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Bulgaria

Bulgaria. Bulgarian History and Ethnic Divisions. General Geography. Population: 7, 707, 500 Capital: Sofia Life Expect.: 68 yrs. Growth rate: -1.14% Religions: 85% Orthodox., 13% Muslim, 2% Others. Ethnic Makeup: 85% Bulgarian, 9% Turkish, 6% Roma,Macedonian, Russian, Armenian, Others.

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Bulgaria

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  1. Bulgaria Bulgarian History and Ethnic Divisions

  2. General Geography

  3. Population: 7, 707, 500 Capital: Sofia Life Expect.: 68 yrs. Growth rate: -1.14% Religions: 85% Orthodox., 13% Muslim, 2% Others Ethnic Makeup: 85% Bulgarian, 9% Turkish, 6% Roma,Macedonian, Russian, Armenian, Others. Independence (modern): 1908 Geographical/Demographic Data

  4. Brief History • Bulgaria is hundreds of years old • Recognized as state in 681 A.D. • Made up of Slavic and Central Asian peoples • “Bulgar” means one of mixed nationality in Old Turkic language

  5. Brief History (cont.) • 1453 – Ottoman Turks rule country, better part of Balkans • Next 425 years under control of Ottoman Empire

  6. Brief History (cont.)

  7. Brief History (cont.) • Late 19th Century rebellion against Ottomans • Fight and win independence, 1908 • Gain and then lose territory in Macedonia and Thrace through the Treaty of San Stefano and the Treaty of Berlin

  8. Brief History (cont.) • Bad Decisions: • Leaders sided with losers in WWI and WWII • Greatly weakened economy • Becomes satellite state of USSR, becomes Communist • Only Warsaw pact member that was Slavic and Orthodox, more support for USSR

  9. Brief History (cont.) • Ruled by Communist leaders up until 1991 • 1991 – People elect Democratic leader • Under democracy: • Still high unemployment, environmental problems from Communist leadership (command econ., industrial emphasis)

  10. Ethnicity • Bulgarians/Orthodox vs. Turks/Muslims? • Review of ethnic history and cleansing within Bulgaria • Current situations

  11. Ethnicity • 4th - 10th centuries • Independence tolerated under Byzantine Empire • 15th century – Ottoman Rule

  12. Ethnicity

  13. Ethnicity

  14. Ethnicity • Many Bulgarians flourish under highly organized Ottoman Empire rule • People in rural areas remembered the “old ways” and retained a sense of national Bulgarian pride

  15. Ethnicity

  16. Ethnicity

  17. Ethnicity – Ottoman Decline

  18. Still Ottoman (Turkish) control in 1901, yet a section is unowned Shows anarchy within state, Bulgaria is beginning to slip from Ottoman grasp Ethnicity

  19. Ethnicity • Mid – 17th century • Ottoman Empire slowly declines • Power shift within Empire – goes from central, organized and benevolent to regional control over many areas • Regional dictators much less kind than central powers

  20. Ethnicity • Increased hatred for Turks among Bulgarians • Nationalistic feelings aroused by poor treatment • Kurdzhaliistvo – anarchy spreads throughout many parts of Bulgaria • Peasants flee to neighboring countries (Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, etc.)

  21. Ethnicity • 1878 – Bulgarians in nearby countries and within Bulgaria try to overthrow of Ottoman rulers • Revolts unorganized – crushed • More than 30,000 Bulgarians killed

  22. Ethnicity • Slaughter draws attention of int’l community • Russian declares war on Ottoman Empire • Russia wins, frees Bulgaria from Ottoman rule • 1908 official date of independence

  23. Ethnic Cleansing • Statement by Edmund Burke, British Vice Consul in Plovdiv at roughly turn of 19th century: • “The Russian gov’t allows the Christians to take the law into their own hand and to visit the Turkish Community at large with present and indiscrim-inate bloodshed, rapine and pilage…the evil state of things now prevailing is of an incomparably more widespread, harsh, and barbarous type that which it is manifestl intended as a set off.”

  24. Ethnic Hatred • Overcompensation visited upon Turks? • Bulgaria now defines border in terms of religion and language • Turks treated as outsiders • Pomaks – these are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims who are treated less harshly than Turks, yet are still discriminated against

  25. Ethnic Hatred • Oppression and cleansing of Turks lasted many years • Attempt to rid country of stupid and backward (feeling of many Bulgarian and Greek people) remnants of Ottoman Empire • Bulgaria becomes a Soviet Communist satellite state in 1945

  26. Ethnic Hatred • 1986 – Todor Zhivkov, last Communist leader, passes law stating that all Turks within Bulgaria must change names to Bulgarian sounding names • Many refused – chased to Turkey, possessions confiscated, some even killed • One famous of these relocated people was…

  27. Ethnic Hatred • Naim Suleymanoglu aka: ”Pocket Hercules” • Trained as Bulgarian lifter, was a Turk, so left in 1987 • Turkey paid $1mil. in order for him to lift for them • Gold medals in ’88, ’92 and ’96 Olympic Games

  28. Ethnic Drain?

  29. “Regime Change” • 1991 – Bulgarians elect Democratic leader • New ethnic ideals? • Not really. Many nationalists still in the country. • Attempted compensation for Bulgarian Turks results in huge protests, violence • Positive: Bulg. Turks now have their own political party, gaining power in Parliament and voting

  30. Current Situation • Bulgarian Turks • Have ~40% unemployment • Mostly have middle-low class jobs • Tend to live more in rural areas, not as many in the cities but have presence in some cities • Scattered throughout country

  31. Current Situation • Stability, no outward aggressions • Affects of siding with U.S. in Iraq war? • Long term stability? E.U. – 2007 (possible), NATO - 2004 memberships • Only time will tell…

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