Geographia Polonica (2010) vol. 83, iss. 2

The connection between the Muslim population and regional disparities of economic development in the Balkan region

Zsolt Bottlik, Ferenc Gyuris

Geographia Polonica (2010) vol. 83, iss. 2, pp. 5-22 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/GPol.2010.2.1

Abstract

The Balkan region, which is extremely heterogeneous from ethnical, religious andcultural aspects, is characterized by serious differences of economic development as well. TheMuslim inhabitants in the Balkan region are living in 10 countries, in which their spatial concentrationshows significant differences. The growth of the number of Muslims and the transgressionof their settlement area was going on from the 15th until the 19th century. The analysisof the ethnical and economic development pattern of the Balkan region can raise the question,whether there is a connection between the spatial allocation of the Muslims and the spatialpattern of economic development.

Keywords: Muslims, Balkan, regional disparities, inequalities in development

Zsolt Bottlik, Institute of Geography, Ruprecht Karls University, Berliner Strasse 48, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Ferenc Gyuris, Institute of Geography, Ruprecht Karls University, Berliner Strasse 48, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany