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BULGARIA , a
See also:kingdom of
See also:south-eastern
See also:Europe, situated in the
See also:north-
See also:east of the
See also:Balkan Peninsula, and on the Blade
See also:Sea . From 1878 until the 5th of
See also:October 19(38, Bulgaria was an autonomous and tributary principality, under the
See also:suzerainty of the sultan of
See also:Turkey . The
See also:area of the kingdom amounts to 37,240 sq. m., and comprises the territories between the Balkan chain and the
See also:river
See also:Danube; the province of Eastern
See also:Rumelia lying south of the Balkans; and the western
See also:highlands of
See also:Kiustendil, Samakov, Sofia and Ten . Bulgaria is bounded oit the N. by the Danube, from its confluence with the Timok to the eastern suburbs of
See also:Silistria whence a
See also:line, forming the Rumanian frontier, is
See also:drawn to a point on the Black Sea
See also:coast to m . S. of
See also:Mangalia . On the E. it is washed by the Black Sea; on the S. the
See also:Turkish frontier, starting from a point on the coast about 12 M . S. of Sozopolis, runs in' a south-
See also:westerly direction,
See also:crossing the river Maritza at Mustafa
See also:Pasha, and reaching the Arda at Adakali . The line laid down by the Berlin Treaty (1878) ascended the Arda to Ishiklar, thence following the' crest of Rhodope to the westwards, but the cantons of Krjali. and Rupchus included in this boundary were restored to Turkey in 1886 . The
See also:present frontier, passing to the north of these districts; reaches the
See also:watershed of Rhodope a little north of the Dospat valley, and then follows the crest of the Rilska Planina to the
See also:summit of Tchrni Vrkh, where the Servian,' Turkish and Bulgarian territories meet . From this point the western or Servian frontier passes northwards, leaving Trn to the east and
See also:Pirot to the west, reaching the Timok near Kula, and following the course of that river to its junction with the Danube . The Berlin Treaty boundary was far from corresponding with the ethnological limits of the Bulgarian
See also:race, which were more accurately defined by the abrogated treaty of
See also:San Stefano (see below, under
See also:History) . A considerable portion of
See also:Macedonia, the districts of Pirot and
See also:Vranya belonging to
See also:Servia, the
See also:northern
See also:half of the vilayet of Adrianople, and large tracts of the Dobrudja, are, according to the best and most impartial authorities, mainly inhabited by a Bulgarian population .
See also:Physical Features.—The most striking physical features are two
See also:mountain-chains; the Balkans, which run east and west through the
See also:heart of the
See also:country; and Rhodope, which, for a considerable distance, forms its
See also:southern boundary . The Balkans constitute the southern half of the
See also:great semicircular range known as the
See also:anti-Dacian
See also:system, of which the Carpathians
See also:form-the northern portion . This great chain is sundered at the Iron
See also:Gates by the passage of the Danube; its two component parts present many points of resemblance in their aspect and outline,
See also:geological formation and
See also:flora . The Balkans (
See also:ancient Haemus) run almost parallel to the Danube, the mean
See also:interval being 6o m.; the summits are, as a
See also:rule, rounded, and the slopes gentle . The culminating points are in the centre of the range: Yumrukchal (7835 ft.), Maraguduk (7808 ft.), and Kadimlfa (7464 ft,) . The Balkans are known to the
See also:people of the country as the Stara Planina or " Old Mountain," the adjective denoting their greater
See also:size as compared with that of the adjacent ranges: " Balkan " is not a distinctive
See also:term, being applied by the Bulgarians, as well as the
See also:Turks, to all mountains . Closely parallel, on the south, are the minor ranges of the Sredna Gora or "
See also:Middle Mountains " (highest summit 5167 ft.) and the Karaja Dagh, en-closing respectively the sheltered valleys of Karlovo and Kazanlyk . At its eastern extremity the Balkan chain divides into three ridges, the central terminating in the Black Sea at Cape Emine (" Haemus "), the northern forming the watershed between the tributaries of the Danube and the
See also:rivers falling directly into the Black Sea . The Rhodope, or southern
See also:group, is altogether distinct from the Balkans, with which, however, it is connected by the Malka Planina and the Ikhtiman hills, respectively west and east of Sofia; it maybe regarded as a continuation of the great Alpine system which traverses the Peninsula from the Dinaric
See also:Alps and the Shar Planina on the west to the Shabkhana Dagh near the
See also:Aegean coast; its sharper outlines and
See also:pine-clad steeps reproduce the scenery of the Alps rather than that of the Balkans . The imposing summit of Musalla (9631 ft.), next to
See also:Olympus, the highest in the Peninsula, forms the centre-point of the group; it stands within the Bulgarian frontier at the
See also:head of the Mesta valley, on either
See also:side of which the Perin Dagh and the Despoto Dagh descend south and south-east respectively towards the Aegean . The chain of Rhodope proper radiates to the east; owing to the retrocession of territory already mentioned, its central
See also:ridge no longer completely coincides with the Bulgarian boundary, but two of its
See also:principal summits, Sytke (7179 ft.) and Karlyk (6828 ft.), are within the frontier . From Musalla in a westerly direction extends the majestic range of the Rilska Planina, enclosing in a picturesque valley the celebrated monastery of Rila; many summits of this chain attain 7000 ft .
Farther west, beyond the Struma valley, is the Osogovska Planina, culminating in Ruyen (7392 ft.) . To the north of the Rilska Planina the almost isolatedmass of Vitosha (7517 ft.) overhangs Sofia .
See also:Snow and ice remain in the sheltered crevices of Rhodope and the Balkans throughout the summer . The fertile slope trending northwards from the Balkans to the Danube is for the most
See also:part gradual and broken by hills; the eastern portion known as the Deli Orman, or "
See also:Wild
See also:Wood," is covered by
See also:forest, and thinly inhabited . The abrupt and sometimes precipitous character of the Bulgarian
See also:bank of the Danube contrasts with the swampy lowlands and lagoons of the Rumanian side . Northern Bulgaria is watered by the Lom, Ogust, Iskr, Vid, Osem, Yantra and Eastern Lom, all, except the Iskr, rising in the Balkans, and all flowing into the Danube . The channels of these rivers are deeply furrowed and the fall is rapid; irrigation is consequently difficult and navigation impossible . The course of the Iskr is remarkable: rising in the Rilska Planina, the river descends into the
See also:basin of Samakov, passing thence through a
See also:serpentine
See also:defile into the
See also:plateau of Sofia, where in ancient times it formed a lake; it now forces its way through the Balkans by the picturesque
See also:gorge of Iskretz . Somewhat similarly the Deli, or " Wild," Kamchik breaks the central chain of the Balkans near their eastern extremity and, uniting with the Great Kamchik, falls into the Black Sea . The Maritza, the ancient Hebrus, springs from the slopes of Musalla, and, with its tributaries, the Tunja and Arda,
See also:waters the wide plain of Eastern Rumelia . The Struma (ancient and
See also:modern
See also:Greek Strymon) drains the valley of Kiustendil, and, like the Maritza, flows into the Aegean . The elevated basins of Samakov (lowest altitude 3050 ft.), Trn (2525 ft.), Breznik (2460 ft.), Radomir (2065 ft.), Sofia (164o ft.), and Kiustendil (1540 ft.), are a
See also:peculiar feature of the western highlands .
Geology.—The stratified formation presents a remarkable variety, almost all the systems being exemplified . The Archean, composed of
See also:gneiss and crystalline
See also:schists, and traversed by eruptive
See also:veins, extends over the greater part of the Eastern Rumelian plain, the Rilska Planina, Rhodope, and the adjacent ranges . North of the Balkans it appears only in the neighbourhood of Berkovitza . The other earlier Palaeozoic systems are wanting, but the Carboniferous appears in the western Balkans with a
See also:continental fades (
See also:Kulm), Here anthracitiferous
See also:coal is found in beds of argillite and
See also:sandstone . Red sandstone and
See also:conglomerate, representing the
See also:Permian system, appear especially around the basin of Sofia . Above these, in the western Balkans, are Mesozoic deposits, from the Trias to the upper
See also:Jurassic, also occurring in the central part of the range . The Cretaceous system, from the infra-Cretaceous Hauterivien to the Senonian, appears throughout the whole extent of Northern Bulgaria, from the summits of the Balkans to the Danube . Gosau beds are found on the southern declivity of the chain .
See also:Flysch, representing both the Cretaceous and Eocene systems, is widely distributed . The Eocene, or older
See also:Tertiary, further appears with nummulitic formations on both sides of the eastern Balkans; the Oligocene only near the Black Sea coast at Burgas . Of the Neogene, or younger Tertiary, the Mediterranean, or earlier, stage appears near Pleven (
See also:Plevna) in the Leithakalk and Tegel forms, and between
See also:Varna and Burgas with beds of spaniodons, as in the
See also:Crimea; the Sarmatian stage in the plain of the Danube and in the districts of Silistria and Varna . A
See also:rich mammaliferous deposit (Hipparion,
See also:Rhinoceros,
See also:Dinotherium, Mastodon, &c.) of this
See also:period has been found near Mesemvria .
Other Neogene strata occupy a more limited space . The
See also:Quaternary era is represented by the typical
See also:loess, which covers most of the Danubian plain; to its later epochs belong the alluvial deposits of the riparian districts with remains of the Ur
See also:sus, Equus, &c., found in
See also:bone-caverns . Eruptive masses intrude in the Balkan,, and Sredna Gora, as well as in the Archean formation of the southern ranges, presenting granite,
See also:syenite, diorite,
See also:diabase,
See also:quartz-porphyry, melaphyre, liparite,
See also:trachyte,
See also:andesite,
See also:basalt, &c . Minerals.—The
See also:mineral
See also:wealth of Bulgaria is considerable, although, with the exception of coal, it remains largely unexploited . The minerals which are commercially valuable include gold (found in small quantities),
See also:silver,
See also:graphite,
See also:galena, pyrite,
See also:marcasite, chalcosine, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, bornite,
See also:cuprite, hematite,
See also:limonite, ochre,
See also:chromite,
See also:magnetite,
See also:azurite,
See also:manganese,
See also:malachite,
See also:gypsum, &c . The combustibles are anthracitiferous coal, coal,"
See also:brown coal " and
See also:lignite . The lignite mines opened by the
See also:government at Pernik in 1891 yielded in 1904 142,000 tons . Coal beds have been discovered at Trevna and elsewhere . Thermal springs, mostly sulphureous, exist in
See also:forty-three localities along the southern slope of the Balkans, in Rhodope, and in the districts of Sofia and Kiustendil; maximum temperature at Zaparevo, near Dupnitza, 180.5° (Fahrenheit), at Sofia 118.4° . Many of these are frequented now, as in
See also:Roman times, owing to their valuable therapeutic qualities . The mineral springs on the north of the Balkans are, with one exception (Vrshetz, near Berkovitza),
See also:cold .
See also:Climate.—The severity of the climate of Bulgaria in comparison with that of other
See also:European regions of the same Iatitude is attributable in part to the number and extent of its mountain ranges, in part to the general configuration of the Balkan Peninsula .
See also:heat in summer and cold in winter, great
See also:local contrasts, and rapid transitions of temperature occur here as in the adjoining countries . The local contrasts are remarkable . In the districts extending from the Balkans to the Danube, which are exposed to the bitter north
See also:wind, the winter cold is intense, and the river, notwithstanding the
See also:volume and rapidity of its current, is frequently frozen over; the temperature has been known to fall to 24 below zero . Owing to the shelter afforded by the Balkans against hot southerly winds, the summer heat in this region is not unbearable; its maximum is 99° . The high tableland of Sofia is generally covered with snow in the winter months; .it enjoys, however, a somewhat more equable climate than the northern
See also:district, the maximum temperature being 86°, the minimum 2°; the air is bracing, and the summer nights are cool and fresh . In the eastern districts the proximity of the sea moderates the extremes of heat and cold; the sea is occasionally frozen at Varna . The coast-line is exposed to violent north-east winds, and the Black Sea, the rovros fll;eivos or " inhospitable sea " of the Greeks, maintains its evil reputation for storms . The sheltered plain of Eastern Rumelia possesses a comparatively warm climate;
See also:spring begins six
See also:weeks earlier than elsewhere in Bulgaria, and the vegetation is that of southern Europe . In general the Bulgarian winter is
See also:short and severe; the spring short, changeable and
See also:rainy; the slimmer hot, but tempered by thunderstorms; the autumn (yasen, " the clear
See also:time ") magnificently
See also:fine and sometimes prolonged into the
See also:month of
See also:December . The mean temperature is 52° . The climate is healthy, especially in the mountainous districts . Malarial fever prevails in the valley of the Maritza, in the low-lying regions of the Black Sea coast, and even in the upland plain of Sofia, owing to neglect of drainage .
The mean
See also:annual rainfall is 25.59 in . (Gabrovo, 41.73; Sofia, 27.68; Varna, 18.5o) .
See also:Fauna.—Few
See also:special features are noticeable in the Bulgarian fauna . Bears are still abundant in the higher mountain districts, especially in the Rilska Planina and Rhodope; the Bulgarian bear is small and of brown
See also:colour, like that of the Carpathians . Wolves are very numerous, and in winter commit great depredations even in the larger country towns and villages; in hard
See also:weather they have been known to approach the outskirts of Sofia . The government offers a
See also:reward for the destruction of both these animals . The roe
See also:deer is found in all the forests, the red deer is less
See also:common; the
See also:chamois haunts the higher regions of the Rilska Planina, Rhodope and the Balkans . The
See also:jackal (Canis aureus) appears in the district of Burgas; the lynx is said to exist in the Sredna Gora; the wild boar,
See also:otter,
See also:fox,
See also:badger,
See also:hare, wild
See also:cat, marten,
See also:polecat (Foetorius putorius; the rare
See also:tiger polecat, Foetorius sarmaticus, is also found),
See also:weasel and shrewmouse (Spermophilus citillus) are common . The beaver (Bulg. bebr) appears to have been abundant in certain localities, e.g . Bebrovo, Bebresh, &c., but it is now apparently
See also:extinct .
See also:Snakes (Coluber natrix and other
See also:species), vipers (Vipers berus and V. ammodytes), and
See also:land and
See also:water tortoises arc numerous . The domestic animals are the same as in the other countries of south-eastern Europe; the fierce shaggy
See also:grey
See also:sheep-
See also:dog leaves a lasting impression on most travellers in the interior .
Fowls, especially turkeys, are everywhere abundant, and greatnumbers of geese may be seen in the Moslem villages . The
See also:ornithology of Bulgaria is especially interesting . Eagles (Aquila imperialis and the rarer Aquila fulva), vultures (Vultur monachus, Gyps fulvus, Neophron percnopterus), owls, kites, and the smaller birds of
See also:prey are extra-ordinarily abundant; singing birds are consequently rare . The lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) is not uncommon . Immense flocks of wild swans, geese, pelicans, herons and other waterfowl haunt the Danube and the lagoons of the Black Sea coast . The
See also:cock of the woods (Tetrao urogallus) is found in the Balkan and Rhodope forests, the wild
See also:pheasant in the Tunja valley, the
See also:bustard (Otis tarda) in the Eastern Rumelian plain . Among the migratory birds are the
See also:crane, which hibernates in the Maritza valley, woodcock, snipe and
See also:quail; the great spotted
See also:cuckoo (Coccystes glandarius) isan occasional visitant . The red starling (Pastor roseus) sometimes appears in large flights . The
See also:stork, which is never molested, adds a picturesque feature to the Bulgarian
See also:village . Of fresh-water
See also:fish, the
See also:sturgeon (Acipenser sturio and A. huso), sterlet,
See also:salmon (Salmo hucho), and
See also:carp are found in the Danube; the mountain streams abound in
See also:trout . The Black Sea supplies turbot,
See also:mackerel, &c.; dolphins and flying fish may sometimes be seen . Flora.—In regard to its flora the country may be divided into (I) the northern plain sloping from the Balkans to the Danube, (2) the southern plain between the Balkans and Rhodope, (3) the districts adjoining the Black Sea, (4) the elevated basins of Sofia, Samakov and Kiustendil, (5) the Alpine and sub-Alpine regions of the Balkans and the southern mountain group .
In the first-mentioned region the vegetation resembles that of the
See also:Russian and Rumanian
See also:steppes; in the spring the country is adorned with the
See also:flowers of the
See also:crocus, orchis,
See also:iris,
See also:tulip and other bulbous
See also:plants, which in summer give way to tall
See also:grasses, umbelliferous growths, dianthi, astragali, &c . In the more sheltered district south of the Balkans the richer vegetation recalls that of the neighbourhood of Constantinople and the adjacent parts of
See also:Asia Minor . On the Black Sea coast many types of the
See also:Crimean, Transcaucasian and even the Mediterranean flora present themselves . The plateaus of Sofia and Samakov furnish specimens of sub-alpine plants, while the
See also:vine disappears; the hollow of Kiustendil, owing to its southerly aspect, affords the vegetation of the Macedonian valleys . The flora of the Balkans corresponds with that of the Carpathians; the Rila and Rhodope group is rich in purely indigenous types combined with those of the central European Alps and the mountains of Asia Minor . The Alpine types are often represented by variants: e.g. the
See also:Campanula alpina by the Campanula orbelica, the Primula farinosa by the Primula frondosa and P. exigua, the Gentiana germanica by the Gentiana bulgarica, &c . The southern mountain group, in common, perhaps, with the unexplored highlands of Macedonia, presents many isolated types, unknown elsewhere in Europe, and in some cases corresponding with those of the
See also:Caucasus . Among the more characteristic genera of the Bulgarian flora are the following:—Centaurea, Cirsium, Linaria, Scrophularia, Verbascum, Dianthus, Silene, Trifolium,
See also:Euphorbia, Cytisus, Astragalus, Ornithogalum,
See also:Allium, Crocus, Iris, Thymus, Umbellifera,
See also:Sedum, Hypericum, Scabiosa,
See also:Ranunculus, Orchis, Ophrys . Forests.—The principal forest trees are the
See also:oak,
See also:beech, ash,
See also:elm,
See also:walnut, cornel,
See also:poplar, pine and
See also:juniper . The oak is universal in the thickets, but large specimens are now rarely found . Magnificent forests of beech clothe the valleys of the higher Balkans and the Rilska Planina; the northern declivity of the Balkans is, in general, well wooded, but the southern slope is
See also:bare . The walnut and chest-
See also:nut are mainly confined to eastern Rumelia .
Conifers (Pinus silvestris, Picea excelsa, Pinus laricis, Pinus mughus) are rare in the Balkans, but abundant in the higher regions of the southern mountain group, where the Pinus pence, otherwise peculiar to the Himalayas, also flourishes . The wild
See also:lilac forms a beautiful feature in the spring landscape . Wild fruit trees, such as the
See also:apple,
See also:pear and
See also:plum, are common . The vast forests of the middle ages disappeared under the supine Turkish administration, which took no
See also:measures for their
See also:protection, and even destroyed the woods in the neighbourhood of towns and highways in
See also:order to deprive brigands of shelter . A
See also:law passed in 1889 prohibits disforesting, limits the right of cutting
See also:timber, and places the
See also:state forests under the
See also:control of inspectors . According to official
See also:statistics, 11,64o sq. m. or about 30 % of the whole superficies of the kingdom, are under forest, but the greater portion of this area is covered only by brushwood and scrub . The beautiful forests of the Rila district are rapidly disappearing under exploitation .
See also:Agriculture.—Agriculture, the
See also:main source of wealth to the country, is still in an extremely
See also:primitive
See also:condition . The
See also:Ignorance and conservatism of the peasantry, the habits engendered by widespread insecurity and the fear of official rapacity under Turkish rule, insufficiency of communications, want of capital, and in some districts sparsity of population, have all tended to retard the development of this most important
See also:industry . The peasants cling to traditional usage, and look with suspicion on modern implements and new-fangled modes of production . The plough is of a primeval type, rotation of crops is only partially practised, and the use of manure is almost unknown . The government has sedulously endeavoured to introduce more enlightened methods and ideas by the
See also:establishment of agricultural
See also:schools, the
See also:appointment of itinerant professors and inspectors, the distribution of better kinds of seeds, improved implements, &c .
Efforts have been made to improve the breeds of native
See also:cattle and horses, and stallions have been introduced from Hungary and distributed throughout the country . Oxen and buffaloes are the principal animals of
See also:draught; the
See also:buffalo, which was apparently introduced from Asia in remote times, is much prized by the peasants for its
See also:patience and strength; it is, however, somewhat delicate and requires much care . In the eastern districts camels are also employed . The Bulgarian horses are small, but remarkably
See also:hardy, wiry and intelligent; they are as a rule unfitted for draught and
See also:cavalry purposes . The best sheep are found in the district of Karnobat in Eastern Rumelia . The number of goats in the country tends to decline, a relatively high tax being imposed on these animals owing to the injury they inflict on
See also:young trees . The
See also:average price of oxen is £5 each, draught oxen £12 the pair, buffaloes £14 the pair, cows £2, horses £6, sheep, 7S., goats 5s., each . The principal cereals are
See also:wheat,
See also:maize,
See also:rye,
See also:barley, oats and
See also:millet . The cultivation of maize is increasing in the Danubian and eastern districts .
See also:Rice-
See also:fields are found in the neighbourhood of Philippopolis . Cereals represent about 8o % of the
See also:total exports . Besides
See also:grain, Bulgaria produces
See also:wine,
See also:tobacco, attar of
See also:roses,
See also:silk and
See also:cotton .
The quality of the
See also:grape is excellent, and could the peasants be induced to abandon their highly primitive mode of wine-making the Bulgarian vintages would
See also:rank among the best European growths . The tobacco, which is not of the highest quality, is grown in considerable quantities for home
See also:consumption and only an insignificant amount is exported . The best tobacco-fields in Bulgaria are on the northern slopes of Rhodope, but the southern declivity, which produces the famous
See also:Kavala growth, is more adapted to the cultivation of the plant . The
See also:rose-fields of Kazanlyk and Karlovo lie in the sheltered valleys between the Balkans and the parallel chains of the Sredna Gora and Karaja Dagh . About 6000 lh of the rose-essence is annually exported, being valued from £12 to £14 per lb . Beetroot is cultivated in the neighbourhood of Sofia . Sericulture, formerly an important industry, has declined owing to disease among the silkworms, but efforts are being made to revive it with promise of success . Cotton is grown in the southern districts of Eastern Rumelia .
See also:Peasant proprietorship is universal, the small freeholds averaging about 18 acres each . There are scarcely any large estates owned by individuals, but some of the monasteries possess considerable domains . The large tchijliks, or farms, formerly belonging to Turkish landowners, have been divided among the peasants . The rural proprietors enjoy the right of pasturing their cattle on the common lands belonging to each village, and of cutting wood in the state forests .
They live in a condition of
See also:rude comfort, and poverty is practically unknown, except in the towns . A peculiarly interesting feature in Bulgarian agricultural
See also:life is the zadruga, or
See also:house-community, a patriarchal institution apparently dating from prehistoric times .
See also:Family
See also:groups, sometimes numbering several dozen persons, dwell together on a
See also:farm n the observance of strictly communistic principles . The association is ruled by a house-
See also:father (domakin, slareishina)i and a house-
See also:mother (domakinia), who assign to the members their respective tasks . In addition to the farm
See also:work the members often practise various trades, the proceeds of which are paid into the general
See also:treasury . The community sometimes includes a
See also:priest, whose fees for baptisms, &c.,
See also:augment the common fund . The
See also:national aptitude for combination is also ,displayed in the associations of market gardeners (gradinarski druzhini, laifi), who in the spring leave their native districts for the purpose of cultivating gardens in the neighbourhood of some
See also:town, either in Bulgaria or abroad, returning in the autumn, when they
See also:divide the profits of the enterprise; the number of persons annually thus engaged probably exceeds 10,000 . Associations for various agricultural,
See also:mining and
See also:industrial undertakings and provident
See also:societies are numerous: the handicraftsmen in the towns are organized in esnafs or
See also:gilds . Manufactures.—The development of manufacturing enterprise on a large
See also:scale has been retarded by want of capital . The principal establishments for the native manufactures of
See also:aba and shayak (rough and fine homespuns), and of gaitan (braided embroidery) are at
See also:Sliven and Gabrovo respectively . The Bulgarian homespuns, which are made of pure wool, are of admirable quality . The exportation of textiles is almost exclusively to Turkey: value in 1896, £104,046; in 1898, £144,726; iin 1.904, £108,685 .
Unfortunately the home demand for native fabrics is diminishing owing to
See also:foreign competition; the smaller775 textile
See also:industries are declining, and the picturesque, durable, and comfortable
See also:costume of the country is giving way to cheap ready-made clothing imported from
See also:Austria . The government has endeavoured to stimulate the home industry by ordering all persons in its employment to
See also:wear the native
See also:cloth, and the army is supplied almost exclusively by the factories at Sliven . A great number of small distilleries exist throughout the country; there are breweries in all the principal towns, tanneries at Sevlievo, Varna, &c., numerous corn-mills worked by water and steam, and sawmills, turned by the mountain torrents, in the Balkans and Rhodope . A certain amount of foreign capital has been invested in industrial enterprises; the most notable are
See also:sugar-refineries in the neighbourhood of Sofia and Philippopolis, and a cotton-
See also:spinning
See also:mill at Varna, on which an
See also:English
See also:company has expended about £6o,000 Commerce.—The usages of
See also:internal commerce have been considerably modified by the development of communications . The primitive system of barter in kind still exists in the rural districts, but is gradually disappearing . The great fairs (panairi, ravrlyvpas) held at Eski-Jumaia, Dobritch and other towns, which formerly attracted multitudes of foreigners as well as natives, have lost much of their importance; a considerable amount of business, however, is still transacted at these gatherings, of which ninety-seven were held in 1898 . The principal seats of the export
See also:trade are Varna, Burgas and Baltchik on the Black Sea, and Svishtov,
See also:Rustchuk, Nikopolis, Silistria, Rakhovo, and Vidin on the Danube . The chief centres of distribution for imports are Varna, Sofia, Rustchuk, Philippopolis and Burgas . About to % of the exports passes over the Turkish frontier, but the government is making great efforts to divert the trade to Varna and Burgas, and important
See also:harbour
See also:works have been carried out at both these ports . The new
See also:port of Burgas was formally opened in 1904, that of Varna in' 906 . In-1887 the total value of Bulgarian foreign commerce was £4,419,589 . The following table gives the values for the six years ending 1904 .
The great fluctuations in the exports are due to thevariations of the
See also:harvest, on which the prosperity of the country practically depends: The principal exports are cereals, live stock, homespuns, hides,
See also:cheese, eggs, attar of roses . Exports to the
See also:United Kingdom in 1900 were valued at £239,665; in 1904 at £989,127 . The principal imports are textiles
See also:metal goods, colonial goods, implements, furniture,
See also:leather, petroleum . Imports from the United Kingdom in 1900, £301,150; in 1904, £793,972 . The National Bank, a state institution with a capital of £400,000, has its central establishment at Sofia, and branches at Philippopolis, Rustchuk, Varna,
See also:Trnovo and Burgas . Besides conducting the ordinary banking operations, it issues loans on
See also:mortgage . Four other
See also:banks have been founded at Sofia by groups of foreign and native capitalists . There are several private banks in the country .. The Imperial
See also:Ottoman Bank and the Industrial Bank of
See also: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
See also:rescue the peasantry from the hands of usurers . They serve as treasuries for the local administration, accept deposits at
See also:interest, and make loans to the peasants on mortgage or the security of two solvent landowners at 8% . Their capital in 1887 was £569,260; in 1904, £1,440,000 .
Since 1893 they have been constituted as the ' Bulgarian Agricultural Bank "; the central direction is at Sofia The,
See also:post-
See also:office savings bank, established 1896, had in 1905 a capital of £1,360,560 . There are over 200 registered provident societies in the country . The legal
See also:rate of interest is 10 %, but much higher rates are not uncommon . Bulgaria, like the neighbouring states of the Peninsula, has adopted the tnetric system . Turkish weights and measures, however, are still largely employed in local commerce . The monetary unit is the lev, or "
See also:lion " (pl. leva), nominally equal to the
See also:franc, with its submultiple the stotinka (pl.-ki), or centime . The coinage consists of nickel and
See also:bronze coins (22, 5, 10 and 20 stotinki) and silver coins
See also:Year . Exports . Imports . Total . 2,138,684 2.159,305 3,310,790 4,147,381 4,322,945 6,304,756 2,407,123 1,853,684 2,801,762 2,849,059 3,272,103 5,187,583 4,545,807 4,012,989 6,112, 552 7,996,440 7,595,048 11,492,339 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 (5o stotinki; 1, 2 and 5 leva) . A gold coinage was struck in '1843 with pieces corresponding to those of the Latin Union .
The Turkish
See also:pound and foreign gold coins are also in general circulation . The National Bank issues notes for 5, to, 20, 50 and Too leva, payable in gold .. Notes payable in silver are also issued .
See also:Finance.—It is only possible here to
See also:deal with Bulgarian finance
See also:prior to the declaration of independence in 1908 . At the outset of its career the principality was practically unencumbered with any
See also:debt,
See also:external or internal . The stipulations of the Berlin Treaty (
See also:Art. ix.) with regard to the payment of a tribute to the sultan and the
See also:assumption of an " equitable proportion " of the Ottoman Debt were never carried into effect . In 1883 the claim of
See also:Russia for the expenses of the, occupation (under Art. xx. of the treaty) was fixed at 26,545,625 fr . (£I,o61,82o) payable in annual instalments of 2,100,000 fr . (£84,000) . 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 . (£II8,o4o) and a
See also:loan of 3 375,000 fr . (£135,000) contracted with the Imperial Ottoman Bank .
In 1888 the
See also: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 . (£1,2oo,000) bearing 6% interest was contracted with the Vienna Landerbank and Bankverein at 852 . In 1892 a further 6% loan of 142,780,000 fr . (£5,711,200) was contracted with the Landerbank at 83, 86 and 89 . In 1902 a 5% loan of Io6,000,000 fr . (£4,240,000), secured on the tobacco dues and the
See also:stamp-tax, was contracted with the Banque de 1'tat de Russie and the Banque de
See also:Paris et
See also:des Pays Bas at 812, for the purpose of consolidating the floating debt, and in 1904 a 5% loan of 99,980,000 fr . 03,999,200) at 82, with the same guarantees, was contracted with the last-named bank mainly for the purchase of war material in
See also:France and the construction of
See also:railways . In
See also:January 1906 the national debt stood as follows:—Outstanding amount of the consolidated loans, , 363,070,500 fr . (£14,522,820) ; internal debt, 15,603,774 fr . ({624,151); Eastern Rumelian debt, 1,910,e08 (£76,408) . In
See also:February 1907 a 42% 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
See also:German and
See also: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
See also:rent of the Sarambey-' Belovo railway, if capitalized at 6%, would represent a further sum of 50,919,100 fr . (42,036,765) . The national debt was not disproportionately great in comparison with annual revenue . After the union with Eastern Rumelia the
See also:budget receipts increased from 40,803,262 leva (41,635,730) in 1886 to 119,655,507 leva (44,786,220) in 1904; the estimated revenue for 1905 was 1I1,920,000 leva (£4,476,800), of which 41,199,000 (£1,647,160) were derived from
See also:direct and 38,610,000 (£1,544,400) from indirect
See also:taxation; the estimated
See also:expenditure was 111,903,281 leva(44,476,131), the principal items being: public debt, 31,317,346 (41,252,693) ; army, 26,540,720 (£I,o61,628)•
See also:education, I0,402,470 (£416,098); public works, 14,461,171 (£578,446); interior, 7,559,517 (£302,380) . 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
See also: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
See also:financial difficulties in which the country was involved at the close of the 19th century wereaattributable not to excessive indebtedness but to heavy outlay on public works, the army, and education, and to the
See also:maintenance of an unnecessary number of officials, the economic situation being. aggravated by a succession of
See also:bad harvests . The war budget during ten years (1888–1897) absorbed the large sum of 275,822,017 leva (£11,033,300) 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 (£23,980,800) . 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 abranch to
See also:Yamboli (66 m.), had been built by Baron Hirsch in 1873, and leased by the Turkish government to the
See also: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
See also: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
See also:traffic; in 1899, 777 m.; in 1902, 88o 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
See also:convention with Turkey, were its
See also:property . The completion of the important line Radomir-Sofia-Shumen (November1899) opened, up the rich agricultural district between the .. Balkan, 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
See also:Uskub, and thus to secure ,a' direct route to
See also: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
See also:councils; and " inters village roads (mezhquselski shosseta), maintained by the communes . Repairs are effected by the conies 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
See also:coasting trade on the Black Sea is carried on by a Bulgarian steamship company; the steamers of the Austrian Lloyd, and other foreign companies
See also: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 £40,.975, in 1903 134,942 . In 1903 there were 3261 m. of telegraph lines and 551 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, 20,647i Tatar-Pazarjik, 17,549; Vidin, 16,168;, Yamboli (Greek Hyampolis), '5,708; Dobritch (Turkish Hajiolu-Pazarjik), 15,36g; Haskovo, 15,o61;
See also:Vratza, 14,832;
See also:Stanimaka (Greek Stenimachos),'4,120;
See also:Razgrad, 13,783;
See also:Sistova (Bulg . Svishtov), 13,408; Burgas, 12,846; Kiustendil, 12,353; Trnovo, the ancient capital, 12,171 . All these are described in
See also: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
See also:census of the '2th 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
See also:Portugal in regard to area; between the
See also:Netherlands and
See also:Switzerland in regard to population: in'
See also:density of population it may be compared with
See also:Spain and
See also: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 .
See also:movement of the population at intervals of five years has been as follows: Year . Marriages . Births Still- Deaths . Natural (living).
See also:born. s, 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 The
See also:death-rate shows a tendency to rise . In the five years 1882–1886 the mean death-rate was I8•o per woo; in 1887–1891, 20.4; in 1892–1896, 27•o; in 1897–1902, 23.92 .
See also: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 too years and upwards . Young men, as a rule, marry before 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
See also:males and 1,834,716
See also: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; '18,824 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 withabsolute 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;
See also:Gipsies (Tziganes), 89,549; Jews (
See also:Spanish speaking), 33,661; Tatars, 1 Excess of births over deaths . 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
See also:grand total of the race possibly reaches 5,500,000 .
See also: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
See also: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
See also:flight of a large proportion of the Bulgarian inhabitants of the lowlands, who were replaced by Turkish colonists . The mountainous districts, however, retained their
See also:original population and sheltered large numbers of the fugitives . The passage of the Turkish armies during the
See also:wars with Austria, Poland and Russia led to further Bulgarian emigrations . The flight to the
See also:Banat, where 22,000 Bulgarians still remain, took place in 1930 . At the beginning of the i9th 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
See also:Bessarabia before and after the Russo-Turkish
See also:campaign of 1828 . Efforts were made by the
See also:Porte to strengthen the Moslem
See also:element by planting colonies of Tatars in 1861 and Circassians in 1864 .
The advance of the Russian army in 1877–1878 caused an enormous
See also:exodus of the Turkish population, of which only a small proportion returned to
See also:settle permanently . The emigration continued after the conclusion of
See also: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
See also:left Bulgaria . Much of the land thus abandoned still remains unoccupied . On the other
See also: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
See also:Mahommedan Bulgarians, whose conversion to
See also:Islam preserved their
See also: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 Gagauzi, a peculiar race of Turkish-speaking Christians, inhabit the littoral from Cape Emilie 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
See also: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
See also:Slavonic and Bulgarian incursions: they cling with much tenacity to their distinctive customs,
See also:apparel and dialect . The considerable Vlach or Ruman colony in the Danubian districts
See also:dates from the 18th century, when large numbers of Walachian peasants sought a
See also:refuge on Turkish
See also:soil from the tyranny of the boyars or nobles: the departmentof 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
See also:Vlachs," who speak Rumanian, and the Hellenized Karakatchans or " black shepherds " (compare the Morlachs, or Mavro-vlachs, .taupoi Aka, 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
See also:Indian speech . They live in the utmost poverty, occupy separate cantonments in the villages, and are treated as outcasts by the
See also: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
See also:cast of features occasionally asserts itself in the central Balkans . The
See also:face is generally
See also:oval, the
See also:nose straight, the
See also:jaw somewhat heavy . The men, as a rule, are rather below middle height, compactly built, and, among the peasantry, very
See also: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
See also:quick-witted than the Greeks, less prone to
See also:idealism than the Servians, less
See also:apt to assimilate the externals of
See also: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
See also: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
See also:Albania,
See also:Montenegro and Macedonia, and the use of the
See also: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
See also:agitators, and bloodshed is not uncommon at elections . All classes practise
See also:thrift bordering on parsimony, and any display of wealth is generally resented . The
See also:standard of sexual morality is high, especially in the rural districts; the unfaithful wife is an
See also:object of public contempt, and in former times was punished with death .
See also:Marriage ceremonies are elaborate and protracted, as is the
See also: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
See also:regular
See also:wedding . The principal amusement on Sundays and holidays is the chord (Xop6s), which is danced on the village
See also:green to the strains of the gaida or bagpipe, and the g
See also:Isla, a rudimentary
See also:fiddle . The Bulgarians are religious in a
See also: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
See also:vampire and the evil
See also:eye; witches and necromancers are numerous and are much consulted . Government.—Bulgaria is a constitutional
See also:monarchy; by Art. iii. of the Berlin Treaty it was declared hereditary in the family of a
See also:prince " freely elected by the population and
See also:con-firmed by the
See also:Sublime Porte with the assent of the
See also:powers." According to the constitution of Trnovo, voted by the
See also:Assembly of Notables on the 29th of
See also: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
See also:king must profess the Orthodox faith, only the first elected
See also:sovereign and his immediate
See also:heir being released from this
See also:obligation . The legislative power is vested in the king in conjunction with the 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
See also:representation is embodied in the Sobranye, or ordinary assembly (Bulgarian, Siibranie, 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
See also:suffrage, in the proportion of 1 to 20,000 of the population, for a term of five years . Every Bulgarian
See also:citizen who can read and write and has completed his thirtieth year is eligible as a
See also: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, tosanction a
See also:change .in the constitution, or to ratify an alteration in the boundaries of the kingdom . The executive is entrusted to a
See also:cabinet of eight members—the ministers of foreign affairs and
See also:religion, finance,
See also:justice, public works, the interior, commerce and agriculture, education and war . Local administration, which is organized on the Belgian
See also:model, is under the control of the
See also:minister of the interior . The country is divided into twenty-two departments (okrug, p1. okruzi), each administered by a
See also:prefect (uprdvitel), assisted by a departmental council, and eighty-four sub-prefectures (okolia), each under a sub-prefect (okoliiski natchdinik) . The number of these functionaries is excessive . The four principal towns have each in addition a prefect of
See also:police (gradonaichalnik) 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),
See also:urban or rural, has its kmet, or mayor, and council; the commune is bound to maintain its
See also:primary schools, a public library or
See also:reading-
See also: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 .
See also:civil and penal codes are, for the most part, based on the Ottoman law . While the principality formed a portion of the Turkish
See also:empire, the privileges of the
See also:capitulations were guaranteed to foreign subjects (Berlin Treaty, Art. viii.) . The lowest civil and criminal
See also: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 depart-
See also:mental 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
See also:judges are aided by three assessors chosen by
See also:lot from an annually prepared
See also:panel of forty-eight persons . Three courts of
See also:appeal sit respectively at Sofia, Rustchuk and Philippopolis . The highest tribunal is the court of cassation, sitting at Sofia, and composed of a
See also:president, two
See also:vice-presidents and nine judges . There is also a high court of
See also:audit (vrkhovna smetna palata), similar to the French tour des comptes . The judges are poorly paid and are removable by the government . In regard to questions of marriage,
See also:divorce and
See also:inheritance the Greek, Mahommedan and Jewish communities enjoy their own spiritual jurisdiction . Army and
See also:Navy.—The organization of the military forces of the principality was undertaken by Russian
See also:officers, who for a period of six years (1879-1885) occupied all the higher posts in the army . In Eastern Rumelia during the same period the " militia " was instructed by foreign officers; after the union it was merged in the Bulgarian army .
The present organization ,is based on the law of the .tat of January 1904 . The.army consistsof: (1) the active or
See also:field army (deisivuyushta armia), divided into (i.) the active army, (ii.) the active army reserve; (2) the reserve army (reservna armia); (3) the opltchenie or militia; the two former may operate outside the kingdom, the latter only within the frontier for purposes of defence . In time of peace the active army (i.) alone is on a permanent footing . The peace strength in 1905 was 2500 officers, 48,200 men and 8000 horses, the active army being composed of 9 divisions of
See also:infantry, each of 4 regiments, 5 regiments of cavalry together with 12 squadrons attached to the infantry divisions, 9 regiments of
See also:artillery each of 3 groups of 3 batteries, together with 2 groups of mountain artillery, each of 3 batteries, and 3 battalions of
See also:siege artillery; 9 battalions of
See also:engineers with 1 railway and
See also:balloon section and 1 bridging section . At the same date the army was locally distributed in nine divisional areas with headquarters at Sofia, Philippopolis, Sliven, Shumla, Rustchuk, Vratza, Plevna, Stara-Zagora and Dupnitza, the divisional area being subdivided into four districts, from each of which one regiment of four battalions was recruited and completed with reservists . In case of mobilization each of the nine areas would furnish 20,106 men (16,000 infantry, 1200 artillery, 1000 engineers, 300 divisional cavalry and 16o6 transport and hospital services, &c.) . The war strength thus amounted to 180,954 of the active army and its reserve, exclusive of the five regiments of cavalry . In addition the 36 districts each furnished 3 battalions of the reserve army and one
See also:battalion of opltchenie, or 144,000 infantry, which with the cavalry regiments (3000 men) and the reserves of artillery, engineers, divisional cavalry, &c . (about 1o,000), would .bring the grand total in time of war to about 338,000 officers and men with 18,000 horses . The men of the reserve battalions are drafted into the active army as occasion requires, but the militia serves as a separate force . Military service is obligatory, but Moslems may claim exemption on payment of £20; the age of recruitment in time of peace is nineteen, in time of war eighteen . Each conscript serves two years in the infantry and subsequently eight years in the active reserve, or three years in the other
See also:corps and six years in the active reserve; he is then liable to seven years' service in the reserve army and finally passes into the opltchenie .
The Bulgarian peasant makes an admirable soldier—courageous, obedient, persevering, and inured to hardship ; the officers are painstaking and devoted to their duties . The active army and reserve, with the exception of the engineer regiments, are furnished with the •315" Mannlicher
See also:magazine
See also:rifle, the engineer and militia with the Berdan; the artillery in 1905 mainly consisted of 8.7- and 7.5-cm .
See also:Krupp guns (field) and 6.5 cm . Krupp (mountain), 12 cm . Krupp and 15 em . Creuzot (Schneider) howitzers, 15 cm . Krupp and 12 cm . Creuzot siege guns, and 7.5 cm . Creuzot quick-firing guns; total of all description, 1154 . Defensive works were constructed at various strategical points near the frontier and elsewhere, and at Varna and Burgas . The
See also:naval force consisted of a flotilla stationed at Rustchuk and Varna, where a canal connects Lake Devno with the sea . It was composed in 1so5 of 1 prince's yacht, 1 armoured cruiser, 3 gunboats, 3
See also:torpedo boats and to other small vessels, with a complement of 107 officers and 1231 men .
Religion.—The Orthodox Bulgarian National
See also:Church claims to be an indivisible member of the Eastern Orthodox communion, and asserts historic continuity with the autocephalous Bulgarian church of the middle ages . It was, however, declared schismatic by the Greek
See also:patriarch of Constantinople in 1872, although differing in no point of
See also:doctrine from the Greek Church . The Exarch, or supreme head of the Bulgarian Church, resides at Constantinople; he enjoys the title of " Beatitude " (negovo Blazhenstvo), receives an annual subvention of about £600o from the kingdom, and exercises jurisdiction over the Bulgarian hierarchy in all parts of the Ottoman empire . The exarch is elected by the Bulgarian episcopate, the
See also:Holy
See also:Synod, and a general assembly (obshti sbor), in which the laity is represented; their choice, before the declaration of Bulgarian independence, was subject to the sultan's approval . The occupant of the dignity is titular metropolitan of a Bulgarian
See also:diocese . The organization of the church within the principality was regulated by
See also:statute in 1883 . There are eleven eparchies or dioceses in the country, each administered by a metropolitan with a diocesan council; one diocese has also a
See also:suffragan
See also:bishop . Church government is vested in the Holy Synod, consisting of four metropolitans, which assembles once a year . The laity take part in the election of metropolitans and
See also:parish priests, only the " black
See also:clergy," or monks, being eligible for the episcopate . All ecclesiastical appointments are subject to the approval of the government . There are 2Io6 parishes (eporii) in the kingdom with 9 archimandrites, 1936 parish priests and 21 deacons, 78 monasteries with 184 monks, and 12 convents with 346 nuns . The celebrated monastery of Rila possesses a vast
See also:estate in the Rilska Planina; its
See also:abbot or hegumen owns no spiritual
See also:superior but the exarch .
Ecclesiastical affairs are under the control of the minister of publicworship; the clergy of all denominations are paid by the state, being
See also:free, however, to accept fees for baptisms, marriages, burials, the administering of oaths, &c . The census of January 1901 gives 3,019,999 persons of the Orthodox faith (including 66,635 Patriarchist Greeks), 643,300 Mahommedans, 33,663 Jews, 28,569 Catholics, 13,809 Gregorian Armenians, 4524 Protestants and 419 whose religion is not stated . The Greek Orthodox community has four metropolitans dependent on the patriarchate . The Mahommedan community is rapidly diminishing; it is organized under 16 muftis who with their assistants receive a subvention from the government . The Catholics, who have two bishops, are for the most part the descendants of the
See also:medieval
See also:Paulicians; they are especially numerous in the neighbourhood of Philippopolis and Sistova . The Armenians have one bishop . The Protestants are mostly Methodists; since 1857 Bulgaria has been a special field of activity for
See also:American Methodist missionaries, who have established an important school at Samakov . The Berlin Treaty (Art . V.) forbade religious disabilities in regard to the enjoyment of civil and political rights, and guaranteed the free exercise of all religions . Education.—No educational system existed in many of the rural districts before 1878; the peasantry was sunk in ignorance, and the older generation remained totally illiterate . In the towns the schools were under the superintendence of the Greek clergy, and Greek was the language of instruction . The first Bulgarian school was opened at Gabrovo in 1835 by the patriots Aprilov and Neophyt Rilski .
After the Crimean War, Bulgarian schools began to appear in the villages of the Balkans and the south-eastern districts . The
See also:children of the wealthier class were generally educated abroad . The American institution of Robert
See also:College on the
See also:Bosporus rendered an invaluable service to the newly created state by providing it with a number of well-educated young men fitted for positions of responsibility . In 1878, after the liberation of the country, there were 1658 schools in the towns and villages . Primary education was declared obligatory from the first, but the scarcity of properly qualified teachers and the lack of all requisites proved serious impediments to educational organization . The government has made great efforts and incurred heavy expenditure for the spread of education; the satisfactory results obtained are largely due to the ' keen
See also:desire for learning which exists among the people . The present educational system dates from 1891 . Almost all the villages now possess " national " (narodni) primary schools, maintained by the communes with the aid of a state subvention and supervised by departmental and district inspectors . The state also assists a large number of Turkish primary schools . The penalties foe non-attendance are not very rigidly enforced, and it has been found necessary to close the schools in the rural districts during the summer, the children being required for labour in the fields . The age for primary instruction is six to ten years; in 189o, 47.01 % of the boys and 16.11 % of the girls attended the primary schools; in 1898, 85 % of the boys and 4o % of the girls . In 1904. there were 4344 primary schools, of which 3060 were " national," or communal, and 1284 denominational (Turkish, Greek, Jewish, &c.), attended by 340,668 pupils, representing a proportion of 9.1 per
See also:hundred inhabitants .
In addition to the primary schools, 4o infant schools for children of 3 to 6 years of age were attendedby 2707 pupils . In 1888 only 327,766 persons, or I I % of the population, were literate; in 1893 the proportion rose to 19.88 %; in 190I to239% . In the system of secondary education the distinction between the classical and " real " or special course of study is maintained as in most European countries; in 1904 there were 175 secondary schools and 18 gymnasia (to for boys and 8 for girls) . In addition to these there are 6 technical and 3 agricultural schools; 5 of pedagogy, I theological, I commercial, I of forestry, r ofdesign, 1 for surgeons' assistants, and a large military school at Sofia . Government aid is given to students of limited means, both for secondary education and the completion of their studies abroad . The university of Sofia, formerly known as the "high school," was reorganized in 1904; it comprises 3 faculties (
See also:philology,
See also:mathematics and law), and possesses a
See also:staff of 17 professors and 25 lecturers . The number of students in 1905 was 943 .
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- Publisher: 2K Games
- Release Date: Jun 19, 2012
User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 409 Ratings
User score distribution:
Positive: 333 out of 409
Mixed: 28 out of 409
Negative: 48 out of 409
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Jun 20, 2012Managed to breathe life into a nearly dead game. The religion and Spy system made the game a lot more fun to play. The religion was entertaining to observe as multiple countries would send ministers to others and spread their religion like a plague. It was like a silent war. It has diplomatic repercussions of course, as many don't like me going into their town and preaching. The spy system was exciting and fun at first, but quickly died out. It's still a very useful tool, and you really need it to prevent attacks and such, but it wasn't very fun after a while. It got rather annoying that other countries would always steal your city state with their spy and there is nothing you can really do about it, as there is no way to fight another spy in a city-state. The new civs were interesting to learn, and I enjoy most of them over the original provided ones. The new scenarios were shockingly fun, where as the old ones always seemed very dull. The new units made the game a lot more competitive, making that small lead in technology really pay off rather than everyone having the same units 4-5 branches behind you. The water battles were far more fun and required a lot more work and strategy than before. I used to never use naval units unless it's required, but now I can't live without them. It's really fun. I love the new wonders, and technologies as well. All these additions certainly drag on the game on a lot longer, but it's more worthwhile and less dull.… Expand
Jun 20, 2012After 6 hours of gameplay, I can say that I am satisfied with Gods and Kings. It may not be perfect, but it takes an "ok" game and make it a good one. I even find the religion thing as a whole better than it was in Civ 4. The level of customization for your civilization is great. Its not just more gold and happiness anymore. They also made slight changes to the tech tree, making it harder to get Civil Service with the Great Library. Diplomacy is enhanced and the AI is better at waging wars. Maybe my mind is playing me but it seems that the espionage stuff is more like Civ 3 than Civ 4, which I find a little bit disappointing. I prefer the spy as a unit on the map, discovering blurred tiles and acting on the field, not only in cities. But nevertheless, I am looking forward to test it at a lan party with my friends this weekend.… Expand
Jun 19, 2012To start this off: I am a HUGE Civ fan. I listen to Civ podcasts all the time, i watch let's plays and I have over 500 hours in Civ 4 and 700 in Civ 5. I am a civ nut. If you don't like Civ 5 this probably won't change anything for you and I highly doubt anything ever will, honestly. But if you do like Civ 5 this expansions is great. So far I've played it almost 10 hours playing 3 games with 3 different Civ's. The new religion is really cool and offers a lot of diversity to how you play the game. It really opens up a ton of strategies that weren't possible before. The espionage system, sadly, is not as cool. It's still alright because it allows you to do some unorthodox strategies that you simply wouldn't have been able to do before espionage, but ultimately it is very shallow. The new units and combat revamp add a lot of life and depth back into war and the city state changes were all around a huge upgrade. Definitely get this if you like Civ 5, it will make you fall in love again because of all the new strategies you are able to do.… Expand
Jun 22, 2012My history with Civ: I have played all Civ series and Alpha centauri.
After first playing Civ V I thought it wasn't good enough of a series for the masterpiece Civ IV was. There were a lot of bugs, balance issues and a wierd diplomacy system. But after spending some time to understand it I begun to think that it has more tactical value than IV because of the combat system. It reminds me of Panzer general in some way. The expansion addresses a whole lot of issues that the Vanilla had: - great improvement in the AI (it will no longer just walk into the range of my units, also combines his units in a good manner) - Diplomacy far more intelligible - RA spam is no more - Open border selling span is gone because now you need an embassy and it comes later into the tech tree - Religion is far less passive than in IV and has a lot more diversity - City states are no more easily bought with money but you really need to do quests now.
Over all i think the developers really tried to balance it and listened to the community. I hope more people will try it out… Expand
Gods and Kings is a true expansion pack, not a minor DLC as we keep having from other games.
The expansion really adds to the game, giving you a bunch of new features to play with, and it makes the strategy-setting more complex and, in result, better. The features include not only the religion, but also new civilizations, units, wonders, the expanded diplomacy... It really improves the game!
In regard to the price, I think that 24 dollars may be a little too much for an expansion, as you can buy a lot of full games for that price, so I'd wait for some sale (like Black Friday) to get it with a good discount.
But it is definitely worth it.… Collapse
Oct 16, 2012Until last week, I'd never played a Civ game. What was I thinking??? To be quite blunt, the poor user scores confuse the life out of me. I've played some seriously poor games in recent years, yet this ranks right at the top of the good (if not great) games. It offers so much entertainment and scale that only a PC game could offer. I've seen screen shots of Civ games in the past and thought 'Jesus that looks intimidating'. But the reality is quite different (from my point of view at least). The game gives you as much hand holding as you need to find your wings, then it's up to you to experiment with tactics. I love the TW (Total War) games and this kinda resembles the overview map mode game play, which ticks so many boxes for me. It builds upon the all the features I enjoy from TW and adds so much more to the mix. I've had sleepless nights and waking hours considering the best plan of action and this is with just one starting faction! This game has legs and I can see why so many people praise the Civ series. People have passion for Civ 4 and criticize Civ 5 for missing/failing to extend the experience. Having no frame of reference, I can't comment. All I can say is if you haven't played a games from this series and fancy giving it a go, Civ 5 has the ability to change your gaming outlook on turn based strategy. It's a shining example of why gaming is so special. A perfect score from me.… Expand
Jun 22, 2012This expansion wasn't intended to "fix" these features of the game you didn't enjoy, but rather add and implement new features into the game and they did it quite well. Every review I saw below was from people that disliked the original Civilization V, so how could they even like the expansion? If you enjoyed Civ V, then you'll love Gods & Kings. It adds some variety to the formula you've been tiring yourself on for hundreds of hours over the course of two years. It breathes new life into the game, and i foresee myself staying up until 3 AM once again, playing this game. Now, the espionage feature is a bit lacking, very limited, but its intended to make it possible to redeem yourself from a slow start. This feature is more of a sympathy thing with a few perks in between. Now, Religion is where it gets interesting. With faith you can produce any of the other resources like gold or culture, to add a new twist on how to receive these items. this is ultimately effective and plays off well. So, like I said above, if you loved Civ V, then you'll love the expansion. If you didn't like Civ V, you won't like the expansion... It's as easy as that.… Expand
Jun 21, 2012Overall a great edition to the series, but about ten dollars overpriced. Even with all it's overhauls and additions, I don't think that the publisher has much legitimacy to charge anything more than $25 or $20 (not sure what the dev costs where but I doubt they were enormous). Unless you're a big MP fan, wait till this goes on sale. Now content... Religion and Espionage have been integrated quite well but don't feel very satisfying as they probably should (still better than magically founding religions in Civ4 though). I like the faith system, it's simple yet varied, as well as the complex spy actions. One of the nicer changes I think is the naval combat, now with Great Admirals, more ship types and greater bombardment power. Taking a City-State by pummeling it with frigates and then sweeping in with privateers to storm it's docks is a very satisfying feeling. New Civs and music are awesome and fresh, adding a great deal of variety to the game-play and audio pleasure. As far as AI goes, I don't see much of a difference, although, it does seem more organized and a bit more buffed so good enough I suppose. The new tech tree is fantastic, it feels much more realistic and intuitive than the previous one and allows for a much more interesting modern and ancient ages as far as wars go (composite bowman, Gatling/machine guns, WWI Units etc.) Don't worry too much about re-balancing, there's not too much and not too little if you know what I mean. Bottom-line, if you're a hardcore fan or a big MP player, buy it! If you're a causal player or unsure, wait till it goes on sale. Don't miss it though, for me it pretty much completes the game, though the edition of corporations and space exploration would satisfy my last wishes for content. This is definitely a great step forward from clunky and easily-cheapened Civ4 (although, it will always be a classic, and a good one at that). Happy Ruling.… Expand
Jul 10, 2012My love for the Civilization series started as a kid playing the first Civilization on my Amiga. I've seen features appear and disappear trough the various installments, but never did so many features go missing as it did between the forth and fifth game. Therefore I was excited when this expansion was announced, as it was bringing back espionage and religion, two things that had in fact been introduced in an expansion to Civilization 4. The question; Is it worth buying something that maybe should have been included from the start? In short, YES! This expansion adds another layer of strategy to the game, and also fixes some of the imbalances in the tech tree and dominant strategies. Also worth mentioning is the 9 interesting new nations that are focused on either city states or the new religion mechanic "faith". There are also a bunch of new units that "plugs" the gap between the late 19th century and the start of the 20th century. All in all, a great expansion to an already great game!… Expand
Aug 30, 2012The new expansion turns Civilization 5 into a modern, improved version of Civilization 4.
That is, overall, a good thing.
It is a real shame that we have to pay for what should have been in the first place.
Civilization 5 is an absolute blast to play, I must admit.
Nov 29, 2012After the release of Gods and Kings, Civ V has become one of the best turned-based strategy games of all time. Don't listen to the Civ III and IV fans who complained about this game earlier. It's a fantastic game. The only cons of this game as of the latest update is that this game requires a high powered pc to play on higher settings, and the game is almost too addicting! ;) ***ALSO, IF YOU GAVE THIS GAME A 0, YOU ARE AN IDIOT, PERIOD. UNLESS THE GAME ABSOLUTELY DIDN'T WORK, A ZERO IS NOT WARRANTED. METACRITIC NEEDS TO REMOVE THE ABILITY TO GIVE ZEROS TO KEEP IMMATURE CHILDREN FROM RUINING THE INTEGRITY OF USER REVIEW SCORES.***… Expand
Nov 17, 2012Game is outstanding like all games from Sid Meier. Innovations brings new solutions and also brings something new in this serie. The only minus is no religion and espionage.
Jun 26, 2012Civ5 was a disappointment, but since then with the patches and DLC's, and now with this expansion, the game is finally standing up as an alternative to Civ4 BtS. Religion and espionage is revamped for the better. Religion now give you options to help you toward your victory goals and not as boring as it was in Civ4. On the other hand, espionage is now done in 1 screen but the simplicity make spying more streamlined. Many bugs was fixed, and exploits was taken care of in the policy trees and tech tree. AI's diplomacy has improved a lot, and the new combat system is getting better. They also changed the little things to make the gaming experience easier. For example, units gifted by city states are put right at your city so you don't have to walk them around anymore. Also AI's come up to you to renew open border and trade deals. Overall, all the devs efforts on Civ5 up until now deserve a 10 from me.… Expand
Jul 31, 2012One of the best strategy games of all times !
Highly addictive, great quality, the only problem I can find in this game is that once you start playing it, you just can't leave it alone
Aug 2, 2012A solid expansion, well worth the cash. Should it have come with the game at release? Probably, but it's probably better they waited and sorted out the bugs so we'd have it to play in the meantime. Religion was very well integrated, better than in IV. The espionage is a nice touch, doesn't take up too much time per turn but your decisions are very important (much like a lot of Civ V's aspects). Nice additions to the tech tree, definitely more balanced. To all the people whining about long turn times and glitchy multiplayer, I have yet to experience any of these issues. Get a better internet service provider, or just get a better plan cause I have yet to drop a game with this expansion. As for the game chugging, upgrade your computer or try overclocking a bit, mine runs smooth as a whistle on max settings AND online. Noobs are still just angry cause they can't stack anymore lol. It's pure strategic bliss. Get it and your weekend will go by wayy too quickly.… Expand
Sep 21, 2012This is a great expansion for Civ 5. It makes the game a lot better. It adds new technologies, balances the social policy tree and adds religion to the game. If you liked Civ 5 this expansion is a mus have. If you did not like Civ 5 you will not like this expansion either.
Mar 20, 2013This game is like freaking crack cocaine. Hell, worse than that. It's so god damn addicting it's ridiculous. It's multiplayer just makes matters worse. In less than a week I've clocked 25 hours, and that's only because I could control myself and take breaks every now and then. DO NOT play if you have something else to do.
Jun 26, 2012Being a loyal Civ fan since the beginning, I played five games of the original Civ V. The warfare system was vastly improved, but the economy was well-out of balance, there were some bugs, and--for me at least--it lacked intricacy that needed to be there to flesh things out. Civilization: Gods & Kings improves a lot with the original. The economy is vastly improved and better balanced (mainly due to the addition of "belief benefits"), with the religion aspect adding a great deal of detail to what was previously a little too basic.
Added to this, new units are inserted, AND they are inserted with some measure so that they improve the balance of warfare rather than overwhelming it. The addition of an Admiral was also a nice tack-on.
The spy system is the one thing I am disappointed with in this game. It feels clunky and isolated from the rest of the game--perhaps because it is. Admittedly, it does add just a little bit more complexity alongside the rest of the expansion, and this all goes towards improving Civ V significantly.… Expand
Dec 5, 2012Playing on a huge map with friends (if you want a long game you can disable all other victory types but domination and enable complete kills), the lush terrain which makes the game pleasing to look at, the hexagon grid forcing everyone to move naturally and making combat more tactical - it actually feels like you're playing a board game on a massive scale (The Campaign for North Africa anyone?), city population slowly increasing, cultural borders slowly filling out the land, religions slowly spreading and their effects being noticed in the later game, the tech tree slowly being explored, everyone beginning to diverge into their victory path and unique gaming style, the endless combinations possible with 30+ civilizations and the tons of terrain options available... God I love this game. It's nothing but number crunching/ bit mining (I don't know what to call it), it's like nurturing a plant that you've sowed. I think turn-based strategy games should be this intuitive and easy to grasp - like chess (just learn how each of the six pieces move and the concept of check and checkmate, and you're set for ~10^120 unique games of chess). I never seriously played Civ IV because it was hideous to look at (although I do miss the narration by Spock and the classical music... but I could do without the things I thought were stupid from my limited play of the game: how your city would riot if you took a different tech path or something like that) or any of the other previous Civs. Before anyone calls me a casual I'll have you know that I also enjoy games like Crusader Kings II and Dwarf Fortress which I do think are more complicated and deeper than any Civ game.… Expand
Mar 14, 2013The wonderful thing about this expansion is that even though it feels a bit light by "expansion" standards, the civs that are introduced with it make the game so much more colorful. The longer you play against these new civs, the more ingrained their personalities and tendencies become in your strategy. It's still not perfect, as diplomacy is still broken. Adding more civs to a broken diplomacy system just makes me more angry, but I can look past that...I usually get my way in the end. Religion feels unnecessary, but ultimately fun to use as a domineering dictator! Espionage (the use of spies) is a slow, drawn-out mechanic and can vary up diplomatic relationships, but ultimately doesn't impact the end-game. If you are a fan of Civ 5 and find yourself coming back to start new games over and over, buy this expansion. I can't imagine playing Civ 5 without it now that I've purchased it.… Expand
Mar 29, 2013A few questionable design choices exist here and there, like the social policies being completely flat bonuses, but overall, it's a very fun game that's easy to get into and hard to master.
Gods and Kings is a true expansion pack, not a minor DLC as we keep having from other games.
The expansion really adds to the game, giving you a bunch of new features to play with, and it makes the strategy-setting more complex and, in result, better. The features include not only the religion, but also new civilizations, units, wonders, the expanded diplomacy... It really improves the game!
In regard to the price, I think that 24 dollars may be a little too much for an expansion, as you can buy a lot of full games for that price, so I'd wait for some sale (like Black Friday) to get it with a good discount.
But it is definitely worth it.… Collapse
Aug 3, 2012An expansion with focus on religion. It features many well needed changes.
Aug 1, 2012Gods & Kings adds some fun and interesting things to the game, but leaves the core gameplay intact. While none of the additions tries to revolutionize the Civilization V formula, each of them still manages to improve it, which makes Gods & Kings a good catch for those already hooked on the basic game.
Jul 31, 2012The rarest of all expansions: the one that's better than its base game. [Aug 2012, p.58]


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Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine eggs yogurt and oil; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Fill greased muffin cups three-fourths full.
For topping, combine sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs; sprinkle about 1 tablespoon over each muffin.
Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.


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Check out Six More INTERSTELLAR Images; Film Will Be Christopher Nolan's Longest Yet
by Matt Goldberg Posted 59 days ago
Yesterday, we saw six new Interstellar images, and today we have six more. The movie stars Matthew McConaughey and involves a team of explorers who come across a wormhole to "surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage." These images come from Empire's iPad edition, and remind us that McConaughey and Anne Hathaway's characters aren't the only astronauts in the movie.
Hit the jump to check out the Interstellar images and learn about the movie's runtime. The film opens in 2D and IMAX on November 7th, and also stars Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, Michael Caine, David Oyelowo, Wes Bentley, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn, Topher Grace, David Gyasi, Mackenzie Foy, Bill Irwin, Timothée Chalamet and Matt Damon.


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O.T. Genasis f. Busta Rhymes & French Montana
"Touchdown (Remix)"
The official video for O.T. Genasis' "Touchdown (Remix)," featuring French Montana and heavy hitter Busta Rhymes, is currently available for viewing pleasure.
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