Analysis of Bulgaria :: Essays Papers

External historical events often changed Bulgaria's national boundaries in its first century of existence, natural terrain features defined most boundaries after 1944, and no significant group of people suffered serious economic hardship because of border delineation. Postwar Bulgaria contained a large percentage of the ethnic Bulgarian people, although numerous migrations into and out of Bulgaria occurred at various times. None of the country's borders was officially disputed in 1991, although nationalist Bulgarians continued to claim that Bulgaria's share of Macedonia--which it shared with both Yugoslavia and Greece--was less than just because of the ethnic connection between Macedonians and Bulgarians. In 1991 Bulgaria had a total border of about 2,264 kilometers. Rivers accounted for about 680 kilometers and the Black Seacoast for 400 kilometers. Ridges in mainly defined the southern and western borders high terrain. The western and northern boundaries were shared with Yugoslavia and Romania, respectively, and the Black Sea coastline constituted the entire eastern border. The Romanian border followed the Danube River for 464 kilometers from the northwestern corner of the country to the city of Silistra and then cut to the east-southeast for 136 kilometers across the northeastern province of Varna. The Danube, with steep bluffs on the Bulgarian side and a wide area of swamps and marshes on the Romanian side, was one of the most effective rivers boundaries in Europe. The line through Dobruja was arbitrary and was redrawn several times according to international treaties. In that process, most inhabitants with strong national preferences resettled in the country of their choice. Borders to the south were with Greece and Turkey. The border with Greece was 491 kilometers long, and the Turkish border was 240 kilometers long. Bulgaria covers approximately 110,550 square kilometers. Its topography is mostly hills combined with plateaus, with major flatlands to the north and the center of the country. Its main mountain ranges Balkan and Rhodope include two major ranges, Pirin and Rila. The climate is divided by mountains into continental and Mediterranean. The rainfall is very variable, with largest amounts in higher elevations. Its population estimate is 8,989,172. Its 1990 growth rate was negative .35 percent, and its population density eighty-one per square kilometer. Bulgaria’s official state language is Bulgarian. There is also a main national minority language witch is Turkish. Bulgaria has many different ethnic groups. The country is made up of 85% Bulgarians, 8.5% Turks, 2.5% Gypsies, 2.5% Macedonians, 0.