The paper discusses minorities and their problems along borders of post-WWII Europe and of nation states formed in the early 1990''s. One focuses on the socio-geographic conditions of the territory settled by minorities. These territories are most often peripheral, less developed areas of the state and are, because of the constant ignorance of the local culture and language, conflict regions, where interests of the minority and majority population of the state, as well as of the neighboring countries clash. Finally, an attempt of a cross-cultural comparison is undertaken to distinguish among major elements of the minority (protection) arrangements of the Alpen-Adria region and of the areas along the long-time closed borders of Central Europe.