Rebuilding the Balkan Countries Chapter 7, Section 3

Consumer Goods Clothing, shoes, and other goods that people use.

Ethnic Cleansing Forcing people of other ethnic groups to leave their homes. Oftentimes these peoples died or were murdered.

Refugees People who flee to another country to escape danger or disaster.

Mosques Muslim houses of worship

Romania The Carpathian Mountains take up about one-third of Romania’s land area. Economic activities include farming, manufacturing, and mining. The forested mountains and central plateau contain deposits of coal, petroleum, and natural gas. About 56% of the people live in towns and cities. The capital and largest city is Bucharest.

Bulgaria Bulgaria’s land is mountainous. Its economy relies agriculture and manufacturing. The Bulgarian language is similar to Russian. Sofia is the capital and largest city.

Former Yugoslav Republics The republics used to be on country called Yugoslavia. Disputes among ethnic groups tore the country apart. Five countries emerged: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and Macedonia.

Slovenia Slovenia is the most peaceful and prosperous of all the republics. It has the regions highest standard of living. Most Slovenians are Roman Catholic.

Croatia Zagreb is the capital. Croatia supports agriculture and industry. War between the Croats and Serbs has damaged many places in Croatia. Croats are Roman Catholic and Serbs are Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Bosnia and Herzegovina Mountainous and poor – this country has an economy based mainly on crops and livestock. Sarajevo is the capital. Many Bosnians are Muslim others are Croats or Serbs. The Serbs started a bitter war in Bosnia and now the two regions are split.

Serbia and Montenegro The economies are based on agriculture and industry. The largest city is Belgrade.

Macedonia The capital is Skopje. Macedonia is a mix of different ethnic groups including a huge wave of refugees from Kosovo who fled Serb forces in Serbia.

Albania Mountains cover most of Albania. Although it has valuable mineral resources, Albania is a very poor country because it cannot afford to mine them. Most Albanians live in the countryside. The capital is Tirana 70% of Albanians are Muslim and the rest are Christian.

Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova Chapter 7, Section 4

Steppe Gently rolling, partly wooded plain

Potash A mineral used in fertilizer

Ukraine The Carpathian Mountains rise along the southwestern border. Farther east, a vast steppe covers the country. Numerous rivers flow across the steppe. It is called the “breadbasket of Europe” because it has rich, dark soil and very productive farms. In the 1930s, Joseph Stalin brought the farms under government control which caused a famine. The capital is Kiev.

Belarus In Belarus you would see stretches of birch tree groves, forested marshlands, and villages surrounded by fields. Communist Party leaders are still in control in Belarus. Belarus is still linked to Russia’s weak economy so foreign companies been unwilling to do business there. The capital is Minsk.

Moldova Farmers grow sugar beets, grains, potatoes, apples, tobacco, and grapes. Most people from Moldova trace their culture to Romania. Moldova’s culture is still based on a rural way of life. The capital is Chisinau.

Assignment – Complete chart for a grade CountryCapitalGover-mentReligionEconomyLand Romania Bulgaria Slovenia Croatia Bosnia/Herzegovina Serbia and Montenegro Macedonia Albania Ukraine Belarus Moldova