What does the expression ';Powder Keg of Europe'; mean?

Was there a powder keg only in Europe?


Could this expression still be used today? If so, what parts of the world would you classify as a powder keg?





i need 3 places that it could have been in.What does the expression ';Powder Keg of Europe'; mean?
It refers to the Balkans in the 20th century.





Austro-Hungarians, Russians, Ottomans, Italians, British and Germans all tried to claim land and spread influence to this region and also there was the rise of nationalism in the countries that were already located there like Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria.





So this created a lot of tensions and conflict.





When the ';powder keg'; exploded WWI started.





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