Map Quiz – Balkan Peninsula: Countries

The Balkan Peninsula is bounded by the Adriatic Sea to the west, the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The northern boundary is often defined by the Danube, Sava, and Kupa rivers.

Yugoslavia was a country in southeastern Europe that existed from 1918 to the early 1990s. Initially formed as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, it became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after World War II, consisting of six republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia (now North Macedonia), Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Economic difficulties and rising nationalism weakened the federation. As communism collapsed in Eastern Europe, the republics began seeking independence. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence in 1991, followed by Macedonia the same year. Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence in 1992, which led to a brutal war involving ethnic cleansing. Montenegro remained in a federation with Serbia until it declared independence in 2006. Kosovo, formerly an autonomous province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008, though it is not universally recognized.

The breakup of Yugoslavia was marked by violent conflicts, most notably the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War, leading to NATO interventions and the establishment of a war crimes tribunal. Today, the former republics are independent nations, with some integrating into the European Union while others continue to face political and economic challenges.