Reconstructing the Balkans: A Geography of the New Southeast Europe

The past few years have seen the re–emergence of the Balkans as the "cockpit" of Europe. The break up of Yugoslavia, the regional conflict between ethnic groups, the creation of new states like Slovenia and the transformation of existing ones like Albania, have made the area of prime importance in geopolitical terms once again. Reconstructing the Balkans looks at the complex and rapidly changing human geography of the Balkans and considers the cultural, social and political geographies of the region and its neighbours. It provides both an examination of the history of the Balkans emphasising ethnicity and nationality issues and an evaluation of the historical and geographical roots of contemporary Balkan disputes from a range of national viewpoints. Written by acknowledged experts in the field, the book assesses some of the geographical consequences of the region?s conflicts and analyses the post–socialist restructuring, reconstruction and reconfiguration regionwide and country by country. It also gives projections of likely regional development trends. This is a unique book as it represents diverse viewpoints from a wide range of ethnic, national and disciplinary approaches. It draws upon expertise from the USA, the UK and everyone concerned with the Balkan regions making it essential reading for analysts and consultants, in banks, funding agencies and government departments. It will also be of interest to advanced students of European Studies, Geography, International Relations, Politics, Development and History.

Partial table of contents:

THE BALKAN CONTEXT.

The Balkans: Perceptions and Realities (D. Hall & D. Danta).

Contemporary Balkan Questions: The Geographic and Historic Context (D. Danta & D. Hall).

EMERGING FROM THE YUGOSLAV VORTEX.

Place and Its Role in Serbian Identity (G. White).

Destruction and Reconstruction: The Case of Dubrovnik (J. Oberreit).

Macedonian Cultural and National Identity (T. Terkenli).

NEIGHBOURS IN TRANSITION.

Albania as a Gateway (D. Rugg).

Thessaloniki and Balkan Realities (S. Kostopoulou).

The Persistence of Collectivism: Responses to Land Restitution in Romania (M. Meurs).

Hungary as a Place of Refuge (A. Dingsdale).

THE BROADER CONTEXT.

The Balkans: A European Challenge (A. Williams).

Reconstructing the Balkans: The Economic Horizon (D. Hall & D. Danta).

Index.