Balkan states

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Balkan states Group of countries in the Balkan Peninsula, se Europe, consisting of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and European Turkey. From the 3rd century ad, the region was ruled by Byzantium. It was later invaded by Slav peoples, and then for 500 years formed part of the Ottoman Empire. The individual countries regained independence in the 19th century.