The issues of the Balkans cultural identity

Abstract

The paper discusses different determinants and the ambivalence of the Balkans term via physical-geographical, cultural-geographical, geopolitical, and demographic aspects. The specificities and problems of the cultural identity that emerged from a complex geographical structure and cultural-historical heritage were accounted for. Furthermore, a light was cast upon the Balkans features from the aspect of metaphors and cultural conglomerate. Finally, the impact of the spreading Europeism was pointed out, which was a new political and cultural feature affecting the transformation of the homo balcanicusa cultural identity.

U radu su razmotrene različite determinante i ambivalentnost pojma Balkana, kako u fizičkogeografskom, tako i u kulturnogeografskom, geopolitičkom i demografskom aspektu. Istaknute su specifičnosti i problemi kulturnog identiteta, koji proističu iz složene geografske strukture i kulturno-istorijskog nasleđa. Bliže su osvetljene karakteristike Balkana kao metafore i kulturnog konglomerata. Na kraju je istaknut uticaj širenja evropeizma, kao novog političkog i kulturnog smisla, na transformaciju kulturnog identiteta balkanskog čoveka (homo balcanicusa).