Question

	bosnian	croat	macedonian	montenegrin	serbian	slovene
bosnia and herzegovina	1,769,592	544,780	no data	1,883	1,086,733	no data
croatia	39,037	3,874,321	4,138	4,517	186,633	10,517
montenegro	74,142	6,021	900	278,865	178,110	no data
north macedonia	19,571	2,686	1,297,981	2,003	35,939	365
serbia	167,579	57,900	22,755	38,527	5,988,150	no data
slovenia	32,009	35,642	3,972	2,667	38,964	1,631,363

sources: dzs, monstat, makstat, popis, rzs, surs
which of the following best explains the political pattern shown in the table?
a) the devolution of yugoslavia occurred primarily along national lines, resulting in countries with a defined ethnic majority
b) the breakup of yugoslavia was the result of a civil war in which ethnic groups fought for control of the capital of belgrade in serbia
c) the balkanization of yugoslavia resulted in the formation of new ethnic nationalities divided by differences in religion and language

Explanation:

The table shows population data of ethnic groups (Bosnian, Croat, Macedonian, etc.) across countries that were part of Yugoslavia. For example, Croatia has a large Croat population (3,874,321), Serbia has a large Serbian population (5,988,150), and Slovenia has a large Slovene population (1,631,361). This reflects that each new country has a dominant ethnic group. Option A states Yugoslavia’s devolution was along national lines, creating countries with defined ethnic majorities, which matches the table’s pattern. Option B is incorrect because the breakup was not centered on fighting for Belgrade. Option C is incorrect because the ethnic nationalities existed before balkanization, not formed by it.

Answer:

A. The devolution of Yugoslavia occurred primarily along national lines, resulting in countries with a defined ethnic majority