As is the case with many other issues, people in the Balkans argue about the Balkan geography
and political map. For example, the name of the Republic of Macedonia
(which is a part of the larger region of Macedonia) is being disputed by Greece (which has a province with the
same name). As a result, the country was accepted as an independent state to the United Nations under the
provisional name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)" (which many of the citizens of that
country dislike), while it was recognized under one of these two names by different countries.
In addition, Kosovars claim to be independent from Yugoslavia, while this
is not recognized broadly by the international community. Similarly, the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus is recognized as an independent state only by Turkey.
Unfortunately, it is often impossible to provide information on the Balkan Info Home site
which can be agreed upon by everyone. To avoid at least part of the misunderstandings, please, note that:
The term "state" is used on this site to denote any administrative unit (independent country,
autonomous republic, autonomous region, etc.)
The name "Republic of Macedonia" is used to refer to the
independent country. This name was selected by that country's governing bodies (i.e., the principle of
self-identification applies) and it is acceptable to that country's population. The term "republic" also
helps avoid the confusion by clearly indicating that the text refers to the independent state rather than
the geographic region (or the Greek province).
Well, it seems this is the best which can be done to avoid heated debates and confusion when talking
about the Balkan geography, while still saying something... In any case, please do not consider the information
on this site as intended to represent in any way the opinion or policy of a specific institution(s) or
person(s).
