Romania.
• The Adriatic coastline meets with the Balkans in the Dinaric Mountains.
• The Rila, Bulgaria's famous mountain range, has the highest peak in the region.
• The eponymous Balkan Mountains reside primarily in Bulgaria.
• A large chunk of Greece is home to the Pindus Mountains in the Balkan region.
• The peninsula is believed to be originated when the Eurasian plate separated from Asia.
• The Balkan borders run from the Black Sea along the river Danube.
• Some also consider the Kolpa River as the true Balkan border.
• There are over 7000 lakes and marshes in the Balkans.
• There are many states in the region; imperial borderlands separate it from the rest of Eastern Europe.
• Tirana is the capital of Albania which is one of the world's oldest cities.
• Kosovo is the youngest country in all of Europe, known for its beautiful architecture.
• Slovenia is a beautiful count country in the Balkans, with Ljubljana as the capital.
• The Balkans are believed by some to have first settled around 150 CE.
• Balkan states are mostly urbanized except in some parts of Kosovo.
• The Balkans are in the European continent, in the southeast portion of the continent.
• The peninsula is shared by Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.
• The peninsula is bordered by Italy at the northwest and by Hungary at the northern borders.
• The Adriatic Sea bounds the peninsula on the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
• The Balkans are located in southeastern Europe.
• Southeastern Europe has three major peninsulas, one of which is the Balkan.
• Bulgarians call the Balkan mountain region Stara Planina.
• The Balkan mountain range spans a total of 346 mi (557 km).
• Western Balkans have the beautiful Dinaric Alps.
• The southern edge of the Balkans has Rhodope Mountains in Greece.
• Rhodope Mountains in the Balkans are famous for their lush greenery and amazing wildlife.
• The highest peak in the Rhodope Mountains is the Golyam Perelik.
• Maja Jezerce is another towering peak.
• Golyam permalink is a beautiful mountain in the Balkans, 7,188 ft (2,191 m) high.
• The Balkan Coast is surrounded by four major seas.
• The four seas are - the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, and the Marmara Sea.
• The Black Sea coast in the Balkans has a humid subtropical climate.
• Bulgaria is another small country situated in the east of the Balkans.
• The capital of Turkey, Ankara, is one of the oldest cities in the Balkan dominion.
• Baltic states span a cool and damn climate with high rainfall.
• The major ethnicities are Balts, Finnic, Baltics Finns, and Roman Catholics.
• The renowned Belgrade Fortress is located in this region.
• Zadar, Croatia, established ninth century BC, is one of the oldest cities in the world.
• Shipka Paas is a scenic mountain chain in Bulgaria in the Balkan domain.

Significance Of The Balkan Peninsula

Now that you know all about the physical features of the Balkan Peninsula let's take a look at the roles it plays and its significance for the rest of the world.

• The geographic location makes it strategically important and the focus of European powers.
• It is known for Albania, also called 'Europe's Unpolished Diamond.'
• There are world-famous folklore and opera singers in Bulgaria, in the Balkans.
• First Balkan War broke out in 1912 against the Ottoman Empire.
• Balkans were a key location in the Russo Turkish war (1877-78)
• Balkan Pact or Balkan Entente was a treaty to fix tensions sparked by the First World War.
• Large portions of the Balkans were under Nazi Germany's control.
• The states faced a political divide when the region was partly occupied by Axis Powers.
• Balkan states are known for their humid continental climate in the inland portions.
• Northern Balkans have frosty and snowy winters, and southern Balkans have milder winters.
• The Balkan region is known for its wooded mountains.
• There are a variety of woods such as oak, spruce, pine, and fir that are found in the Balkans and used for various building and furnishing purposes.
• Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) are seen migrating in the Balkan countries such as Bulgaria.
• Balkan countries have wide use of hydropower since natural gas deposits are scarce.
• There is a large deposit of lignite scattered throughout the geographic region.
• Balkans are the meeting point of Islam and Christianity.
• Balkan countries enjoy a large influx of tourists from all over the world.
• The Balkan region is ethnolinguistically diverse and home to Slavic and Roman languages.
• Balkan music is characterized by complex rhythm, and Balkan music bands include Taraf de Haïdouks and No Smoking Orchestra.
• Balkan states have their own athletics championship called the Balkan Games, first organized in 1929.
• Tjentište's memorial in Sutjeska National Park is regarded as one of the greatest examples of urban art.
• With a wingspan that is typically around 6 ft (1.8 m), the eastern imperial eagle is a large bird native to the Balkans.

Countries Surrounding The Balkan Peninsula

Let's find out a little more about the exact location and surrounding countries of the Balkan Peninsula.

• Bosnia-Herzegovina was the epicenter of the Yugoslav Wars that took place in southeast Europe.
• Most of the Balkan nations emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Some of the modern Balkan states originate after the fall of Yugoslavia.
• The Adriatic coast is a massive tourist attraction throughout countries located in the region.
• Avast Twist Tower is in the country of Bosnia, famous in the western Balkans.
• The Aegean Sea surrounds many Balkan states and connects them.
• Montenegro has one of the most spectacular beaches in the Balkan domain.
• North Macedonia or Macedonia has been in dispute with its neighbor Greece for three decades.
• The Balkan Peninsula has 10 countries and the peninsula (which by definition is surrounded by water bodies on three sides) meets four major seas.