The Balkans is often portrayed as an area full of ancient hatreds, bloody conflicts, political instability, flagrant corruption and incompetent leadership. In reality, the Balkans is not a homogeneous region. And, despite the mayhem of the early 1990s, recent developments are far from negative: law and order are spreading, democratisation is deepening and economic development is gradually but steadily transforming urban centres and rural hinterlands. This article attempts to discard seven widespread myths about the Balkans.
