Solve, create, share and talk about jigsaw puzzles

Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Macedonia

Bookmarked Bookmark Solve this jigsaw puzzle later
ShareShare with your friends
ReportReport as inappropriate
391
38
Solve puzzle
391 pieces
38 solves
Solve puzzle

Thanks for sharing. Here is your html-code:

Why are you reporting this puzzle?

We're moving inland into Eastern Europe from today. I'll kick off with a famous quote by Winston Churchill - "[The Balkans] produce more history than they can consume." I shall try and give a short potted biography of each of the four countries in this puzzle.

Albania is one of the regions with the most ancient population traces in the Balkans and Europe. Traces of the first settlements date to 100 000 years ago, Albania was quite densely populated by 6000 BC then 3000 BC there was a new influx and the melded population became the Pelasgians who were ancestors of the Illyrians. The first three Byzantine emperors (Anastasius I, Justin and Justinian I) were of Illyrian origin.

Visigoths, Huns, Ostrogoths and Slavs attacked Albanian settlements during the 3 - 5 century AD. After centuries under Serbian rule, the Ottoman threat became the key problem. The Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg led the revolt of the Albanians against the Ottomans in 1443-1468 but ten years after his death Albania became part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912 when the country declared it's independence. In 1928 Albania was declared a monarchy under King Zog I. In 1939, the country was occupied by Mussolini’s troops, putting an end to the monarchy regime that lasted 11 years. In 1943, the country was occupied by Hitler’s Nazi forces.

The end of World War II brought into force the Stalinist regime of Enver Hoxha who took an isolationist approach until 1991. It is now a member of NATO and aiming to become a member of the EU.

Next up is Bulgaria - the First Bulgarian Empire was established in 681 AD, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavs during the Middle Ages. In 1396 its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. Bulgaria aligned with Germany in both world wars. In 1946 it became a one-party socialist state as part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. In December 1989 the ruling Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, which subsequently led to Bulgaria's transition into a democracy and a market-based economy. It is a member of the European Union, NATO, and the Council of Europe. The capital is Sophia.

Situated on the Black Sea it is very mountainous with both the Balkan and Rhodope Mountain Ranges within it's borders. As a result it has one of the highest biodiversity levels in Europe. Nine historical and natural objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Bulgarian folk music is by far the most extensive traditional art and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such as gadulka, gaida (bagpipe), kaval and tupan.

Moldova was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire until ceded to the Russian Empire in 1812 and became known as Bessarabia. It had a brief period of independence and then was united with Wallachia to become Romania in 1859 but was reincorporated into Russia in 1878.

In 1991, as part of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, declared its independence. Its economy is the poorest in Europe in per capita terms,and has the lowest Human Development Index in the continent. Widespread crime and underground economic activity along with human trafficking of Moldovan women and children to other parts of Europe is a serious problem.

Moldova lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut which joins the Danube. The country is landlocked with low ranges of hills. Moldova's cultural tradition has been influenced primarily by the Romanian origins of its majority population. There are numerous churches and monasteries

The last country we visit tonight is Macedonia, Makedonija, once part of Yugoslavia and originally, prior to the 6th century BC, the ancient kingdom of Paeonia when it was conquered by Darius the Great, the Persian King. The Macedonian Kingdom under Philip II and then Alexander the Great conquered it in turn before it was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 146BC. In 1018 AD the Byzantines restored control over the Balkans (including Macedonia) for the first time since the 7th century. However, by the late 12th century, Byzantine decline saw the region contested by various political entities, including a brief Norman occupation in the 1080s. In the 14th century, it became part of the Serbian Empire. Gradually, all of the central Balkans were conquered by the Ottoman Empire and remained under its domination for five centuries.

Post WWII Macedonia became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation.It declared independence in 1991. Macedonia remained at peace through the Yugoslav Wars of the early 1990s, however, it was seriously destabilised by the Kosovo War in 1999, when an estimated 360,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country.

Maceonia's terrain is mostly rugged, located between the Šar Mountains and Osogovo, which frame the valley of the Vardar river. It's many rivers flow into three different basins: the Aegean, the Adriatic and the Black Sea. The fauna of Macedonian forests is abundant and includes bears, wild boars, wolves, foxes, squirrels, chamois and deer.

Macedonia has a rich cultural heritage in art, architecture, poetry, and music. It has many ancient, protected religious sites. Poetry, cinema, and music festivals are held annually.

Another part of the world that has gone through many upheavals, these countries are striving towards a more peaceful and prosperous future. They carry rich histories and cultures within their borders. The stamps give us a glimpse into some of those aspects.

The puzzle is arranged from top left clockwise - Albania, top right Bulgaria, bottom right Moldova, bottom left Macedonia.

"Historically, the Balkans have been an incubator of war." Pat Buchanan

"Let us turn to the future and not deal with the past." Ivica Dacic


For a very funny take on Western journalists writing on the Balkans take a read of this article.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/lily-lynch/how-to-write-about-balkans
Why this advertisement?

Leaderboard

  1. Lormit52:22
  2. besss53:21
  3. YosemiteSam59:14
  4. ThatPuzzler1:14:40
  5. Mitapupu1:24:01
  6. Wairere1:26:34
  7. FionaEvans1:30:48
  8. logcas1:45:36
  9. stephaniejohnson8972:08:43
  10. sedona332:13:07

Comments

Please sign in to comment. Don't have a profile? Join now! Joining is absolutely free and no personal information is required.

Why this advertisement?