Editing Balkans (section)

== Economy and transport ==

The Balkan economy includes manufacturing, agriculture, mining, energy production, shipping, construction, tourism, and commercial services. Industrial areas developed around national capitals, ports, river routes, and larger inland cities. Agricultural production is concentrated in river plains, coastal lowlands, and sheltered valleys.

The Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, and Black seas provide maritime access on three sides of the peninsula. Ports connect inland Balkan markets with Italy, the eastern Mediterranean, central Europe, the Caucasus, and routes through the Turkish straits. Ferry services across the Adriatic connect Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia with the Italian Peninsula.

The Danube is the main inland waterway of the northern Balkans. It carries commercial traffic between central Europe, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Black Sea. Road and railway routes follow river valleys and mountain passes because the interior terrain limits direct east–west and north–south travel.

The historic [[Via Egnatia]] began at Dyrrachium, the present city of [[Durrës]], and crossed the peninsula toward Thessalonica and Constantinople. Modern transport corridors continue to use parts of the same geographic route between the Adriatic coast, North Macedonia, northern Greece, and Turkey.<ref name="adriatic-history"/>