Yugoslavia contains twenty- four million. But they are divided among twenty- four ethnic groups and three religions— Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Islam. Both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets are used in Yugoslavia, which is composed of six republics. These republics: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herringbone, or Macedonia Yugoslavians physical geography is equally varied. To the north stretches the Danube River and Hungarian Basin. A Nation Divided Yugoslavia means “Land of the Southern Slavs”. But a common Slavic ancestry does not mean unity.
In fact it means ;.NET- four fiercely independent ethnic groups living in an area roughly the size of the State of Wyoming. The two largest groups are the Seers and the Carats. Seers make up about 0 percent of the nation’s populations. Most live in Serbia, home of the Yugoslav capital of Belgrade. Carats account for about 20 percent of the population. They dominate Croatia, which forms one of the Yugoslavians most prosperous industrial centers. Differences between the Seers and Carats highlight divisions among the Yugoslav. Both groups are descended from the same early Slavic people that settled the region.
Their spoken languages are nearly identical. But the Seers practice Eastern Orthodoxy and write in Cyrillic alphabet. The Carats, on the other hand, practice Roman Catholicism and write in the Latin alphabet. Other ethnic include the Slovenes, Montenegrin, Hungarian, Bosnian, Macedonian, and Albanians. The Albanians, who number nearly five hundred thousand, do not have their own province. Most members of the Albanian ethnic groups follow Islam and live in the Southern portion of Serbia. Violent clashes have taken place between the Seers and Albanians.
Struggling Toward Reform As Yugoslavia attempts to move away from communism, ethnic divisions have resurfaced. In 1990, Seers, Carats, and Albanians threatened civil war. The situation has ended a long period of stability in Yugoslavia. At the end of World War II, Marshall Toto took control of the government and built a Communist state. However, Toto kept free of total Soviet domination. With aid from both the Soviets and the West, he built a prosperous nonaligned nation. Nonaligned means tied to neither the Communist nor the democratic bloc of nations. In the late 1 jess, the Yugoslav Communist party allowed free elections.
Yet not all the Yugoslav republics embraced democracy. As the sass’s began, the government was still more of confederation, or union among states, than a single nation. SERBIA The name “Serbia” was first mentioned as Greek: Ep;La, meaning “land of he Seers”. There are many theories regarding the origin of the name of the Seers. The most likely is that it is derived from the Old Slavic root *sere- meaning “same”. Another proposed etymology is that of the Indo-European root *seer- “to watch over, protect”, akin to Latin servers “to keep, guard, protect, preserve, observe” Geography Serbia is largely mountainous.
Its northeast section is part of the rich, fertile Danube Plain drained by the Danube, This, Save, and Moravia river systems. It borders Croatia on the northwest, Hungary on the north, Romania on the northeast, Bulgaria on the east, Macedonia on the south, and Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herringbone on the west. Government Serbia was one Of six republics that made up the country Of Yugoslavia, which broke up in the 1 sass. In Feb.. 2003, Serbia and Montenegro were the remaining two republics of rump Yugoslavia, forming a loose federation.
In 2006, Montenegro split from Serbia. Climate The climate of Serbia is under the influences of the landmass of Eurasia and Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In the north, the climate is more continental, with cold winters, and hot, humid summers along with well distributed rainfall patterns. In the south, summers and autumns are drier, ND winters are relatively cold, with heavy inland snowfall in the mountains. Serbia is one of few European countries with very high risk exposure to the natural hazards (earthquakes, storms, floods, droughts).
It is estimated that potential floods, particularly in areas of Central Serbia, threaten over 500 larger settlements and an area of 16,000 square kilometers. The most disastrous were the floods in May 2014, when 57 people died and a damage of over a 1. 5 billion Euro was incited. Environment With 29. 1 % of its territory’ covered by forest, Serbia is considered to be a middle-forested country. The total forest area in Serbia is 2,252,000 ha (1,194,000 ha or 53% are state-owned, and 1,058,387 ha or 47% are privately owned) or 0. 3 ha per inhabitant.
The most common trees are oak, beech, pines and firs. Serbia is a country of rich ecosystem and species diversity covering only 1. 9% of the whole European territory Serbia is home to 39% of European vascular flora, 51% of European fish fauna, 40% of European reptile and amphibian fauna, 74% of European bird fauna, 67% European mammal fauna. Abaca Gorge is considered one of the last habitats of white- head vulture in Europe Agriculture Serbia has very favorable natural conditions (land and climate) for varied agricultural production.
It has 5,056,000 ha of agricultural land (0. 7 ha per capita), out of which 3,294,000 ha is arable land (0. 45 ha per capita. In 2013, Serbia exported agricultural and food products worth $2. 8 billion, and the export-import ratio was 180%. Serbia is world’s second largest producer of plums (582,485 tons; second to China), third largest of raspberries (89,602 tons, third to Russia and Poland), it is also significant producer of maize (6. 48 million tons, ranked 32nd in the world) and wheat (2. 07 million tons, ranked 5th in the world.
Other important agricultural products are: sunflower, sugar beet, soybean, potato, apple, pork meat, beef, poultry and dairy. Tourism In 2013, total of 2,192,435 tourists were recorded in accommodations, of which 921 , 768 were foreign, while the average length of a tourist stay was 3. 6 days (2. 3 days for foreign tourists). Tourism is mainly focused on the mountains and spas of the country, which are mostly visited by domestic tourists, as well as Belgrade which is preferred choice of foreign tourists CROATIA About three quarters of nearly 5 million people who live in Croatia are Carats.
Like the Seers, Carats descended from the same early Slavic people, and their spoken languages are nearly identical. Seers practice Eastern Orthodoxy and use the Cyrillic alphabet, while most Carats are Roman Catholics use the Latin alphabet. These differences have been heightened by frequent conflicts between Seers and Carats in local and regional fighting and n both world wars. Sere control of parts of Croatia may ultimately reduce its area. On the other hand, Croatia has a mixed economy that is starting to recover from Communist control.
Its capital city, Zagreb, is one of the largest business and industrial centers in the Balkans. Geography Croatia is located in Central and Southeast Europe , bordering Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herringbone to the southeast, Montenegro to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest and Slovenia to the northwest. The territory covers 56,594 square kilometers (21 ,851 square miles), consisting of 56,414 square kilometers (21 , 782 square miles) of land and 128 square kilometers (49 square miles) of water.
It is the 12th largest country in the world. Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy continental climate as fined by the K¶pen climate classification. The coldest parts of the country are Like and Gorges Aztar where snowy forested climate is found at elevations above 1,200 meters (3,900 feet). The warmest areas of Croatia are at the Adriatic coast and especially in its immediate hinterland characterized by the Mediterranean Climate, as the temperature highs are moderated by the sea.
Biodiversity Croatia can be subdivided between a number of Echo regions because of its climate and geomorphology, and the country is consequently one of the richest in Europe in terms of biodiversity. There are 444 protected areas of Croatia, encompassing 9% of the country. Those include eight national parks, two strict reserves, and ten nature parks . The most famous protected area and the oldest national parks in Croatia is the Poultice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourism Tourism dominates the Croatian service sector and accounts for up to of Croatian GAP.
Annual tourist industry income for 201 1 was estimated at ?6. 61 billion. Since the conclusion of the Croatian War of Independence, the tourist industry has grown rapidly, recording a fourfold rise in tourist numbers, with more than 10 million tourists each year. The most numerous are tourists from Germany, Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic as well as Croatia itself. Length of a tourist stay in Croatia averages 4. 9 days. SLOVENIA Most of the 2 million residents of Slovenia are Slovenes. This nation in the Julian Alps has long maintained close ties with Western European nations.
Industrial development occurred earlier in Slovenian than in other parts of the Balkan Peninsula Natural Regions Slovenia occupies an area about the size of the state of Massachusetts. It is largely a mountainous republic and almost half of the land is forested, with lily plains spread across the central and eastern regions. Mount Trivial, the highest peak, rises to 9,393 Ft (2,864 m). Slovenia is located in temperate latitudes. The climate is also influenced by the variety of relief, and the influence of the Alps and the Adriatic Sea.
Compared to Western Europe, Slovenia is not very windy, because it lies in the slipstream of the Alps. The average wind speeds are lower than in the plains of the nearby countries. Tourism Slovenia offers tourists a wide variety of natural and cultural amenities. Different forms of tourism have developed. The tourist gravitational area is inconsiderably large; however the tourist market is small. There has been no large-scale tourism and no acute environmental pressures. Important parts of tourism in Slovenia include congress and gambling tourism.
Slovenia is the country with the highest percentage of casinos per 1 ,OHO inhabitants in the European Union. Pearl in Nova Corsica is the largest casino in the region. MONTENEGRO Meaning “Black Mountain” is a country in Southeastern Europe. Corn Gore, sometimes transliterated as Tsarina Gore (“Black Mountain”), is used to denote a larger part Of Montenegro in the 1 5th century. Geography Montenegro is located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. To the west, north and east it borders on Croatia, Bosnia-Herringbone, Serbia and Shove, and to the south borders on Albania.
Montenegro territory measures 1 3,812 square km. (about the size of Connecticut) and its population numbers about 620,000. Biodiversity Diversity of geological base, landscape, climate and soil, as well as the very position of Montenegro on the Balkan peninsula and Adriatic sea, created conditions for formation of biological diversity with very high values, that puts Montenegro among biological “hot-spots” of European and world’s diversity Biodiversity outlook Freshwater algae of Montenegro – so far 1 , 200 species and varieties have been described.
It is considered that the diversity of marine fish fauna of the Adriatic Sea comprise 1 1 7 registered families but with low level Of endemics. To date, 40,742 marine fish species have been registered in Montenegro which represents 70% of species registered in Mediterranean. Out of 526 European bird species 333 are assumed to be regularly present in Montenegro. Out of them, 204 species are nesting in the country. Tourism Montenegro has both a picturesque coast and a mountainous northern egging. The country was a well-known tourist spot in the sass.
Montenegro was also listed in “10 Top Hot Spots of 2009” to visit by Yahoo Travel, describing it as “Currently ranked as the second fastest growing tourism market in the world (falling just behind China). It is listed every year by prestigious tourism guides like Lonely Planet as top tourist destination along with Greece, Spain and other world tourist places. BOSNIA and HERRINGBONE Although the former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia- Herringbone declared itself independent in 1 991 its long- term prospects for national autonomy were not promising.
Its population was a complex ethnic mix; of every ten residents, three were Seers, and two were Carats. Most of the other Bosnian are Muslims. Long- standing hostility between different groups in Bosnia- Herringbone erupted into war when Communist control ended. Repeated efforts to end the fighting invariably failed and some observers saw peace as a possibility only if this small nation was further subdivided. Bosnia and Herringbone make up a triangular-shaped republic, about half the size of Kentucky, on the Balkan Peninsula. The Bosnian region in the north is mountainous and covered with thick forests.
The Herringbone region in the south is largely rugged, flat farmland. It has a narrow coastline without natural harbors stretching 13 mi (20 km) along the Adriatic Sea. The weather in the Bosnia region resembles that of the southern Austrian highlands-?generally mild, though apt to be bitterly cold in winter. In Banjo Lukas the coldest month is January, with an average temperature of about 32 (O dc), and the warmest month is July, which averages about 72 (22 CE). During January and February Banjo Lukas receives the least amount of precipitation, and in May and June it experiences the heaviest rainfall.
According to an estimation of the World Tourism Organization, Bosnia and Herringbone will have the third highest tourism growth rate in the world between 1995 and 2020. Bosnia has also become an increasingly popular skiing and Customize destination. Bosnia and Herringbone remains one of the last undiscovered natural regions of the southern area of the Alps, with vast tracts Of wild and untouched nature attracting adventurers and nature lovers. National Geographic Magazine named Bosnia and Herringbone as the best mountain biking adventure destination for 2012.
MACEDONIA About two thirds of the people who live in this region are Slavs. While other former Yugoslav republics erupted in conflict in early sass, Macedonia remained relatively quiet. However, efforts to establish an independent Macedonia have been challenged by neighboring Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia. Furthermore, Albania is concerned about the status of Albanian Muslims, who comprise about one fifth of the population. Geography Macedonia is a landlocked state in the heart of the Balkans and is slightly smaller than the state of Vermont.
It is a mountainous country with small basins of agricultural land. The Varied is the largest and most important river. Climate Macedonia has unique climate explained by its location and topography. Macedonia has four seasons weather, but the lengths of the seasons varies based on geography. The spring is often very short. Summers are subtropical so it is not uncommon to see temperatures of above 40 co (104 OF) during this season, especially in the plains along the valley of the Varied river. Winters, although moderate, can sometimes be quite cold.
Snowfalls during winter are common and sometimes heavy. Tourism Tourism is an important part of the economy of the Republic of Macedonia. The country’s large abundance of natural and cultural attractions makes it an attractive destination of visitors. It receives about 700,000 tourists annually. ALBANIA Tucked beside the Adriatic Sea in the Southwestern part of Balkan Peninsula is Albania. More than 3 million people live in this mountainous nation. Known for decades as “Rupee’s hermit”. Albania is now rebuilding links with other Albanians history includes rule by the Greeks and Romans.
The Ottoman Turks also controlled the area for more than centuries, a period during which most Albanian converted to Islam. As people living in a small nation with a distinctive culture, Albanians have often felt threatened by their neighbors. This fear continued after World War II, when its Communist leaders turn away from both the former Soviet Union and China. This isolation left Albania one of the poorest nations in Europe. Albanians mountains contain chromium, copper, and oil. Geography Albania is situated on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, with Montenegro and Serbia to the north, Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south.
Slightly larger than Maryland, Albania is composed of two major regions: a mountainous highland region (north, east, and south) constituting 70% of the land area, and a western coastal lowland region that contains nearly all of the entry’s agricultural land and is the most densely populated part Of Albania. Albania has a high number of climatic regions for so small an area. The coastal lowlands have typically Mediterranean dominion weather; the highlands have a more continental influenced climate. In both the lowlands and the interior, the weather varies from north to south.
The lowlands have mild winters, with daytime temperature mostly around ICC. Summer temperatures average ICC, but sometimes more than ICC. In the southern lowlands, temperatures average about five degrees higher throughout the year. Average precipitation is heavy, the heaviest rain falls in the central uplands. Economy Albania is considered one of the poorest countries of Europe with $24. 99 billion (GAP-PAP). The real growth rate is 2. 5%. It has high unemployment rate of 30% and per capita income of $4000. Albania is primarily an agrarian economy relying heavily on agro-based industries like food processing, fisheries, livestock etc.
More than 45% of population utilizes 24% of the land for agriculture. The country has vast deposits of oil, natural gas, bauxite, iron ore and copper awaiting appropriate use. Industries have grown at a pace of 3% in the last few years. Albania earns $1. 548 billion through exporting textiles, footwear, vegetables, fruits, tobacco, crude Oil, and metallic ores to Italy, Greece and China. Arts and Culture Albanian culture has been largely influenced by Ottoman Turks. 70% of the population is Muslim. The society is patriarchal with certain specified norms of conduct.
Every year in April a dance festival is held at Durries which provides a captivating array of modern, classical and folk dances. Oral stories and folklore form an indispensable part of the culture. Pastoral crafts like paving, embroidery, and wood crafting are a part of daily life. Several generations can be seen to share the same abode but with increasing financial independence the number of nuclear families are on the rise. The Albanian art exhibits features of its erstwhile rulers namely Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. This can be seen in the icon paintings and church architecture.
The impact of Islam can be seen in religious paintings, miniatures, mosaics, and murals. Crime and Law Enforcement Law enforcement in Albania is primarily the responsibility of the Albanian Police. Albania also has a counter-terrorism unit called RENEE. On a list of 75 countries, Albania listed at 1 7th lowest crime rate ahead of many western nations such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, Sweden and France. However, homicide is still a problem in the country, especially blood feuds in rural areas of the north and domestic crime.
In 2014 about 3000 Albanian families were estimated to be involved in blood feuds and this had since the fall of Communism led to the deaths of 10 000 people. Tourism A large part of Albanians national income comes from tourism. Tourism – as of 2013 – funds 10% of its gross domesticate product, and this is expected to increase. Albania welcomed around 4. 2 million visitors in 201 2, mostly from neighboring countries and the European Union In 201 1, Albania was recommended as a top travel destination, by Lonely Planet. In 2014 Albania was nominated number 4 global tourist destinations by New York Times.
The number of tourists has increased by 20% for 2014 as well. ROMANIA The name ” Romania” comes from the Latin word “Roman’s” which means “citizen of the Roman Empire. ” Inside the so-called “Cave of Bones” in Romania, the oldest human remains on the continent of Europe were discovered; they were dated by archeologist to some 42,000 years old. More than 23 million people live in Romania. Most are Romania. They speak a language derived from Latin, and most people adhere to the Eastern Orthodox faith. That faith was tested during more than 500 years of rule by the Ottoman Turks. More than 23 million people live in Romania.
Most are Romania. They speak a language derived from Latin, and most people adhere to the Eastern Orthodox faith. That faith was disinterring more than 500 years of rule by Romania possesses broad plains with fertile soils along the Danube River. Farther north, the foothills of the Carpathians Mountains hold many minerals. Despite these natural resources, the Romania people have been impoverished in recent decades. With an area of 92,043 square miles (238,391 square kilometer), Romania is the largest country in Southeastern Europe. It is roughly the same size as the united Kingdom and slightly smaller than the U.
S. State of Oregon. The Carpathians Mountains are home to one of the largest undisturbed forests in Europe. 400 unique species Of mammals, including the Carpathians chamois, call the Carpathians Mountains home. 60% of European brown bear population lives in the Carpathians Mountains. Romania has a temperate climate, similar to the northeastern Ignited States, with four distinct seasons. Spring is pleasant with cool mornings and nights and warm days. Summer is quite warm, with extended sunny days. The hottest areas in summer are the lowlands in southern and eastern Romania where 100 is often reached in July and August.
Temperatures are always cooler in the mountains. Autumn is dry’ and cool, with fields and trees producing colorful foliage, much like New England. Winters can be cold, especially in the mountains. While not the rule, abundant snowfalls may occur throughout the country, from December to mid-March. There are significant regional differences of the climate between different regions of Romania. Economy For many centuries Roman’s economy was based on agriculture. In the sass Romania was one of the main European producers of wheat, corn and meats and it used to be called “the bread basket of Europe. There has been a shift towards heavy industries since the sass but the agriculture is still economically important and employs about one-third of the workforce. Romania produces coal, natural gas, iron ore and petroleum but most raw material for the country’s large industrial capacity potential are imported. Prominent industries include chemical (petrochemical, paints and varnishes), metal processing, machine manufacturing, industrial and transport equipment, textiles, manufactured consumer goods, lumbering and furniture. 9. 2% of Roman’s territory is arable land, 28% forests, 21 % pastures, hayfields and orchards and 2. 5% vineyards. Corn, wheat, vegetable oil seeds, vegetables, apples and grapes for wine are the main crops and sheep and pigs the main livestock. Forestry and fisheries are being developed under long-term programs. Since 1990, successive governments have concentrated on turning Romania into a market economy. Infrastructure Romania is a net exporter and 46th worldwide in terms of consumption of electric energy.
