Balkans
The Balkans are usually said to comprise Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia, while Greece and Turkey are often excluded. Its total area is usually given as 666,700 square km (257,400 square miles) and the population as 59,297,000 (est. 2002).
Accession of Kosovo to the European Union
On 6 February 2018, the European Commission published its expansion plan to cover up to six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The plan envisages that all six applicants could achieve accession as members of the European Union after 2025.