Northern Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Northern Bulgaria is the northern half of the territory of Bulgaria
, located to the north of the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains
which conventionally separates the country into a northern and a southern part. Besides the Balkan Mountains, Northern Bulgaria borders the Timok River
and Serbia
to the west, the Danube River and Romania
to the north and the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
to the east.
Geographically, the terrain
is relatively uniform, dominated by the hilly Danubian Plain
, with some low plateau
s to the east. Northern Bulgaria covers an area of 48,495.1 square kilometres and has a population of 2,978,469 (37% of Bulgaria's entire population), with a population density
of 61.4 people per km². The three largest cities are Varna
, Rousse
and Pleven
.
Administratively, Northern Bulgaria includes the following 14 Bulgarian provinces
:
Parts of Burgas Province
, Sliven Province
, and Sofia Province
also geographically belong to Northern Bulgaria.
Historically, Northern Bulgaria covers the historical regions of Moesia
and Dobruja
(Southern Dobruja
). Moesia has several sub-regions such as Ludogorie
, Gerlovo
and Zlatiya
. Northern Bulgaria is also conventionally divided into Northwestern
, Central Northern
and Northeastern
Bulgaria, with slightly varying borders. The lower northern reaches of the Balkan Mountains are called the Fore-Balkan, as opposed to the Sub-Balkan valleys
to the south of the main ridge. In Antiquity, the Jireček Line
divided Latin
(in the north) and Ancient Greek
(in the south) language influence in the Balkans
, with Northern Bulgaria to the north of it and Southern Bulgaria to the south. Much later, after the Liberation of Bulgaria
in 1878, all of Northern Bulgaria and the region of Sofia
became the Principality of Bulgaria
while most of the rest of Southern Bulgaria was part of Eastern Rumelia
until the Bulgarian unification
in 1885.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, located to the north of the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
which conventionally separates the country into a northern and a southern part. Besides the Balkan Mountains, Northern Bulgaria borders the Timok River
Timok River
The Timok is a river in eastern Serbia and for the last 15 km of its run a border between eastern Serbia and western Bulgaria.It derives the names in all these from the name it had in antiquity, Latin: Timacus....
and Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
to the west, the Danube River and Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to the north and the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...
to the east.
Geographically, the terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
is relatively uniform, dominated by the hilly Danubian Plain
Danubian Plain (Bulgaria)
The Danubian Plain constitutes the northern part of Bulgaria, situated north of the Balkan Mountains and south of the Danube. Its western border is the Timok River and to the east it borders the Black Sea. The plain has an area of . It is about long and wide.The relief of the Danubian Plain is...
, with some low plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s to the east. Northern Bulgaria covers an area of 48,495.1 square kilometres and has a population of 2,978,469 (37% of Bulgaria's entire population), with a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 61.4 people per km². The three largest cities are Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, Rousse
Rousse
Ruse is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is situated in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, from the capital Sofia and from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast...
and Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
.
Administratively, Northern Bulgaria includes the following 14 Bulgarian provinces
Provinces of Bulgaria
Since 1999, Bulgaria has been divided into 28 provinces which correspond approximately to the 28 districts that existed before 1987. In 1987, during the Communist regime of Todor Zhivkov, the districts were consolidated into nine larger provinces , which survived until 1999.Each province is named...
:
- Dobrich ProvinceDobrich ProvinceDobrich Province is a province in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Southern Dobruja geographical region. It is divided into 8 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 199,705 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...
- Gabrovo ProvinceGabrovo ProvinceGabrovo Province , former name Gabrovo okrug) is a small province lying at the geographical centre of Bulgaria. It is named after its main town - Gabrovo. In 2009 the total population of the area is 130,001.-Municipalities:...
- Lovech ProvinceLovech ProvinceLovech Province is one of the 28 provinces of Bulgaria, lying at the northern centre of the country. It is named after its main city - Lovech. As of December 2009, the population of the area is 151,153.-Municipalities:...
- Montana ProvinceMontana ProvinceMontana Province is a province in northwestern Bulgaria, bordering Serbia in the southwest and Romania in the north. It spreads its area between the Danube river and Balkan mountain. As of February 2011, the province has a population of 148,098 inhabitants, on territory of 3,635.5 km²...
- Pleven ProvincePleven ProvincePleven Province is a province located in central northern Bulgaria, bordering the Danube river, Romania and the Bulgarian provinces of Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo and Lovech. It is divided into 11 subdivisions, called municipalities, that embrace a territory of 4,333.54 km² with a population, as...
- Razgrad ProvinceRazgrad ProvinceRazgrad Province , former name Razgrad okrug) is a province in Northeastern Bulgaria, geographically part of the Ludogorie region. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre - the town of Razgrad...
- Rousse Province
- Shumen ProvinceShumen Province-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Transportation:Shumen lies on the main route between Varna and Sofia and is served by numerous trains and buses serving the city. The city is also very well connected with Istanbul which serves the large Turkish community in...
- Silistra ProvinceSilistra ProvinceSilistra Province is a province of Bulgaria, named after its main city - Silistra. It is divided into 7 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 127,659 inhabitants....
- Targovishte ProvinceTargovishte ProvinceTargovishte Province is a province in northeastern Bulgaria, named after its main city - Targovishte. As of December 2009, it has a population of 129,675 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...
- Varna Province
- Veliko Tarnovo ProvinceVeliko Tarnovo ProvinceVeliko Tarnovo is a province in the middle of the northern part of Bulgaria. Its capital city, Veliko Tarnovo, is of historical significance as it is known as the capital of Medieval Bulgaria...
- Vidin ProvinceVidin ProvinceVidin Province is the northwesternmost province of Bulgaria. It borders Serbia to the west and Romania to the northeast. Its administrative centre is the city of Vidin on the Danube river. The area is divided into 11 municipalities...
- Vratsa ProvinceVratsa ProvinceVratsa Province , former name Vratsa okrug) is a Bulgarian province located in the northwestern part of the country, between Danube river in the north and Stara Planina mountain in the south. It is named after its main town - Vratsa...
Parts of Burgas Province
Burgas Province
-Municipalities:The Burgas province contains 13 municipalities . The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village , and the population of each as of 2009.-Demography:The Burgas province had a population of 423,608 -Municipalities:The Burgas...
, Sliven Province
Sliven Province
Sliven Province is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Sliven. It embraces a territory of 3,544.1 km² that is divided into 4 municipalities, with a total population, as of December 2009, of 204,887...
, and Sofia Province
Sofia Province
Sofia Province is a province of Bulgaria. The province does not include Sofia in its territories, but Sofia however remains its administrative center...
also geographically belong to Northern Bulgaria.
Historically, Northern Bulgaria covers the historical regions of Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
and Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
(Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja is an area of north-eastern Bulgaria comprising the administrative districts named for its two principal cities of Dobrich and Silistra...
). Moesia has several sub-regions such as Ludogorie
Ludogorie
The Ludogorie or Deliorman is a region in northeastern Bulgaria stretching over the plateau of the same name. Major cities in the region are Razgrad, Novi Pazar, Pliska and Isperih...
, Gerlovo
Gerlovo
Gerlovo or Gerilovo is a small geographic and ethnographic region in Northern Bulgaria, a hilly fertile valley in the northeastern Balkan Mountains, south of the Ludogorie region...
and Zlatiya
Zlatiya (region)
Zlatiya is a small geographic region in Northern Bulgaria. Zlatiya is a low asymmetrical plateau in the northwestern part of the country, a subregion of the Danubian Plain. It lies between three rivers: the Tsibritsa to the west, the Ogosta to the east and the Danube to the north...
. Northern Bulgaria is also conventionally divided into Northwestern
Severozapaden
Severozepaden is a region of Bulgaria. The capital is the city of Pleven. The region has the lowest-ranked economy in Bulgaria and the European Union, with a GDP of € 6,400 or 25.6 % of EU27 average . It includes five administrative divisions or oblasts: Vidin Province, Vratsa Province, Montana...
, Central Northern
Severen tsentralen
Severen Tsentralen is a planning region of Bulgaria, encompassing five Bulgarian provinces: Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Targovishte and Razgrad.The region is mostly inhabited by Bulgarians, Turkish and Romani people...
and Northeastern
Severoiztochen
Severoiztochen is a planning region in Bulgaria.The region includes four provinces: Silistra Province, Varna Province, Shumen Province and Dobrich Province....
Bulgaria, with slightly varying borders. The lower northern reaches of the Balkan Mountains are called the Fore-Balkan, as opposed to the Sub-Balkan valleys
Sub-Balkan valleys
The Sub-Balkan valleys are located between Stara Planina, Vitosha and Sredna Gora. There is great abundance of mineral waters, the most notable spas being Bankya, Sofia, Banya, Pavel Banya, Sliven Mineral Baths, Aitos. They are divided into two parts: western and eastern...
to the south of the main ridge. In Antiquity, the Jireček Line
Jirecek Line
The Jireček Line is an imaginary line through the ancient Balkans that divided the influences of the Latin and Greek languages until the 4th century...
divided Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
(in the north) and Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
(in the south) language influence in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, with Northern Bulgaria to the north of it and Southern Bulgaria to the south. Much later, after the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
in 1878, all of Northern Bulgaria and the region of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
became the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
while most of the rest of Southern Bulgaria was part of Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
until the Bulgarian unification
Bulgarian unification
The Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated by the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee...
in 1885.