Athens, the capital of Greece, was once the greatest city in the world. It still has many ruins of temples and other buildings that were built at the time when Greece had the greatest builders, the greatest writers, the greatest sculptors, the finest schools, and the wisest men in the world. Many statues and beautiful carvings have been carried away from Athens and kept as treasures in the museums of other countries. Perhaps you can go to a museum and see some of these wonderful things, or perhaps you can find some pictures of them. The southern part of Greece is much like Italy in climate and products, and the chief thing the people have to sell is small dried grapes, which our grocers call currants.
383. Constantinople is the largest Balkan city and has many kinds of people. It was a great city more than a thousand years ago, because it is at the crossroads where ships go from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, and where caravans pass from Europe to Asia. People of many races meet there. This fact makes it a fine place for trade. There have been many, many wars to take or to keep Constantinople. It was a great city in the time of the Romans, and an even greater city in 1453, when the Turks came across from Asia and took it. It has been the Turkish capital ever since that time. The wonderful Christian churches were turned into mosques—that is, into churches in which the Mohammedans worship Allah, as they call God.
384. The new of the wars of the world have happened because one people was trying to rule another. At the end of the World War the people at the peace conference tried to stop this cause of war by making several new coun tries in Central Europe. The boundaries of other countries were changed. (See Figs. 380.) As far as passible each people was left to rule itself.
385. Jugoslavia is the name given to the new Balkan country that has been formed to let all the Serbian people have a government of their own. It is made up of what used to be the two independent countries of Serbia and Montenegro, and the Serbian provinces of Austria-Hungary. Its capital is Belgrade on the Danube. Most of its trade goes in and out by way of Trieste and Fiume.
386. Albania.—The Albanians have a little bit of rough and rocky country on the shore of the Adriatic Sea, wedged in between Greece and Jugoslavia. They are the poorest and most ignorant of the Balkan peoples, but they are ready to fight bravely to keep their country free.
387. Bulgaria.—The Bulgarians have the best country in the Balkans because it is less mountainous than the others. Al though many sheep and. cattle are raised, agriculture is the leading industry.
The principal prod ucts are Corn and wheat.