Geographically, and to some extent climatically, the three peninsulas of
the Mediterranean Sea, the Iberian, Italian, and the Balkan, are
situated alike. Their people, if not in race, are in temper and
characteristics, and in their political economy more or less alike. They
represent the oldest civilization in Europe, and in their long history
have been frequently in collision with each other. Their forests,
through centuries of abuse, are wherever accessible, in poorest
condition. Long-continued political disturbances, which have prevented
peaceful development, and poverty, have been the greatest hindrances to
economic reforms like the recuperation of forests, which require
sacrifices. Ancient rights of user, and the necessity of politicians to
respect them are also responsible for the fact that, while praiseworthy
attempts in legislation have been made, execution has been usually
lagging behind.
The accessibility to sea, permitting readily importation, the temperate
climate, the simple life and abstemiousness of the people, and the lack
of industrial development have made the deficiency of wood material less
felt than it would otherwise be, but the detrimental influence of forest
destruction is being repeatedly experienced in floods and drouths.
There is probably no more potent cause of forest devastation in all
this section of the world than the pasturing of the woods, especially
with sheep and goats.
While Italy is now a united country, and only two peoples, Spain and
Portugal, occupy the Iberian peninsula, the Balkan peninsula is occupied
by eight separate peoples, if we include all the country south of the
Danube River and East of the Carpathian Mountains.