Transcript Central Europe and the Balkan States

Central Europe and
the Balkan States
Central Europe and the Balkan
States
• 1991, Croatia and Slovenia declared
independence from Yugoslavia
• Macedonia also declared independence
from Yugoslavia in 1992 but it is
recognized only by a few countries
• Some of these countries, such as Albania
avoided any tourism contact with the West
in the past and are now opening to tourism
Central Europe and the Balkan
States
• Function of its location and physical
geography
• Nations of Central Europe today share a
long history of political and cultural
evolution
Central Europe and the Balkan
States
• European Plain of Poland and the
mountainous peninsula occupied by
Yugoslavia and Albania helps explain the
present cultural fragmentation which is
partially reflected in the political
boundaries of the region
Modern States of Central Europe
and the Balkan States
• Countries of the region range in size from
Poland (largest in population and area) to
Macedonia (smallest in population area)
• Development of industry came late to this
region
• General pattern of industrial development
is from north to south, with the Czech
Republic and Poland still having the
highest level of industrialization
Modern States of Central Europe
and the Balkan States
• Ethnic divisions in the region that led to
the breakup of Yugoslavia and the division
of Czechoslovakia
• Conflict in Bosnia and Kosovo continues to
create problems to the economic
infrastructure of the region
Physical Geography
Four Broad regions :• North European Plain
• Central Mountains
• Plains of the Danube River
• Mountains and Coasts of the South
Physical Geography
• Extension of the major landform feature of
Western Europe that extends on to Russia
as the Russian Plain
• First zone lies adjacent to the Baltic Coast
• Hills or ridges extend in an arc across the
North European Plain from Denmark
through Lithuania to Russia
Physical Geography
• Located north of the mountains that form
the southern margin of the European Plain
is a fertile plain
• Poles, largest cultural group in Central
Europe developed their distinctive cultural
characteristics in the various zones of the
North European Plain
Climate
• Transitional between maritime climates of
Western Europe, the Mediterranean
climate of Southern Europe and the
continental climate of Russia
• North in Poland, the Czech Republic, and
Slovakia, the climate is primarily humid
continental
• Summer temperatures tend to be in the
70s or low 80s for the daytime maximums
Climate
• Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia
have winter temperatures that rarely drop
below 20 degrees F
• Highest temperatures found in the region
are recorded in the coastal areas of
Croatia, Albania, and southern Bulgaria
Tourism
• Physical and cultural geography of the
region
• European cities and towns are central to
tourism in Central Europe
Tourism
• Major industrial cities remain the primary
economic centers of the individual
countries from Warsaw in Poland to
Prague in the Czech Republic to Budapest
in Hungary to Belgrade in Yugoslavia, the
old cities remain dominant
Tourism
• Close association of government and
church is manifested in the role the church
played in selecting the kings, crowning
them, and providing them with skilled
administrative staff
Tourism
• Coastal town, whether along the Baltic or
the Mediterranean coast is related to
merchant trade of the late Middle Ages
• Calculated construction of these
overcrowded ghettos during WWII
destroyed much of the uniqueness of the
ghettos of Central Europe
Tourism
• Old Jewish cemeteries and tabernacles
still exist in some communities, adding to
the character of the communities
• Turkic Ottoman Empire had an influence
on Bulgaria, parts of Romania, south of
Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and
Albania for many centuries
Tourism
• Most international tourism in the past was
characterized by planned movements of
groups between the eastern European
countries themselves
• Overthrow of Communism has
transformed the character of tourism to the
region
Tourism
• Western tourism has increased
dramatically since the breakup of the
communists block
• Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary are
the primary destinations with nearly 47
million visitors in 1999
Tourism
Poland
• Capital : Warsaw
• Government : Democratic Republic
• Size
:
120,728 square miles
• Ethnic Division : 98.7% Polish
• Religion : 95% Roman Catholic
• Peak Tourist Season : May through Sept
Tourism
• Currency :
• Population
Zloty
:
38.6 million(2001)
Physical Characteristics
• Part of the European Plain that continues
to Ural Mountains
• Bordered on the north by the Baltic Sea
and Carpathian Mountains to the south
along the Czech border
• Moderately severe in the winters, with
mild, cool summers with frequent showers
and thundershowers
Tourism Characteristics
• Greatest cultural attractions of Central
Europe, handicapped by the fact that it
lacks the major attractions for tourists –
sun, sea and sand
Tourism Characteristics
• Tourism to Poland was estimated at 18
million in 1999, but an even greater
number of visitors come as day-trippers
from neighboring Germany to take
advantage of lower prices on nearly on all
consumer goods