Where is the Balkan Peninsula on the map. Balkan countries and their path to independence

The Balkan Peninsula is in the south of Europe. There are few such places on the Balkan Peninsula. Contemporary photo There is rich vegetation on the Balkan Peninsula.

In antiquity, the Balkan Mountains were called in Greek Αἶμος, lat. Haemus. In addition, the Balkan countries are a real center of recreational childhood: there are a lot of children's and youth camps and a whole bunch of training schools foreign languages. You can stay continuously on the territory of the visa-free Balkan countries for 30-90 days within a six-month period.

In the north and northwest, the Balkan Peninsula, which is part of Southern Europe, borders on such states as Austria, Hungary and Italy. To get acquainted with the color of the countries on the map of the Balkan Peninsula, it is worth visiting eight of the most interesting destinations. The climate in the north and east is moderate continental, in the south and 3 it is subtropical Mediterranean. In the north and east, broad-leaved and coniferous forests; in the south and east, Mediterranean hard-leaved forests and shrubs; the plains are cultivated.

The steppes and forest-steppes in the north and east have been plowed up; corn, wheat, tobacco, grapes are grown; gardens; in the south, plantations of olives, citrus fruits, and pomegranates. Southern Europe. On ter. The peninsulas are parts of Slovenia and Romania, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and the European part of Turkey. It juts out into the sea for 950 km. It is washed by the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian, Marmara, Aegean and Black Seas.

To the south it forms the Morea peninsula (Peloponnese). To the east are the Balkan Mountains and the eroded Dobruja Highlands. With the intensification of the struggle for markets, the Balkan Peninsula, with its 43 million population, is also gaining interest as a place for the sale of goods.

Balkan Mountains (see Stara Planina). In the mountains - high-altitude climate. On the C and in the mountains int. parts of B. p. are dominated by forests from Central Europe. The shores of the peninsula are strongly dissected. The northern border of the peninsula is considered to be a conditional line drawn along the Danube, Sava and Kupa rivers, and from the source of the latter to the Kvarner Strait.

Faith, and only Orthodox faith, elevates this peninsula above East and West. In ancient times, Greeks, Macedonians, Illyrians, Thracians and other ancient peoples lived on the territory of the peninsula. After the conquest of most of the territory of the peninsula by the Roman Empire, many peoples were Latinized, although some remained under the influence of Greek culture.

Which countries are located on the Balkan Peninsula?

As a result of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I, the political structure and organization of the Balkan region. Jovan Kvijic, compiler of this "ethnographic map" of the Balkan region, published in 1918 by the American geographical society New York, taught geography at the University of Belgrade.

The Balkan Peninsula and adjacent islands are washed by mediterranean sea. The climate on the Balkan Peninsula is favorable. The people who settled this territory had to master the rugged mountains, because they occupy 4/5 of the Balkan Peninsula. Find Mount Olympus on the map (p. 113). Describe its location. Occupations of the ancient Greeks The population of the Balkan Peninsula was engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, fishing, hunting.

Look at the map and name the areas and islands near the Balkan Peninsula that are rich in these minerals. Fresco Ancient Greek ship The sea played a huge role in the life of the ancient Greeks. The shores of the Balkan Peninsula are indented with a great many bays and coves, in which one could hide from the weather. An old highly detailed map of the Balkans with an additional map of Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and the Central Balkans in the area of ​​Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv, Bulgaria).

The south-east of Europe, washed by the waters of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the Balkans - a sort of corner for soulful neighborly gatherings in their own way. In the general cultural sense, the Balkans are all of the above, without taking into account Turkey and Italy: the first is usually attributed to Asia, the second to Southern Europe.

Macedonia and Serbia do not have access to the sea, but rest on the mountain lakes of these countries, at their balneological resorts can be a great addition to sightseeing tours in the Balkans. In the south of this country, the climate is reminiscent of the Mediterranean - mild and warm.

Balkan Peninsula, its nature

South Europe, extends into the Mediterranean Sea. Hall. coasts are indented, rocky, east. - low. The relief is predominantly mountainous (Rhodope Mountains, Dinaric Highlands, Rida Mountains - up to 2925 m). Plains in the north and in intermountain depressions, in places along the coasts. The peninsula has been inhabited since ancient times. See these articles. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology.

The coast is heavily indented, with many adjacent islands, especially in the south (Greece) and east. In the west stretch the Dinaric Mountains, to the south passing into Pindus and the mountains of Greece. More significant flat spaces (Lower Danube and Thracian lowlands, Bulgarian plateau) - in the east. parts. The rivers (except the Danube) are small. Europe south to the Aegean and further to Asia. The interests of England, Italy, France, and before the war, Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary are connected with these directions of world communications.

If you are going to get acquainted with new countries, take a closer look at the Balkan Peninsula. For the most part, the countries of the Balkan Peninsula practice visa-free entry.

One of the striking features of this region is that it is incredibly contrasting. It is difficult for many residents of Russia, which occupies a vast territory, to understand how so many states managed to fit on one peninsula at once. And it is even more difficult to understand how they, so different, manage to get along with each other. After all, what countries just do not lie on the Balkan Peninsula: Christian and Muslim, with beach and ski resorts very different and at the same time very similar.

Albania

The republic is located in the western part. Among the countries that are on the Balkan Peninsula, this is one of the smallest in terms of population. Less than about 2.8 million people live here. The capital is Tirana. One of the less popular places among tourists, however, in last years The service here has grown rapidly.

Bulgaria

The state, located in the eastern part of the peninsula, occupies 22% of its area, has a population of more than 7 million people. The capital is Sofia. For many years, visa-free entry was open to Russians in this country. Now, as for most other states, you can enter here from Russia with a Schengen visa. The country is popular as a beach resort.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

A tiny country in the western part of the peninsula with a population of approximately 3.5 million people. The capital is Sarajevo. An excellent option for sightseeing holidays in a temperate climate.

Greece

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. This country is also one of the most densely populated among the Balkans - more than 10 million people. The capital is Athens.

Italy

One of the fashion capitals of the world is also included in the list of countries located on the Balkan Peninsula. The population is more than 60 million people. The capital is Rome. Not only shopping lovers, but also fans of beach or ski holidays come here from all over the world.

Macedonia

The republic has a population of just over 2 million people. The capital is Skolie. This state has no access to the sea. But it boasts mighty mountains, beautiful lakes and ancient cities with amazing architecture.

Romania

According to the work of Bram Stoker and folklore, this country is the birthplace of Count Dracula. It is also a great option for a budget European holiday. This state is quite crowded in comparison with its neighbors on the peninsula. The population is just under 20 million people. The capital is Bucharest.

Serbia

A small state with a population of just over 7 million people and the capital in the city of Belgrade. It is located in the central part of the peninsula. There is a truly rich program for a tourist with any requests - mountains, lakes, ancient architecture. Except there is no sea.

Slovenia

Another tiny country with a population of just over 2 million people and a capital with a touching name is Ljubljana. It is located in the pre-alpine part of the peninsula. Ski holidays here are well developed and are much cheaper than in other countries with access to the Alps.

Turkey

This is probably the most popular holiday destination for Russian tourists. The population of the country is about 80 million people. The main part of the territory of the state falls on the Anatolian Peninsula and the Armenian Highlands, and the Balkan Peninsula got a smaller one. However, this country can also be considered Balkan.

Croatia

The Balkan Peninsula (Balkans, in German Balkanhalbinsel) is actually “between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea”, the distance from end to end of the Balkan Peninsula is about 1400 kilometers. A wonderful map of the Balkan Peninsula, relief and states is on Wikipedia.

See what the "Balkan Peninsula" is in other dictionaries:

In the mountainous expanses of the Balkan Peninsula, everything, of course, is European ... In the general cultural sense, the Balkans are all of the above without taking into account Turkey and Italy: the first is usually attributed to Asia, the second to Southern Europe. From a tourist point of view, the Balkans is an ideally balanced region in terms of types of recreation.

The name is from the oronym Balkan mountains or Balkans used in the past (from Turkic, balkan chain steep mountains); Now the mountains are called Stara Planina, but the name of the peninsula has been preserved. 505 thousand km2. Protrudes into the sea for 950 km. It is washed by the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian, Marmara, Aegean and Black Seas. See these articles. Ivan Asen II, Jesse Russell. Slavic sword, F. Finzhgar.

Balkans as a space of problematic supranational identity

There is no geographical basis for the isolation of the Balkan Peninsula; The Balkans is an exclusively geopolitical category. During the years of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the geopolitical consciousness, the Balkan Peninsula was not yet clearly isolated as a geopolitical space. Until the Ottoman conquest Southeast Europe was no "civilizational periphery": the foundations European culture were laid right here in the Balkans. This, in fact, is the area of ​​concentration of a typical Balkan cultural landscape and a Balkan city. All three historical regions that make up today's Croatia - Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia - have strong ties to the civilizational traditions of Central and Western Europe. The definition of the Danube as the northern border of the Balkan Peninsula was supported by the majority of scientists. The modern Turkish state occupies only 3.2% of the territory of the Balkan Peninsula. 4. The geographical position of the ethnic or state territory of the people on the Balkan Peninsula does not automatically mean belonging to the Balkan cultural identity.

The Balkan Peninsula narrows to the south and breaks into indented capes and chains of islands. Cities such as Athens are full of reminders of the ancient Greek civilization, which greatly influenced the development of the whole world. Every year tourists come here from all over the world.

5. Politics Western states in the Balkans during the Eastern Crisis. 5. Bismarck's attitude to the national liberation struggle of the Slavic peoples. The purpose of the lesson is to analyze the causes and consequences of the Balkan wars of 1912-1913. The main sources are the texts of diplomatic documents. Be able to show on the map territorial changes in the Balkans (changes in the borders of Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia). It is necessary to have a good idea of ​​the course of the Second Balkan War and the changes in borders after the defeat of Bulgaria, which predetermined its pro-German orientation in the future.

Relative to ethnic composition The Balkans are among the most diverse places on the continent. In addition to ethnic and linguistic relations, the Balkan region is also quite diverse in terms of religion. In the past, the Balkans was a land of numerous conflicts that stemmed from the great internal differences in the peninsula.

Unlike other Mediterranean countries, the Balkan country is less separated to the north from the mainland core of Europe. The border between the Balkan and Alpine countries is drawn along the average January isotherm +4 ... +5 0 C. At this temperature, evergreens are preserved. By genetic and geomorphological features, the mountains of the Balkan region are combined into two systems: the Dinaric west and the Thracian-Macedonian east. Peculiarities geographical location and the relief of the region determine the formation of three continental types of climate here: Mediterranean, sub-Mediterranean and temperate. Actually the Mediterranean climate is typical only for a relatively narrow strip of the western and southern coasts of the Balkan Peninsula.

The Balkan Peninsula is still one of the poorest and most economically backward parts of Europe. Integration processes are currently taking place in the Balkans.

The northern border of the peninsula is considered to be a conditional line drawn along the Danube, Sava and Kupa rivers, and from the source of the latter to the Kvarner Strait. Geographic position, culture, science, Islam, politics, earthly aspirations and ambitions tear the Balkans between East and West. Faith, and only Orthodox faith, elevates this peninsula above East and West.

It seemed that the Balkan Peninsula was returning to normal life. The power of Tamerlane scared Ottoman Empire. Already at the beginning of the twentieth century. the countries of the Balkan Peninsula decided to completely get rid of the influence of the Turks. In the 90s of the last century, Yugoslavia broke up into a number of states that exist to this day (one of them, Kosovo, is partially recognized).

Geography of the area

The Balkan Peninsula has an exceptionally varied relief, although most of its area is occupied by mountains. Therefore, the Balkan Peninsula is one of the most seismic zones in Europe, along with the island of Iceland. The coast of Croatia and Greece is especially dissected. The southernmost part of the Balkans is occupied by the Peloponnese peninsulas.

The Dalmatian coast, which covers the western parts of the peninsula, is considered the most picturesque and greenest part of the Mediterranean. Greece however is considered a tourist paradise with its exceptionally beautiful white sandy beaches and crystal clear bays. The Black Sea coast is completely different.

Greece - located on the peninsula and nearby islands; Romania - located in the east, completely located on the peninsula.

On the outskirts is the Lower Danube and Middle Danube Plain. The southern territories are mostly occupied by Greece. Most of the plain is located in the basin of the Maritsa River. The northern and northwestern territories border on Montenegro and Serbia, the eastern territories border Macedonia, and the southern and southeastern territories border Greece. There are also several large lakes on the territory, which stretch along the border areas with Greece, Macedonia, Yugoslavia.

Relief. The surface is predominantly mountainous. To the west of the massif along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, the Dinaric fold-cover system (Dinarids) extends, which continues in Albania and Greece with an arcuately curved system of the Hellenids. The southern part of the peninsula is dominated by subtropical brown, mountain brown typical and carbonate soils; red-colored soils of terra rossa are common on the Adriatic coast.

Areas of karst development in the Dinaric Highlands in places with almost no vegetation cover.

More specifically, in the southeastern part of it. It is washed by the Mediterranean Sea from three sides (east, south and west). Accordingly, the seas in the east are the Aegean and Black, in the west, the Adriatic. The coastal line of this territory is very indistinct, the adjacent islands are widely scattered. In principle, the picture clearly shows which states are included in the Balkan Peninsula (all those that are not marked in light green). I will only note that it also includes a partially recognized state - Kosovo, which is located on the territory of Serbia.

Lower Danube lowland. Postojna, east of Trieste. Sofia basin. Along with this, there are areas that are primordially treeless.

On the territory of the Balkan Peninsula there are important transport routes connecting Western Europe with Southwest Asia (Asia Minor and the Middle East).

The northern border of the Balkan Peninsula is drawn along the course of the Sava and the Danube, and in the east - from the latitudinal segment of the Danube, approximately along 44 ° N. sh., to the Black Sea. In the west, the region is washed by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. In the east, ero is limited by the Black Sea, the Bosporus, the Dardanelles and the Marmara and Aegean Seas. The region also includes numerous islands of the Ionian and Aegean Seas and the island of Crete.

Massive and wide in the north, the Balkan Peninsula narrows to the south, and the dissection of its coasts increases. The surface of the Balkan Peninsula is mountainous. The name itself comes from the Turkish word "balkan", which means "mountain". Plains, lowlands and basins occupy a relatively small area.

The modern outlines and relief of the land were formed as a result of the movements of the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Anthropogen. The Aegean Sea was formed on the site of the fragmented and sinking Land, which connected the Balkans with Asia Minor. The islands of the Aegean Sea are the remnants of this land, and the Bosphorus and Dardanelles arose as a result of the sinking and flooding of wide river valleys that existed in the Neogene. On the western and northeastern outskirts of the Balkan Peninsula, mountain systems of the Cenozoic age rise, its inner part is filled with a rigid median massif, which experienced splits in the Neogene.

In the north-east of the peninsula, in an arc, convex to the south, stretch the Balkan Mountains, or Stara Planina, as they are called in Bulgaria. In terms of folding age and structure, the Balkans are close to the Carpathians and obviously belong to that system of structures of the Alpine folded belt, which continues through Dobrudzha to the Crimean Peninsula.

The northern slope of the Balkans gradually passes into the foothills of the Bulgarian plateau, which, in turn, descends to the Lower Danube lowland. The Bulgarian plateau and the northern slope of Stara Planina dissect deep valleys, and the Iskar River cuts through the Balkans, forming the famous Iskar Gorge, through which the railway and the highway to Sofia pass. The highest, central part of the mountains is composed of crystalline rocks. Its maximum height is 2376 m (Mount Botev), the passes lie at altitudes significantly exceeding 1000 m. The Shipka Pass is dear to the memory of the Russian and Bulgarian peoples after the war of 1877-1878, when the Russian troops, together with the Bulgarian troops, liberated Bulgaria from Turkish rule.

At the southern foot of the Stara Planina lie the Trans-Balkan basins - Sofia, Karlovskaya, Kazanlakskaya and Slivenskaya. The most extensive Sophia basin has a height of 500 m, the rest are somewhat lower. The transition from mountains to basins is very pronounced in the relief. The bottom of the basins is flat, from each of their points the surrounding mountains are visible.

From the south, the Trans-Balkan basins are closed by a mountain range, called in Bulgaria Sredna Gora, and in Russian literature known as the Anti-Balkans. In terms of geological structure, the Anti-Balkans are close to the Balkans, but inferior to them in height. Steeply breaking off to the north, towards the basins, they descend more gently to the south.

Another mountain system of the Balkan Peninsula stretches along its western margin from north to south and passes to the coastal islands. It is more extensive than the Balkans and more complex in construction. These are the Dinaric Highlands and Pindus.

The Dinaric Highlands begin north of the Istrian peninsula, where it merges with the Southeastern Alps. Further, it extends from the northwest to the southeast, along the Adriatic coast to the northern border of Albania. Recent subsidence has caused the fragmentation of the western marginal zone of the Dinaric Highlands and its subsidence below sea level. This led to the formation of a heavily dissected Dalmatian coast, accompanied by hundreds of large and small islands. Islands, peninsulas and bays stretch along the coast line, corresponding to the strike of mountain ranges.

Most of the highlands are composed of Mesozoic limestones and Paleogene flysch. Limestones compose ridges and vast plateaus, and loose flysch deposits fill the synclinal depressions between them. The predominance of limestone and abundant rainfall caused the development of karst processes in the western part of the highlands. This was also facilitated by the extermination of forest vegetation. In this area, the regularities of karst formation and the forms of karst relief were studied for the first time (the name of the phenomenon itself comes from the name of the Karst plateau in the north-west of the Balkan Peninsula). All forms of the so-called "bare", or Mediterranean, karst can be found in the Dinaric Highlands. Large areas have been turned into completely barren and impenetrable carr fields, where there is neither soil nor vegetation. Underground forms of karst relief are diverse - wells up to several hundreds of meters deep, branched caves reaching many kilometers in length. Of the caves, Postojna is especially famous. , east of Trieste.

The karst zone of the Dinaric Highlands is almost devoid of surface watercourses, but there are many karst rivers that disappear and reappear on the surface. The population in this part of the region is sparse and concentrated mainly in the fields, where springs come out and a cover of red-colored weathering crust is formed.

Continuing south under the name Pindus, the mountains occupy almost all of Albania and the western part of northern Greece, the Peloponnese peninsula and the island of Crete. Almost everywhere they come directly to the coast, and only within Albania between the mountains and the sea there is a strip of coastal hilly plain up to several tens of kilometers wide. The ridges of the Pindus are composed of limestone, and the valleys are of flysch. The highest parts of the mountains are characterized by sharp forms and a wide distribution of karst. The slopes of the ridges are usually steep and devoid of vegetation. The highest peak of Pindus is Mount Zmolikas in Greece (2637 m). The entire Pinda system has experienced severe fragmentation, which is reflected in the features of the relief and the nature of the coastline. The coast is cut by large bays and small bays, and the transverse type of dissection prevails. The continuation of the mountain ranges of the western part of Pindus are the Ionian Islands, recently separated from the mainland, deeply dissected and surrounded by shallow water. The large Corinthian Gulf separates the Peloponnese peninsula, connected with the rest of the land only by the Isthmus of Corinth, about 6 km wide. A canal dug in the narrowest point of the isthmus separated the Peloponnese from the Balkan Peninsula. The Peloponnese itself is dissected by large gulfs-grabens and forms four lobed peninsulas in the south.

The inner part of the Balkan Peninsula is occupied by the ancient Macedonian-Thracian massif. In the Neogene, the massif was fragmented into mountain uplifts separated by depressions. Initially, these depressions were occupied by the sea, which later broke up into a number of lakes. By the beginning of the Anthropogen, the lakes gradually dried up, and terrace steps appeared on the slopes of the basins, indicating a gradual decrease in the level of the lakes. The bottoms of the basins are flat or slightly hilly and lie at different heights. The basins are densely populated. The center of each hollow is usually a city or a large village, the name of which is given to the hollow (for example, the Skop-le basin in Yugoslavia, Samokovskaya in Bulgaria). The most extensive basins on the Balkan Peninsula lie along the course of the Maritsa River: Upper Thracian - in Bulgaria, Lower Thracian - along the border between Greece and Turkey. In the middle part of Greece is the vast Thessalian Basin - the center of ancient agricultural culture.

Between the basins, sections of mountain crystalline massifs rise. Later processes, especially glaciation, dissected the relief of some massifs and created a complex of high mountain forms. The highest massifs of this part of the Balkan Peninsula are the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria, the isolated massif Olympus in Greece. The highest massif of the Balkan Peninsula is the Rila Mountains. Their highest peak reaches 2925 m. The calm contours of the relief of the lower part of the mountains are replaced by sharp mountain-glacial forms on the peaks. Snow accumulates there most of the summer and gives rise to avalanches.

Thus, the relief of the entire Balkan Peninsula is generally characterized by dissection, which is the result of vertical movements of the end of the Neogene and the beginning of the Anthropogen, which engulfed folded structures of various ages. Thanks to this young tectonics, a mountain-hollow relief was created, which is so characteristic of this region. Tectonic activity has not ended even now, as evidenced by frequent earthquakes in different regions.

The bowels of the Balkan Peninsula are especially rich in ores various metals. In Serbia, near the city of Bor, in young volcanic rocks there are significant reserves of copper ores; chromite deposits are widespread in the ancient crystalline massifs of Yugoslavia, Greece and Bulgaria, iron ores, manganese and lead-zinc ores. Large reserves of chromium and copper ores are found in the mountains of Albania. Along the entire Adriatic coast and on the islands, bauxites occur in the strata of the Cretaceous deposits.

In the Paleogene deposits of the intramountain basins there are deposits of brown coal. There is oil in the sediments of foothill troughs in Albania and Bulgaria. Albania has the world's largest deposits of natural asphalt.

Many rocks on the Balkan Peninsula are valuable building materials (marble, limestone, etc.).

A typical Mediterranean climate is typical only for a relatively narrow strip of the western and southern coasts of the Balkan Peninsula. In the north and in its inner parts, the climate is temperate, with a hint of continentality. These features are due to the fact that the Balkan Peninsula occupies the extreme eastern position within the European Mediterranean and is closely connected with the mainland. In the north, between the peninsula and the rest of Europe, there are no significant orographic boundaries, and the continental air of temperate latitudes freely penetrates the peninsula in all periods of the year. Coastal regions occupy a more southern position and are protected by mountain ranges from the penetration of continental air masses.

The mountain relief plays an important role in shaping the climate of the Balkan Peninsula. The difference in the climate of the basins and mountain ranges is manifested primarily in the annual amount of precipitation: the plains and basins usually receive no more than 500-700 mm, while on the slopes of the mountains, especially on the western ones, more than 1000 mm falls. The climate of the Bulgarian plateau is distinguished by the greatest continentality, where winter frosts can reach -25°C; The maximum precipitation occurs in the first half of summer. This part of Bulgaria suffers quite often from droughts. In winter, there is a stable snow cover, and snow appears around the second half of November. The most severe frosts in this area are associated with breakthroughs of relatively cold continental air masses coming from the northeast.

In the mountain basins of the peninsula, due to their more southerly position, the climate is warmer, but also with a distinct continental tinge. The average winter temperature is negative, although only slightly below 0 ° C. Significant temperature inversions are observed almost every winter, when it is relatively warm on the slopes of the mountains, and frosts reach -8, - 10 ° C in the basins.

The climate of the mountain ranges of northern and. the central parts of the Balkan Peninsula are more humid and cool. The winter temperature differs little from the temperature of the basins, but summer is much cooler in the mountains and winter comes much earlier than in the plains. In November, when it is still raining in the Sofia basin, located at a high altitude above sea level, the Balkans or Rila already have a snow cover and most of the passes are closed due to snow drifts.

On the Dalmatian coast and islands, the summer is dry and hot, with a predominance of cloudless weather; winters are mild and rainy, although in the northern part of the coast the maximum precipitation falls not in winter, but in autumn. The annual amount of precipitation on the coast is very high - there are the most humid regions of Europe. On the shores of the Bay of Kotor in Yugoslavia, more than 5000 mm of precipitation falls in some years, but in closed fields and on mountain slopes protected from westerly winds, the amount of precipitation does not exceed 500-600 mm per year. The average winter temperature on the entire coast is positive, but in its northern part every winter there are strong and very sharp drops in temperature due to the breakthrough of relatively cold masses of continental air. These air masses come down from the Danubian plains in the place where the Dinaric mountains have the smallest width and a small height. The air does not have time to warm up and spreads to the coast in the form of a cold hurricane wind, causing the temperature to drop below 0 ° C, icing buildings, trees, and the earth's surface. This phenomenon, very close in nature to the Black Sea north-east, is known as pine forests.

The farther south, the features of the Mediterranean climate appear more and more clearly. The average temperature of the winter and summer months rises, the maximum precipitation shifts to winter, and their amount decreases. On the coast of the Aegean Sea, in Southeastern Greece, the Mediterranean climate acquires some features of continentality, which are primarily expressed in a decrease in precipitation. For example, in Athens, the average annual number of them is no more than 400 mm, the temperature of the hottest month is +27, - (-28 ° C, the coolest +7, +8 ° C, there are temperature drops below 0 ° C, sometimes it snows The relatively dry climate is also found in the Aegean islands, where it is probably the warmest compared to all other parts of the region.

The water network of the Balkan Peninsula is not dense. There are almost no large navigable rivers; all rivers are characterized by sharp fluctuations in level and inconstancy of the regime.

A significant part of the peninsula belongs to the basin of the middle Danube. Most major rivers- The Danube and its tributary Sava, flowing along the northern edge of the peninsula. Significant tributaries of the Danube are the Morava and the Iskar; Savy - the river Drina. The large rivers Maritsa, Struma (Strimon), Vardar, Vistritsa and Peney flow into the Aegean Sea. The basins of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas have short rivers, since the main watershed of the Balkan Peninsula passes through the Dinaric Mountains and is close to its western edge.

The watershed between the Danube basin and the Aegean Sea is the Balkans, the Rhodope Mountains and the Rila. In the Rila Mountains, there are especially many watercourses that give rise to large and small rivers; Iskar and Maritsa start from there.

On most of the rivers of the Balkan Peninsula, high water occurs in winter or autumn; then they are turbulent streams carrying masses of muddy water. In summer, many rivers become very shallow, small rivers in the southeast dry up.

Usually the nature of the flow of rivers in the upper reaches is mountainous, in the lower reaches they go to the plains and are slow-flowing watercourses that do not have distinct valleys. In the past, during floods, these rivers overflowed and flooded large areas. So it was, for example, on the northern plain of Bulgaria and on the coastal plain of Albania. In the lower reaches of the rivers, swampy areas formed, which were the center of the spread of malaria and were almost not populated. At the present time, the socialist countries are doing a great deal of work to prevent river floods, drain swampy areas and turn them into lands suitable for plowing.

Along with excessively humid areas on the Balkan Peninsula, there are many areas where agriculture systematically suffers from droughts. For rational use these areas, for example, the lowlands of the upper and lower Maritsa and most of the closed intermountain basins, artificial irrigation is necessary. A network of irrigation canals cuts through the Maritskaya lowland in Bulgaria, irrigation systems on the Bol-garsky plateau, in the Sofia depression and other areas.

Power plants have been built and are being built on many rivers of the Balkan Peninsula. A lot of work has been carried out at Iskar in Bulgaria. In the upper reaches of the Iskar, reservoirs (yazovirs) were built, power stations were built, and an irrigation system was created for the Sophia basin.

The lakes of the Balkan Peninsula belong to different types. The largest of them are of tectonic or karst-tectonic origin: Shkoder and Ohrid on the border of Yugoslavia and Albania and on the border of Albania, Yugoslavia and Greece - Prespa. In the Dinaric Highlands and in the Pindus Mountains, the lakes are usually small in area, but deep. In some karst lakes, water disappears during the dry season.

Within the karst territories of the Dinaric Highlands, there are also vast areas that are completely drainless or devoid of surface water. The population of these regions suffers especially strongly from the lack of drinking water.

predominance mountainous terrain, diversity climatic conditions and differences in the distribution of runoff create a great variety of land cover. The climatic conditions of most of the region are favorable for the growth of forests, but the natural forest vegetation there has been severely exterminated. Along with this, there are areas that are primordially treeless. The floristic composition of the vegetation of the Balkan Peninsula is richer than in other parts of the Mediterranean, since during the glaciation the heat-loving Neogene flora found shelter there. On the other hand, the Balkan Peninsula was the seat of the ancient cultures of Europe, the vegetation has been exposed to human influence for thousands of years and has changed significantly.

For vegetable and soil cover the northern and central parts of the region are characterized by a combination of forest and steppe types. Forests and their corresponding soils are widespread in mountainous regions, while plains and intramountain basins are treeless, and steppe soils predominate within them.

The modern landscapes of the Bolgar Plateau, the Maritskaya Lowland and the inner basins do not give an idea of ​​their original vegetation cover, since their land and climatic resources are intensively used. On the Bolgar Plateau, among a flat, cultivated surface covered with chernozem-like soils, only individual trees have survived. The Maritsa lowland is even more developed. Its surface is a mosaic of rice fields, cotton, tobacco, vineyards and orchards, lined with irrigation canals. Many fields are planted with sparsely standing fruit trees; this achieves best use fertile lowland soils.

In the natural vegetation cover of the lowlands of the Maritsa and the Black Sea coast, elements of the Mediterranean flora appear. Some evergreen shrubs can be found there, as well as ivy that covers tree trunks.

The lower parts of the slopes of the mountains are most often covered with thickets of shrubs, in which both deciduous and some evergreen species are found. This is the so-called shilyak, especially characteristic of the Balkan Peninsula. It usually appears on the site of reduced forests. Up to a height of 1000-1200 m, deciduous forests from various kinds oak with an admixture of beech, hornbeam and other broad-leaved species. On some mountain ranges, they give way to tall coniferous forests of Balkan and Central European species of pine, spruce and fir. Such valuable and relatively little exterminated forests cover the slopes of the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. At an altitude of about 1500-1800 m, the forests turn into subalpine shrub thickets of rhododendron, juniper and heather. The highest mountain ranges are covered with alpine meadows, which are used as pastures.

In mountainous regions, up to a great height, the impact of man on nature is affected. In many places, wheat fields rise to a height of 1100-1300 m, the upper limit of orchards lies a little lower, and the lowest parts of the slopes of the southern exposure are occupied by vineyards.

Areas with a Mediterranean climate also have a corresponding soil and vegetation cover. The soils of the coastal low strip of Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece under evergreen vegetation are red earth (on limestones) or brown. Upper limit of distribution subtropical soils and vegetation increases as you move from north to south. In the northern part of the Adriatic coast, it does not rise above 300-400 m above sea level, in southern Greece its height is about 1000 m or more.

The vegetation of the western part of the peninsula, receiving a large number of rainfall, richer than the vegetation of the dry southeast. The natural and cultural vegetation of the Ionian Islands is especially varied and luxuriant, while some islands of the Aegean Sea are almost completely deserted and scorched by the sun.

In the western regions, maquis is common, which covers the coast and the lower parts of the slopes of the mountains, in the southeast the more xerophytic frigana prevails, higher in the mountains they are replaced by shilyak. preserved in places small areas Mediterranean forests of evergreen oaks (Quercus ilex, Q. coccifera etc.), seaside pine and laurel. On the coast and the lower parts of the mountain slopes, natural vegetation has in most cases been supplanted by cultivated vegetation. A significant area is occupied by groves olive tree, which, moving south, rise higher and higher into the mountains, citrus orchards that appear in the southern part of the Yugoslav coast and are widespread in Albania and Greece (especially in the Peloponnese). In Yugoslavia, large areas are occupied by various fruit trees: apple trees, pears, plums, apricots. In all areas with a warm Mediterranean climate, there are many vineyards on the slopes of the mountains. Especially high on the terraced slopes they rise in southern Greece.

Above the belt of Mediterranean vegetation and soils lies a belt of deciduous forests, consisting of oak, maple, linden and other broad-leaved species. In the undergrowth of these forests there are many evergreen plants. Broad-leaved forests on the coastal mountain ranges have undergone significant destruction. Deforestation was a sad consequence of a difficult period in the history of the Balkan countries - the rule of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

In many places, forests have suffered from grazing (goats and sheep), cutting down for fuel. Especially a lot of forests are brought down on the limestone plateaus of Yugoslavia - in the area of ​​​​the so-called Dinaric karst, as well as in the mountains of Pinda on the territory of Greece. In places, these plateaus have been turned into a real desert, devoid of soil, covered with rubble and large blocks of limestone. Areas suitable for cultivation are usually found in fields where the products of limestone destruction accumulate in the form of the so-called terra rossa. There you can see small patches of plowed and sown lands. Along with them, there are meadows used as pastures, and even rare forest vegetation - the remains of the former broad-leaved forests.

In the animal world of the Balkan Peninsula there are elements of both Central European and typical Mediterranean fauna. In some sparsely populated areas, the fauna is well preserved, but some large animals have disappeared for a long time and completely without a trace. For example, it is known that lions lived in the south of the peninsula in historical times.

Wild boar is found in the riverine and swampy thickets of some areas of the peninsula; deer and chamois are still preserved in mountain forests; on the islands of the Aegean Sea there is a wild goat - the progenitor domestic goat. In the most remote mountainous areas, you can sometimes see a brown bear. There are many rodents, among which hares occupy the first place in terms of numbers.

Diverse bird fauna. Of the predators, there are vultures, falcons and snake eagles. There are a lot of different passerines, woodpeckers, a pheasant used to be found.

Among the typical Mediterranean animals, reptiles are numerous. There are especially a lot of lizards, there are a viper and a small boa constrictor. The endemic Greek tortoise is found in the south.

The rivers and lakes of the Danube and Adriatic Sea basins are rich in fish. The southern part of the peninsula, belonging to the Aegean Sea basin, is relatively poor in freshwater fauna.

BALKAN PENINSULA, in Southern Europe. The area is about 505 thousand km2. The length from west to east is about 1260 km, from north to south - 950 km. It is washed from the west and southwest by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, from the southeast by the Aegean and Marmara, from the east by the Black Sea. The northern border runs from the Gulf of Trieste to the Sava River and further along it and the Danube (to the mouth). The following states are partially or completely located on the Balkan Peninsula: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Turkey, Croatia.

The coastline is heavily indented, especially in the Aegean Sea, the adjacent waters (except the Black and Marmara Seas) are replete with islands. In Greece - the large peninsulas of Peloponnese and Halkidiki. The shores are mostly high, steep, with alternating rocky cliffs and bays with sand and pebble beaches, on Black Sea coast- flat, with a few capes, sandy beaches are common almost everywhere.

Relief. The surface is predominantly mountainous. A combination of numerous ridges, massifs, uplands, plateaus and intermountain depressions is characteristic. In the northeast are the Stara Planina Mountains. To the south of them, separated by longitudinal basins, are the Rhodope Mountains, the Rila mountain range (height up to 2925 m, Mount Musala - the highest point of the Balkan Peninsula) and the Pirin mountain range (up to 2914 m). In the western part, parallel to the coast of the Adriatic Sea, there is the Dinaric Highlands, to the south passing into the mountains of Pindus (height up to 2637 m, Mount Zmolikas) and the mountains of the Peloponnese peninsula (height up to 2404 m). Karst landforms are widely developed, especially in the western and northwestern parts of the Dinaric Highlands (Karst Plateau). The plains are located in the north of the Balkan Peninsula (the southern part of the Middle Danube Lowland and the Lower Danube Lowland), in the east (Lower Thracian Lowland), in intermountain depressions (Upper Thracian Lowland, Thessalian Plain, etc.), in some places along the coasts.

Geological structure and minerals. The Balkan Peninsula is located within the Alpine-Himalayan mobile belt. The Serbian-Macedonian Late Precambrian-Paleozoic crystalline massif extends along its axis, which separates the two branches of the Alpid. To the west of the massif along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, the Dinaric fold-cover system (Dinarids) extends, which continues in Albania and Greece with an arcuately curved system of the Hellenids. The Ellinid arc is underlain by a zone of subduction (underthrust) of the crust of the Ionian and Levantine basins. It is associated with the high seismicity of the Balkan Peninsula and the volcanism of the Aegean Sea basin. To the east of the Serbian-Macedonian massif is the Balkan fold system (Balkanides).

Oil and gas deposits (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece), coal deposits (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina), nickel- and cobalt-containing iron ores (Albania, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro), manganese ores ( Greece, Bulgaria), chromites (Albania, Greece, Macedonia), bauxites (Greece, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina), tungsten ores (Bulgaria), copper (Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro), molybdenum, antimony (Serbia and Montenegro), lead and zinc (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro), rock salt (Bulgaria, Albania), asbestos (Greece, Albania), barite (Bulgaria), sulfur, magnesite, marble (Greece). Numerous mineral springs in Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro.

Climate. In the west, south and southeast, the climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The average temperatures in January are 7-11 °С, in July 25-27 °С. The climate is temperate continental in the central and northern regions. Average temperatures in July are about 20 °С, in January from 0 to -3 °С. In the mountains - altitudinal climatic zonality; snow cover persists for several months. The most moistened are the western slopes of the Dinaric Highlands - up to 2000 mm of precipitation per year (in the area of ​​the Bay of Kotor - up to 5000 mm); in the eastern and southern parts (with the exception of high mountains) - less than 1000 mm, in some places less than 400 mm.

Rivers and lakes. The largest rivers are Velika Morava, Iskar, Drina (Danube basin), Maritsa, Struma, Vardar (Aegean Sea basin), as well as the border Danube and Sava. Most of the rivers are mountainous in nature, their maximum flow falls on the period from March to June, low water - from August to September. Large lakes - Shkoder (Skadar), Ohrid, Prespa - are located in tectonic depressions. There are many karst lakes, in the Rila mountains there are lakes of glacial origin.

Soils, vegetation and animal world . In the mountainous and foothill regions of the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula, mountain forest brown and mountain forest humus-carbonate, as well as brown forest soils are developed. On the Middle Danube and Lower Danube lowlands - chernozems and soils transitional from brown forest to brown, on the Upper Thracian and Lower Thracian lowlands - black fused soils of smolnitsa. The southern part of the peninsula is dominated by subtropical brown, mountain brown typical and carbonate soils; red-colored soils of terra rossa are common on the Adriatic coast. In the north and in the central regions, forests of oak, beech, hornbeam, spruce, fir and pine predominate. In the south and southeast - evergreen xerophytic forests and shrubs. V northeastern parts of widely developed steppe communities. Grow olives, citrus fruits, grapes, tobacco; cereals (wheat, corn) and cotton are cultivated on the plains.

The fauna is quite rich and varied, especially many birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects. From mammals there are a bear, a wolf, a fox, a jackal, a red deer, a roe deer, a wild boar, etc., rodents are numerous.

Lit.: Karri-Lindal K. Europe. M., 1981; Ananiev G.S., Leontiev O.K. Geomorphology of continents and oceans. M., 1987; Khain V. E. Tectonics of continents and oceans (year 2000). M., 2001.

V. V. Bronguleev; V. E. Khain (geological structure and minerals).