It is difficult to speak about Europe today without reference to its constitutive regions—supra-national geographical designations such as “Scandinavia,” “Eastern Europe,” and “the Balkans.” Such formulations are so ubiquitous that they are frequently treated as empirical realities rather than a series of shifting, overlapping, and historically constructed concepts. This volume is the first to provide a synthetic account of these concepts and the historical and intellectual contexts in which they emerged. Bringing together prominent international scholars from across multiple disciplines, it systematically and comprehensively explores how such “meso-regions” have been conceptualized throughout modern European history.

This volume explains the national and regional border modifications that took place in Europe from 1870 to 2020. It provides insights that allow us to understand boundary changes for several different levels of territorial organization. The text describes the state formation process related to the regional-administrative structures in each European country, and offers insight into the degree of centralization historically by describing the extent of legislative autonomy at different administrative levels and the competences reserved for each of them. The book sheds light on the complex regional organization of Europe and the difficulties its reform has faced. The main audience will be academics and PhD/Masters students working in a variety of geography fields, and the maps included in each chapter will also be of interest to a broader audience including undergraduate and secondary-school students wishing to better understand the political history of Europe.

First published in 1999, Europe: Rethinking the Boundaries explores the themes of boundary and identity from cultural, political, sociological and historical perspectives. The volume highlights the multiplicity of approaches and the complexity of the understanding of what is Europe, while at the same time presenting a coherent theme of boundary which is both thought-provoking and comprehensive. It focuses on Europe’s changing boundaries and the "clash of civilisations" thesis, the European transformation of the nation state, rethinking European peripheries and European Union (EU) enlargement, the Mediterranean boundaries of the EU, Balkan boundaries, Europe and the "Islamic threat", German foreign policy and European security, and the neutrality of Austria, Finland and Sweden in the EU. Europe: Rethinking the Boundaries will appeal both to informed generalists and to students and scholars of Europe who seek an analysis of the issue of boundaries from a variety of perspectives. It is a timely collection of up to date commentary and analysis from a team of experts which provides a fresh approach to the discussion of boundaries in Europe. It points to pressing issues facing Europe at a difficult and challenging time.

Approaching the questions of boundaries and borderlands from the perspective of localities, 14 chapters are presented in the spirit of the recognition that borders are at the same time physical demarcations between territories, linear representations on maps, and ideas rooted in social practices. Kaplan (geography, Kent State U.) and Hakli (regional studies, U. of Tampere) organize the contributions into sections dealing with boundaries in the new Europe, change in the "established" Europe, and change in the emerging Europe. Case studies are drown from Catalonia, the Basque region, Northern Italy, the Upper Rhine Valley, Northern Ireland, Finland, Eastern Slavonia, the Polish-Ukrainian border, and Estonia. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The political and economic geography of Europe is changing - the European Community is expanding its boundaries towards EFTA and is resuming a closer association with Central and Eastern European regions engaged in radical restructuring. As EC integration accelerates there is the prospect of intensified inter-regional competition. This book, divided into five parts, examines in detail the changes and the challenge for policy makers. The introduction draws out the central themes of the book, addressing EC regional performance and future indicators, the enlargement and changing map of Europe and the implications for the EC of Eastern European changes. The second part deals with EC issues, particularly focusing on the economic and spatial impact of European integration. Part 3 addresses Eastern European issues, and Part 4 covers the Peripheral Regions. The final part is devoted to a policy debate, concluding with a policy agenda for the forthcoming decade.