The Balkans and the European Union

Throughout history the Balkan countries — Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey and former Yugoslavia — have been influenced by ethnic, political and economic elements of larger nations, mainly because of their location at the cross-roads of three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa). After the Second World War the collectivisation of farms, the nationalisation of industries and central planning were imposed in the northern Balkan countries, primarily Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and the former Soviet Union. With the collapse of the communist system in the late 1980s, gradual steps were taken towards a free market system, similar to that of the European Union (EU).