<Tr> <Th> Demonym </Th> <Td> Balkan </Td> </Tr> <P> The Balkans, or the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographic area in Eastern and Southeastern Europe with various and disputed borders . The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch from the Serbian - Bulgarian border to the Black Sea . </P> <P> The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the Ionian Sea on the southwest, the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea on the south and southeast, and the Black Sea on the east and northeast . The northern border of the peninsula is variously defined . The highest point of the Balkans is Mount Musala 2,925 metres (9,596 ft) in the Rila mountain range . </P> <P> The word "Balkan" comes from Ottoman Turkish balkan' a chain of wooded mountains "; related words are also found in other Turkic languages . The origin of the Turkic word is obscure; it may be related to Persian bālk meaning "mud", and the Turkish suffix an, i.e., swampy forest or Persian balā - khāna' big high house' . </P>

Where is the balkan region on a map