This essay contains briefings on six European countries that border on the Dalmatian Coast – Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, and Slovenia – and Turkey. Italy was a founding member of the European Union (EU) in 1957, Greece (1981), Slovenia (2004), and Croatia (2013) acceded to the EU later, and Albania, Montenegro, and Turkey have applied for EU membership. Each briefing focuses on political and economic history and on quality-of-life indicators. I wrote the briefings for the Chief Executives Organization’s program, Dalmatian Coast, An Adriatic Sea Adventure, July 28-August 7, 2018.
The historical section of each briefing begins with early settlement and then identifies key turning points in the country’s history during the past two millennia. The indicators of recent socio-economic development are levels and growth rates of income per capita, levels of adult literacy and life expectancy at birth, and rankings in the United Nations’ Human Development Index, the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, and Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. A time line, a bibliography, and a description of sites that I visited on the Dalmatian and Ionian Coasts are appended.
Albania’s History and Politics, Albania’s Economy and Quality of Life, A Briefing on Croatia, Croatia’s History and Politics, Croatia’s Economy and Quality of Life, A Briefing on Greece, Greece’s History and Politics, Greece’s Economy and Quality of Life, A Briefing on Italy, Italy’s History and Politics, Italy’s Economy and Quality of Life, A Briefing on Montenegro, Montenegro’s History and Politics, Montenegro’s Economy and Quality of Life, A Briefing on Slovenia, Slovenia’s History and Politics, Slovenia’s Economy and Quality of Life, A Briefing on Turkey, Turkey’s History and Politics, Turkey’s Economy and Quality of Life, Sites Visited on the Dalmatian and Ionian Coasts, Venice, Italy, Piran, Slovenia, Sibenik, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kotor, Montenegro, Saranda, Albania, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Turkey, Mykonos, Greece,