Introduction
Not a whole lot of people know about the Balkan Peninsula because it existed so long before we were even born, but it’s where the term ‘Balkanization’ actually came from. Basically, at the time, the area was known as the Ottoman Empire, and it occupied the area where we have current countries like Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia. Nowadays, we use this term to refer to any country that breaks apart to form several countries or several states. Balkanization mostly leads to cold wars. In this AP® Human Geography study guide, we will discuss the term balkanization as well as how it has changed and different parts of the world it has applied to.
Balkanization of The Balkan Peninsula
Over a century ago the Balkan Peninsula was ruled by the Ottoman Empire. It lasted for a long time but after a while things started going badly for the Empire and it started breaking apart. The people weren’t happy with the way that the Empire was ruling them, and they started a rebellion. That rebellion began in 1817, but it didn’t end for 95 years, until 1912. At that point, the Empire broke apart into separate countries.
Today those countries include Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and a whole lot of others, but the countries did not like each other when this first happened, and they actually fought a lot. It took a lot of time before they were able to coexist in any way and even longer to actually work together. The problems that had been there with the entire Empire really influenced the people to hate each other for a long time. What this showed us is that balkanization often starts in a negative way, but in the long run it can yield positive results, because after breaking up the countries really had a better existence.
It was after this happened that the term ‘balkanization’ was created and it started being used by others. In most cases, countries look at balkanization negatively, but there may be other ways to look at it. A lot of researchers are studying if there are positive ways that balkanization could occur, and they’re looking at it in areas like England. There are a lot of ways that balkanization can influence different countries, but that can also effect people like us who live in those countries.
Benefits of Balkanization
What we know is that balkanization has happened in a number of countries, like the ones we’ve already mentioned, but we haven’t seen any way that it’s a positive occurrence. What’s happening now though is that researchers are starting to think about whether it could be positive. One of the biggest things they’re focusing on is the United Kingdom, which is already a large territory much like the Ottoman Empire was. The way that it’s run right now, the entire United Kingdom is treated as one country, but really it’s made up of smaller countries.
Researchers think that maybe it would be better if those countries really did break up because then they could be more successful on their own. Countries like Scotland, Wales and England, would be responsible for themselves instead of acting as one large country, and this could change the way we see them and the way that they interact with the rest of the world.
Each country would have its own rules and operations; they would be able to improve the standard of living for each country on their own. Plus a positive breakup would mean cooperation continues between the countries but not as one entity. But since no one has seen a positive balkanization yet, all we can really do is speculate.
Trouble with Balkanization
In many instances, balkanization is used as a term to describe the devolution of larger countries and states as a result of multi-ethnicity leading to ethnic fragmentation and an overall feeling of political fragmentation. In these instances, balkanization can lead to dictatorship or even ethnic cleansing. These aspects can reflect upon the myriad negative effects that occur in regards to balkanization. This is what happened in countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia and Yugoslavia, which had a whole lot of problems with ethnic division. When these things occur, and countries begin to revolt against one another, it can result in ethnic boundaries being formed between states.
When ethnic or political boundaries establish the new states or countries within what was once a single region it results in bloodshed and the subjugation of some ethnic or religious groups for the benefit of other ethnic or religious groups. There is no benefit to this type of occurrence, and the people who find themselves bound within it are generally uncertain of their future within the world or within their own country. This can lead to a disintegration of relations with outside countries including trade relations, as occurred with Yugoslavia in the 90’s.
Important Definitions for Balkanization
Multinational – Relating to several different nationalities or comprising of several different nationalities. Balkanization can occur in regions where there is a lot of diversity and nationalities coming together in one place. This is what we call a multinational region because it has several nations together like the United Kingdom, which is made up of nations like Scotland and Wales.
Multi-ethnic – Relating to several different ethnic groups or comprising of several different ethnic groups. Balkanization typically only occurs in areas where there is multi-ethnicity, which can lead to problems within the region and amongst the people living there. A multi-ethnic region could be a single country or state that comprises of a range of different people from different ethnic backgrounds all at the same time like in Armenia, where ethnic differences caused a lot of problems in the country.
Centrifugal Force – A centrifugal force is one that tears something apart from the inside. It doesn’t have to actually be a force but could be a difference in people that makes them turn on each other. An example would be the religious differences that occur in the United States now, with each religion believing to be the dominant. If there is a lot of trouble with people trying to get along within the country, it can actually lead to problems in the country remaining unified.
Balkanization in the AP® Human Geography Exam
Questions in the past have related to balkanization but not through direct questioning. For example, questions have asked how ethnicity has detracted from the development of a national identity and led to the weakening of the state itself. This type of question looks for you to discuss ways in which dissolution of ethnic groups can lead to problems within the country including balkanization and the breakdown of the country itself as a result. The scoring rubric requires you to understand how different factors can result from concepts of ethnicity as well as, for this specific question in 2010, transportation infrastructure.
Many questions regarding balkanization could be focused on ethnicity instead. This means that the question may ask you to describe what factors could impact ethnicity within a specific region or country. It could also ask you to explain how ethnicity could result in negative effects for the country itself. These questions may ask you to consider some of the most famous representations of balkanization within countries and groupings throughout history including the Balkan Peninsula and the considered balkanization of the United Kingdom. These areas of the world have been greatly impacted by these efforts.
Conclusion
If you are going to take the AP® Human Geography exam, you want to know how it relates to the concept of balkanization. Understand that balkanization may be referenced specifically in the exam or the exam may refer to ethnicity in an effort to help you recognize that balkanization is part of the response being led to. Make sure that you consider not only what balkanization is but also how it can impact a region and why it is, in most instances, considered a negative aspect of a multi-ethnic or multinational region.
To sum it up, the AP® exam is designed to make you think carefully about the way that different countries are formed and the way that they interact with one another. When said countries are not able to interact in a positive way it can lead to a breakdown through the process of centrifugal forces. This breakdown in communication and tolerance for one another can lead to balkanization within the country, resulting in several countries or several regions within a country which are inclined to negative interaction and violence and can even lead to war.
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