Mapping Versatile Boundaries: Understanding the Balkans

336 Pages·2017·17.578 MB·English

by  Regis Darques (auth.)

Springer Geography
Régis Darques
Mapping
Versatile
Boundaries
Understanding the Balkans
Springer Geography
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é
R gis Darques
Mapping Versatile
Boundaries
Understanding the Balkans
123
RégisDarques
UMR 5281ART-Dev
CNRS
Montpellier
France
ISSN 2194-315X ISSN 2194-3168 (electronic)
SpringerGeography
ISBN978-3-319-40924-5 ISBN978-3-319-40925-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40925-2
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016943440
©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2017
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To my children, Théodora and Timothée
The Tonghu who were neighbours of the
Hsiung-nu, asked Mao-tun to give them his
best horse and then they asked him for his
favorite wife. Contrary to the advice of his
followers Mao-tun did as he had been asked
for he wanted relations between the two
peoples to remain peaceful. But when the
Tonghu asked the Hsiung-nu for territory
which lay fallow and Mao-tun’s followers
advised him to grant that wish, Mao-tun was
angry and said:
“Land is the foundation of the state, so how
can we give it away?”
And he executed all those who had wanted
him to relinquish land.
Mete Han or Baghatur (Modu Chanyu or
Mao-tun), founder of the Xiongnu
(Hsiung-nu) nomadic Empire, 2nd century
BC. Supposed ancestor of Attila the Hun.
TakenfromtheShijiofSimaQianandquoted
by Anatoly M. Khazanov (Khazanov 1994),
p. 138.
Preface
The area of Balkan Studies has been too long neglected in recent history. The
dispersed microcommunities who have an interest in the topic coexist more than
they collaborate. The main body of literature is made of works written in foreign
exotic languages such as French, German, Greek, Bulgarian, Albanian,
Macedonian, Romanian, Serbo-Croatian, and Turkish. Edited books take usually
precedence over journal papers. Although the author has drawn much from such a
rich corpus of local knowledge, English is far from being the most preferred lan-
guageofscholarswhodealwiththeBalkans,especiallyintheareaofgeography.It
would have been useless to mention a long list of references that are unintelligible
to most people—and even unreadable (four different alphabets).
Three other corpus of documents widely used for preparing and building the
GIS,remotesensing,andstatisticaldatabaseswillbeprovidedwithreferencesonly
in specific cases (facsimile reproduction, sources offigures or tables). Details will
not be included because of the obvious overload that it would entail:
(cid:129) Topographic or historical maps (about 400 documents consulted and/or used);
(cid:129) StatisticalbookseditedbythemanyBalkanstatisticalofficesovertwocenturies
(dozens of references);
(cid:129) The body of literature relevant to the scope of geodesy, advanced GIS studies,
and remote sensing techniques does not appear either (numerous references,
mostly journal articles).
Suchchoicesareaimedathelpingreadersnottogetlostwithinabroadrangeof
documentsthathavenostraightforwardincidenceontheanalysis.Concentratingon
the essential is a priority. The Balkan issue is fairly complicated and confusing. It
makes no sense to add fuel to the fire.
Accordingly, the general principle may be that nonessential information should
be curtailed. This is made all the more easy as geography has long been the poor
relation of research initiatives in the Balkan area. Historical and geopolitical
approaches are more popular, although deprived of any spatial dimension. Within
thislimitedcorpus,theborderissueisevenmorerandomlyaddressed.Thistogether
with the primary goal of producing an extensive body of original information has
vii
viii Preface
ledtolimitingtheconventionalreviewofliterature.Iexpressmysincereregretsto
all respected authors whose works are missing. After more than twenty years of
applied research, this “background” bibliographic apparatus remains of the utmost
importance.
Aknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere thanks to my dearest friends, scattered
throughout France and Europe, whose support to this long-term project has been
invaluable,bothmateriallyandmorally.Nothingcouldhavebeenpossiblewithout
them. Special acknowledgment goes to Michel Bouillet, Georges Sidiropoulos,
Emile Kolodny, Guy and Galia Burgel, and Christophe Morhange whose encour-
agementshavecontributedtotheachievementofthiswork.ThecommitmentofDr.
Jay Gatrell (Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky, USA) has been essential
in helping me find the most appropriate publishing medium. His wise advice have
largely contributed to the promotion of this work. I would like to thank the
anonymousreadersfortheirusefulcommentsontheoriginalmanuscript,theentire
Springer editorial team whose competencies are recognized internationally, and
especiallyDr.RobertDoe.Hisguidance,supportandassistancewerecriticaltothe
preparation of this book.
MygratitudegoestotheUMR5281ART-Dev,ofwhichIhavetheprivilegeto
beamember. TheAssociationdesAmisdelaRevueMéditerranée,strongly active
intheareaofMediterraneanstudies,anditsteamofpassionatescientistshavealso
agreed to accompany and support this project despite its seemingly unrealistic
initial objectives.
I want to pay heartful tribute to the very large list of anonymous people that I
havehadthepleasureofmeetingonanumberofoccasionsduringmytravels.The
information supplied in lively conversations is just irreplaceable. Such encounters
have provided opportunities for building profound and long-lasting friendships.
Lastbutnotleast,Iwishtoextendmygratitudetomywife,kids,andfamilyfor
their patience and understanding. A charming smile often goes a long way.
ix
Contents
1 Introduction.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.1 Borderlands: A Bad Name .. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 2
1.2 A Map-Based Approach of Geography. .... .... .... ..... .... 5
1.3 In-Betweens and Dead-Ends. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 10
References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 19
2 Hidden and Showcased Boundaries: A Field Approach.. ..... .... 21
2.1 Crossing Frontiers: Balkan Times and Distances . .... ..... .... 22
2.2 Closed Versus Open Balkans: Political Interfaces
and Circulation Spaces..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 25
2.3 A Four-Seasons’ Approach to the Balkan Borderlands. ..... .... 34
2.3.1 June–July 2000: Summer Memories of Dalmatia
and Bosnia ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 34
2.3.2 August 2006. The Pannonian Plain Around Pécs
and Vukovar.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 36
2.3.3 1998–2006: December in Epirus and Southern Albania ... 38
2.3.4 1993–2006: Winter and Spring Between (FY)ROM,
Greece, and Bulgaria. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 45
References.. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 48
3 From Empires to Nations, 1800–2015 .... .... .... .... ..... .... 51
3.1 Post-Communist “Open Balkans”. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 52
3.2 Balkanization: A Structural Issue . .... .... .... .... ..... .... 55
3.3 A Border Obsession… Without Mapping Support .... ..... .... 58
3.4 Some Latent Microterritorial Disputes . .... .... .... ..... .... 65
3.4.1 Bosnian–Croatian Litigation ... .... .... .... ..... .... 65
3.4.2 Croatian–Slovenian Litigation.. .... .... .... ..... .... 66
3.4.3 Kosovan–Macedonian Litigation.... .... .... ..... .... 67
3.4.4 Kosovan–Serbian Litigation ... .... .... .... ..... .... 68
3.5 Pitfalls of the Academic Border Mappings.. .... .... ..... .... 70
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