noun /ˈbɔːl.kənz,ˈbɒl.kənz,ˈbɑl.kənz,ˈbɔl.kənz/
A geographical region in the southeast of Europe, roughly equivalent to the area covered by the former Yugoslav countries, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece and sometimes Romania.
As the Ottomans victories in the Balkans multiplied, increasing numbers of Anatolian warriors flocked to their ranks, and their territorial conquests grew.
Wikipedia foundation.