Book: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4

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Year. Exports. Imports. Total.

L L L
1899 2,138,684 2,407,123 4,545,807
1900 2,159,305 1,853,684 4,012,989
1901 3,310,790 2,801,762 6,112,552
1902 4,147,381 2,849,059 7,996,440
1903 4,322,945 3,272,103 7,595,048
1904 6,304,756 5,187,583 11,492,339

The principal exports are cereals, live stock, homespuns, hides, cheese,
eggs, attar of roses. Exports to the United Kingdom in 1900 were valued at
L239,665; in 1904 at L989,127. The principal imports are textiles, metal
goods, colonial goods, implements, furniture, leather, petroleum. Imports
from the United Kingdom in 1900, L301,150; in 1904, L793,972.

The National Bank, a state institution with a capital of L400,000, has its
central establishment at Sofia, and branches at Philippopolis, Rustchuk,
Varna, Trnovo and Burgas. Besides conducting the ordinary banking
operations, it issues loans on mortgage. Four other banks have been founded
at Sofia by groups of foreign and native capitalists. There are several
private banks in the country. The Imperial Ottoman Bank and the Industrial
Bank of Kiev have branches at Philippopolis and Sofia respectively. The
agricultural chests, founded by Midhat Pasha in 1863, and reorganized in
1894, have done much to rescue the peasantry from the hands of usurers.
They serve as treasuries for the local administration, accept deposits at
interest, and make loans to the peasants on mortgage or the security of two
solvent landowners at 8%. Their capital in 1887 was L569,260; in 1904,
L1,440,000. Since 1893 they have been constituted as the "Bulgarian
Agricultural Bank"; the central direction is at Sofia. The post-office
savings bank, established 1896, had in 1905 a capital of L1,360,560.

There are over 200 registered provident societies in the country. The legal
rate of interest is 10%, but much higher rates are not uncommon.

Bulgaria, like the neighbouring states of the Peninsula, has adopted the
metric system. Turkish weights and measures, however, are still largely
employed in local commerce. The monetary unit is the _lev_, or "lion" (pl.
_leva_), nominally equal to the franc, with its submultiple the _stotinka_
(pl. _-ki_), or centime. The coinage consists of nickel and bronze coins
(21/2, 5, 10 and 20 _stotinki_) and silver coins [v.04 p.0776] (50
_stotinki_; 1, 2 and 5 _leva_). A gold coinage was struck in 1893 with
pieces corresponding to those of the Latin Union. The Turkish pound and
foreign gold coins are also in general circulation. The National Bank
issues notes for 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 _leva_, payable in gold. Notes
payable in silver are also issued.

_Finance._--It is only possible here to deal with Bulgarian finance prior
to the declaration of independence in 1908. At the outset of its career the
principality was practically unencumbered with any debt, external or
internal. The stipulations of the Berlin Treaty (Art. ix.) with regard to
the payment of a tribute to the sultan and the assumption of an "equitable
proportion" of the Ottoman Debt were never carried into effect. In 1883 the
claim of Russia for the expenses of the occupation (under Art. xx. of the
treaty) was fixed at 26,545,625 fr. (L1,061,820) payable in annual
instalments of 2,100,000 fr. (L84,000). The union with Eastern Rumelia in
1885 entailed liability for the obligations of that province consisting of
an annual tribute to Turkey of 2,951,000 fr. (L118,040) and a loan of
3,375,000 fr. (L135,000) contracted with the Imperial Ottoman Bank. In 1888
the purchase of the Varna-Rustchuk railway was effected by the issue of
treasury bonds at 6% to the vendors. In 1889 a loan of 30,000,000 fr.
(L1,200,000) bearing 6% interest was contracted with the Vienna Laenderbank
and Bankverein at 851/2. In 1892 a further 6% loan of 142,780,000 fr.
(L5,711,200) was contracted with the Laenderbank at 83, 86 and 89. In 1902 a
5% loan of 106,000,000 fr. (L4,240,000), secured on the tobacco dues and
the stamp-tax, was contracted with the Banque de l'Etat de Russie and the
Banque de Paris et des Pays Bas at 811/2, for the purpose of consolidating
the floating debt, and in 1904 a 5% loan of 99,980,000 fr. (L3,999,200) at
82, with the same guarantees, was contracted with the last-named bank
mainly for the purchase of war material in France and the construction of
railways. In January 1906 the national debt stood as follows:--Outstanding
amount of the consolidated loans, 363,070,500 fr. (L14,522,820); internal
debt, 15,603,774 fr. (L624,151); Eastern Rumelian debt, 1,910,208
(L76,408). In February 1907 a 41/2% loan of 145,000,000 fr. at 85, secured on
the surplus proceeds of the revenues already pledged to the loans of 1902
and 1904, was contracted with the Banque de Paris et des Pays Bas
associated with some German and Austrian banks for the conversion of the
loans of 1888 and 1889 (requiring about 53,000,000 fr.) and for railway
construction and other purposes. The total external debt was thus raised to
upwards of 450,000,000 fr. The Eastern Rumelian tribute and the rent of the
Sarambey-Belovo railway, if capitalized at 6%, would represent a further
sum of 50,919,100 fr. (L2,036,765). The national debt was not
disproportionately great in comparison with annual revenue. After the union
with Eastern Rumelia the budget receipts increased from 40,803,262 leva
(L1,635,730) in 1886 to 119,655,507 leva (L4,786,220) in 1904; the
estimated revenue for 1905 was 111,920,000 leva (L4,476,800), of which
41,179,000 (L1,647,160) were derived from direct and 38,610,000
(L1,544,400) from indirect taxation; the estimated expenditure was
111,903,281 leva (L4,476,131), the principal items being: public debt,
31,317,346 (L1,252,693); army, 26,540,720 (L1,061,628); education,
10,402,470 (L416,098); public works, 14,461,171 (L578,446); interior,
7,559,517 (L302,380). The actual receipts in 1905 were 127,011,393 leva. In
1895 direct taxation, which pressed heavily on the agricultural class, was
diminished and indirect taxation (import duties and excise) considerably
increased. In 1906 direct taxation amounted to 9 fr. 92 c., indirect to 8
fr. 58 c., per head of the population. The financial difficulties in which
the country was involved at the close of the 19th century were attributable
not to excessive indebtedness but to heavy outlay on public works, the
army, and education, and to the maintenance of an unnecessary number of
officials, the economic situation being aggravated by a succession of bad
harvests. The war budget during ten years (1888-1897) absorbed the large
sum of 275,822,017 leva (L11,033,300) or 35.77% of the whole national
income within that period. In subsequent years military expenditure
continued to increase; the total during the period since the union with
Eastern Rumelia amounting to 599,520,698 leva (L23,980,800).

_Communications._--In 1878 the only railway in Bulgaria was the
Rustchuk-Varna line (137 m.), constructed by an English company in 1867. In
Eastern Rumelia the line from Sarambey to Philippopolis and the Turkish
frontier (122 m.), with a branch to Yamboli (66 m.), had been built by
Baron Hirsch in 1873, and leased by the Turkish government to the Oriental
Railways Company until 1958. It was taken over by the Bulgarian government
in 1908 (see _History_, below). The construction of a railway from the
Servian frontier at Tzaribrod to the Eastern Rumelian frontier at Vakarel
was imposed on the principality by the Berlin Treaty, but political
difficulties intervened, and the line, which touches Sofia, was not
completed till 1888. In that year the Bulgarian government seized the short
connecting line Belovo-Sarambey belonging to Turkey, and railway
communication between Constantinople and the western capitals was
established. Since that time great progress has been made in railway
construction. In 1888, 240 m. of state railways were open to traffic; in
1899, 777 m.; in 1902, 880 m. Up to October 1908 all these lines were
worked by the state, and, with the exception of the Belovo-Sarambey line
(29 m.), which was worked under a convention with Turkey, were its
property. The completion of the important line Radomir-Sofia-Shumen
(November 1899) opened up the rich agricultural district between the
Balkans and the Danube and connected Varna with the capital. Branches to
Samovit and Rustchuk establish connexion with the Rumanian railway system
on the opposite side of the river. It was hoped, with the consent of the
Turkish government, to extend the line Sofia-Radomir-Kiustendil to Uskub,
and thus to secure a direct route to Salonica and the Aegean. Road
communication is still in an unsatisfactory condition. Roads are divided
into three classes: "state roads," or main highways, maintained by the
government; "district roads" maintained by the district councils; and
"inter-village roads" (_mezhduselski shosseta_), maintained by the
communes. Repairs are effected by the _corvee_ system with requisitions of
material. There are no canals, and inland navigation is confined to the
Danube. The Austrian _Donaudampschiffahrtsgesellschaft_ and the Russian
_Gagarine_ steamship company compete for the river traffic; the grain trade
is largely served by steamers belonging to Greek merchants. The coasting
trade on the Black Sea is carried on by a Bulgarian steamship company; the
steamers of the Austrian Lloyd, and other foreign companies call at Varna,
and occasionally at Burgas.

The development of postal and telegraphic communication has been rapid. In
1886, 1,468,494 letters were posted, in 1903, 29,063,043. Receipts of posts
and telegraphs in 1886 were L40,975, in 1903 L134,942. In 1903 there were
3261 m. of telegraph lines and 531 m. of telephones.

_Towns._--The principal towns of Bulgaria are Sofia, the capital (Bulgarian
_Sredetz_, a name now little used), pop. in January 1906, 82,187;
Philippopolis, the capital of Eastern Rumelia (Bulg. _Plovdiv_), pop.
45,572; Varna, 37,155; Rustchuk (Bulg. _Russe_), 33,552; Sliven, 25,049;
Shumla (Bulg. _Shumen_), 22,290; Plevna (Bulg. _Pleven_), 21,208;
Stara-Zagora, 20,647; Tatar-Pazarjik, 17,549; Vidin, 16,168; Yamboli (Greek
_Hyampolis_), 15,708; Dobritch (Turkish _Hajiolu-Pazarjik_), 15,369;
Haskovo, 15,061; Vratza, 14,832; Stanimaka (Greek _Stenimachos_), 14,120;
Razgrad, 13,783; Sistova (Bulg. _Svishtov_), 13,408; Burgas, 12,846;
Kiustendil, 12,353; Trnovo, the ancient capital, 12,171. All these are
described in separate articles.

_Population._--The area of northern Bulgaria is 24,535 sq. m.; of Eastern
Rumelia 12,705 sq. m.; of united Bulgaria, 37,240 sq. m. According to the
census of the 12th of January 1906, the population of northern Bulgaria was
2,853,704; of Eastern Rumelia, 1,174,535; of united Bulgaria, 4,028,239 or
88 per sq. m. Bulgaria thus ranks between Rumania and Portugal in regard to
area; between the Netherlands and Switzerland in regard to population: in
density of population it may be compared with Spain and Greece.

The first census of united Bulgaria was taken in 1888: it gave the total
population as 3,154,375. In January 1893 the population was 3,310,713; in
January 1901, 3,744,283.

The movement of the population at intervals of five years has been as
follows:--

---------------------------------------------------------------------
| Year. | Marriages. | Births | Still- | Deaths. | Natural |
| | |(living). | born. | |Increase.[1]|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1882 | 19,795 | 74,642 | 300 | 38,884 | 35,758 |
| 1887 | 20,089 | 83,179 | 144 | 39,396 | 43,783 |
| 1892 | 27,553 | 117,883 | 321 | 103,550 | 14,333 |
| 1897 | 29,227 | 149,631 | 858 | 90,134 | 59,497 |
| 1902 | 36,041 | 149,542 | 823 | 91,093 | 58,449 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Excess of births over deaths.

The death-rate shows a tendency to rise. In the five years 1882-1886 the
mean death-rate was 18.0 per 1000; in 1887-1891, 20.4; in 1892-1896, 27.0;
in 1897-1902, 23.92. Infant mortality is high, especially among the
peasants. As the less healthy infants rarely survive, the adult population
is in general robust, hardy and long-lived. The census of January 1901
gives 2719 persons of 100 years and upwards. Young men, as a rule, marry
betore the age of twenty-five, girls before eighteen. The number of
illegitimate births is inconsiderable, averaging only 0.12 of the total.
The population according to sex in 1901 is given as 1,909,567 males and
1,834,716 females, or 51 males to 49 females. A somewhat similar disparity
may be observed in the other countries of the Peninsula. Classified
according to occupation, 2,802,603 persons, or 74.85% of the population,
are engaged in agriculture; 360,834 in various productive industries;
118,824 in the service of the government or the exercise of liberal
professions, and 148,899 in commerce. The population according to race
cannot be stated with absolute accuracy, but it is approximately shown by
the census of 1901, which gives the various nationalities according to
language as follows:--Bulgars, 2,888,219; Turks, 531,240; Rumans, 71,063;
Greeks, 66,635; Gipsies (Tziganes), 89,549; Jews (Spanish speaking),
33,661; Tatars, [v.04 p.0777] 18,884; Armenians, 14,581; other
nationalities, 30,451. The Bulgarian inhabitants of the Peninsula beyond
the limits of the principality may, perhaps, be estimated at 1,500,000 or
1,600,000, and the grand total of the race possibly reaches 5,500,000.

_Ethnology._--The Bulgarians, who constitute 77.14% of the inhabitants of
the kingdom, are found in their purest type in the mountain districts, the
Ottoman conquest and subsequent colonization having introduced a mixed
population into the plains.

The devastation of the country which followed the Turkish invasion resulted
in the extirpation or flight of a large proportion of the Bulgarian
inhabitants of the lowlands, who were replaced by Turkish colonists. The
mountainous districts, however, retained their original population and
sheltered large numbers of the fugitives. The passage of the Turkish armies
during the wars with Austria, Poland and Russia led to further Bulgarian
emigrations. The flight to the Banat, where 22,000 Bulgarians still remain,
took place in 1730. At the beginning of the 19th century the majority of
the population of the Eastern Rumelian plain was Turkish. The Turkish
colony, however, declined, partly in consequence of the drain caused by
military service, while the Bulgarian remnant increased, notwithstanding a
considerable emigration to Bessarabia before and after the Russo-Turkish
campaign of 1828. Efforts were made by the Porte to strengthen the Moslem
element by planting colonies of Tatars in 1861 and Circassians in 1864. The
advance of the Russian army in 1877-1878 caused an enormous exodus of the
Turkish population, of which only a small proportion returned to settle
permanently. The emigration continued after the conclusion of peace, and is
still in progress, notwithstanding the efforts of the Bulgarian government
to arrest it. In twenty years (1879-1899), at least 150,000 Turkish
peasants left Bulgaria. Much of the land thus abandoned still remains
unoccupied. On the other hand, a considerable influx of Bulgarians from
Macedonia, the vilayet of Adrianople, Bessarabia, and the Dobrudja took
place within the same period, and the inhabitants of the mountain villages
show a tendency to migrate into the richer districts of the plains.

The northern slopes of the Balkans from Belogradchik to Elena are inhabited
almost exclusively by Bulgarians; in Eastern Rumelia the national element
is strongest in the Sredna Gora and Rhodope. Possibly the most genuine
representatives of the race are the Pomaks or Mahommedan Bulgarians, whose
conversion to Islam preserved their women from the licence of the Turkish
conqueror; they inhabit the highlands of Rhodope and certain districts in
the neighbourhood of Lovtcha (Lovetch) and Plevna. Retaining their
Bulgarian speech and many ancient national usages, they may be compared
with the indigenous Cretan, Bosnian and Albanian Moslems. The Pomaks in the
principality are estimated at 26,000, but their numbers are declining. In
the north-eastern district between the Yantra and the Black Sea the
Bulgarian race is as yet thinly represented; most of the inhabitants are
Turks, a quiet, submissive, agricultural population, which unfortunately
shows a tendency to emigrate. The Black Sea coast is inhabited by a variety
of races. The Greek element is strong in the maritime towns, and displays
its natural aptitude for navigation and commerce. The Gagaeuzi, a peculiar
race of Turkish-speaking Christians, inhabit the littoral from Cape Emine
to Cape Kaliakra: they are of Turanian origin and descend from the ancient
Kumani. The valleys of the Maritza and Arda are occupied by a mixed
population consisting of Bulgarians, Greeks and Turks; the principal Greek
colonies are in Stanimaka, Kavakly and Philippopolis. The origin of the
peculiar Shop tribe which inhabits the mountain tracts of Sofia, Breznik
and Radomir is a mystery. The Shops are conceivably a remnant of the
aboriginal race which remained undisturbed in its mountain home during the
Slavonic and Bulgarian incursions: they cling with much tenacity to their
distinctive customs, apparel and dialect. The considerable Vlach or Ruman
colony in the Danubian districts dates from the 18th century, when large
numbers of Walachian peasants sought a refuge on Turkish soil from the
tyranny of the boyars or nobles: the department of Vidin alone contains 36
Ruman villages with a population of 30,550. Especially interesting is the
race of nomad shepherds from the Macedonian and the Aegean coast who come
in thousands every summer to pasture their flocks on the Bulgarian
mountains; they are divided into two tribes--the Kutzovlachs, or "lame
Vlachs," who speak Rumanian, and the Hellenized Karakatchans or "black
shepherds" (compare the Morlachs, or Mavro-vlachs, [Greek: mauroi blaches],
of Dalmatia), who speak Greek. The Tatars, a peaceable, industrious race,
are chiefly found in the neighbourhood of Varna and Silistria; they were
introduced as colonists by the Turkish government in 1861. They may be
reckoned at 12,000. The gipsies, who are scattered in considerable numbers
throughout the country, came into Bulgaria in the 14th century. They are
for the most part Moslems, and retain their ancient Indian speech. They
live in the utmost poverty, occupy separate cantonments in the villages,
and are treated as outcasts by the rest of the population. The Bulgarians,
being of mixed origin, possess few salient physical characteristics. The
Slavonic type is far less pronounced than among the kindred races; the
Ugrian or Finnish cast of features occasionally asserts itself in the
central Balkans. The face is generally oval, the nose straight, the jaw
somewhat heavy. The men, as a rule, are rather below middle height,
compactly built, and, among the peasantry, very muscular; the women are
generally deficient in beauty and rapidly grow old. The upper class, the
so-called _intelligenzia_, is physically very inferior to the rural
population.

_National Character._--The character of the Bulgarians presents a singular
contrast to that of the neighbouring nations. Less quick-witted than the
Greeks, less prone to idealism than the Servians, less apt to assimilate
the externals of civilization than the Rumanians, they possess in a
remarkable degree the qualities of patience, perseverance and endurance,
with the capacity for laborious effort peculiar to an agricultural race.
The tenacity and determination with which they pursue their national aims
may eventually enable them to vanquish their more brilliant competitors in
the struggle for hegemony in the Peninsula. Unlike most southern races, the
Bulgarians are reserved, taciturn, phlegmatic, unresponsive, and extremely
suspicious of foreigners. The peasants are industrious, peaceable and
orderly; the vendetta, as it exists in Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia,
and the use of the knife in quarrels, so common in southern Europe, are
alike unknown. The tranquillity of rural life has, unfortunately, been
invaded by the intrigues of political agitators, and bloodshed is not
uncommon at elections. All classes practise thrift bordering on parsimony,
and any display of wealth is generally resented. The standard of sexual
morality is high, especially in the rural districts; the unfaithful wife is
an object of public contempt, and in former times was punished with death.
Marriage ceremonies are elaborate and protracted, as is the case in most
primitive communities; elopements are frequent, but usually take place with
the consent of the parents on both sides, in order to avoid the expense of
a regular wedding. The principal amusement on Sundays and holidays is the
_choro_ ([Greek: choros]), which is danced on the village green to the
strains of the _gaida_ or bagpipe, and the _gusla_, a rudimentary fiddle.
The Bulgarians are religious in a simple way, but not fanatical, and the
influence of the priesthood is limited. Many ancient superstitions linger
among the peasantry, such as the belief in the vampire and the evil eye;
witches and necromancers are numerous and are much consulted.

_Government._--Bulgaria is a constitutional monarchy; by Art. iii. of the
Berlin Treaty it was declared hereditary in the family of a prince "freely
elected by the population and confirmed by the Sublime Porte with the
assent of the powers." According to the constitution of Trnovo, voted by
the Assembly of Notables on the 29th of April 1879, revised by the Grand
Sobranye on the 27th of May 1893, and modified by the proclamation of a
Bulgarian kingdom on the 5th of October 1908, the royal dignity descends in
the direct male line. The king must profess the Orthodox faith, only the
first elected sovereign and his immediate heir being released from this
obligation. The legislative power is vested in the king in conjunction with
the [v.04 p.0778] national assembly; he is supreme head of the army,
supervises the executive power, and represents the country in its foreign
relations. In case of a minority or an interregnum, a regency of three
persons is appointed. The national representation is embodied in the
Sobranye, or ordinary assembly (Bulgarian, _Subranie_, the Russian form
_Sobranye_ being usually employed by foreign writers), and the Grand
Sobranye, which is convoked in extraordinary circumstances. The Sobranye is
elected by manhood suffrage, in the proportion of 1 to 20,000 of the
population, for a term of five years. Every Bulgarian citizen who can read
and write and has completed his thirtieth year is eligible as a deputy.
Annual sessions are held from the 27th of October to the 27th of December.
All legislative and financial measures must first be discussed and voted by
the Sobranye and then sanctioned and promulgated by the king. The
government is responsible to the Sobranye, and the ministers, whether
deputies or not, attend its sittings. The Grand Sobranye, which is elected
in the proportion of 2 to every 20,000 inhabitants, is convoked to elect a
new king, to appoint a regency, to sanction a change in the constitution,
or to ratify an alteration in the boundaries of the kingdom. The executive
is entrusted to a cabinet of eight members--the ministers of foreign
affairs and religion, finance, justice, public works, the interior,
commerce and agriculture, education and war. Local administration, which is
organized on the Belgian model, is under the control of the minister of the
interior. The country is divided into twenty-two departments (_okrug_, pl.
_okruzi_), each administered by a prefect (_upravitel_), assisted by a
departmental council, and eighty-four sub-prefectures (_okolia_), each
under a sub-prefect (_okoliiski natchalnik_). The number of these
functionaries is excessive. The four principal towns have each in addition
a prefect of police (_gradonatchalnik_) and one or more commissaries
(_pristav_). The gendarmery numbers about 4000 men, or 1 to 825 of the
inhabitants. The prefects and sub-prefects have replaced the Turkish
_mutessarifs_ and _kaimakams_; but the system of municipal government, left
untouched by the Turks, descends from primitive times. Every commune
(_obshtina_), urban or rural, has its _kmet_, or mayor, and council; the
commune is bound to maintain its primary schools, a public library or
reading-room, &c.; the kmet possesses certain magisterial powers, and in
the rural districts he collects the taxes. Each village, as a rule, forms a
separate commune, but occasionally two or more villages are grouped
together.

_Justice._--The civil and penal codes are, for the most part, based on the
Ottoman law. While the principality formed a portion of the Turkish empire,
the privileges of the capitulations were guaranteed to foreign subjects
(Berlin Treaty, Art. viii.). The lowest civil and criminal court is that of
the village kmet, whose jurisdiction is confined to the limits of the
commune; no corresponding tribunal exists in the towns. Each sub-prefecture
and town has a justice of the peace--in some cases two or more; the number
of these officials is 130. Next follows the departmental tribunal or court
of first instance, which is competent to pronounce sentences of death,
penal servitude and deprivation of civil rights; in specified criminal
cases the judges are aided by three assessors chosen by lot from an
annually prepared panel of forty-eight persons. Three courts of appeal sit
respectively at Sofia, Rustchuk and Philippopolis. The highest tribunal is
the court of cassation, sitting at Sofia, and composed of a president, two
vice-presidents and nine judges. There is also a high court of audit
(_vrkhovna smetna palata_), similar to the French _cour des comptes._ The
judges are poorly paid and are removable by the government. In regard to
questions of marriage, divorce and inheritance the Greek, Mahommedan and
Jewish communities enjoy their own spiritual jurisdiction.

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