BACK TO THE BALKANS: KOSOVO, ALBANIA & NORTH MACEDONIA
What was originally called on its formation in 1918 the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, then in 1929 was renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and in 1946 became the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia broke up in the course of three wars in the early 1990s into no less than seven small states.
On four previous visits to the Balkans, I have been to five of these new states – Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro – plus a short period in Albania. On my latest holiday, I will visit the remaining two new states – Kosovo and North Macedonia – plus a longer spell in Albania.
This will bring the total number of countries that I have visited to 80.
In preparation for this trip, I read the book “The Yugoslav Wars Of The 1990s” by Catherine Baker [my review here].
In the order in which we will visit the three diminutive nations with the travel company Voyages Jules Verne:
Kosovo has a population of just under 2 million in an area half the size of Wales. It gained its independence in 2008 although not all countries recognise this independence (five EU countries have not done so).
Albania has a population of just under 3 million in an area about the size of Wales. It abandoned communism in 1991. It is already a member of NATO.
North Macedonia has a population of just under 2 million in an area of about the size of Wales. It gained its independence in 1991 but only adopted its current name in 2019. It too is a member of NATO.
Watch this space …