Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical region of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkan peninsula. Sovereign states that are generally included in Southeastern Europe are, in alphabetical order, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Kosovo,Moldova, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and partially Turkey, Italy and Slovenia. These boundaries can vary greatly due to the political, economic, historical, cultural, and geographic considerations of the observer and as such are widely disputed.

Definition

The first known use of the term "Southeast Europe" was by Austrian researcher Johann Georg von Hahn (1811–1869) as a broader term than the traditional "Balkans".

Balkans model

This concept is based on the boundaries of the Balkan peninsula. The countries that have been described as being entirely within the region are: Albania, Kosovo,Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Montenegro. Countries that are, at least partially, described to be within the region are: Croatia, Greece, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.