BULGARIA

[s. 139] : A country of the Balkan Peninsula, forming an autonomous principality under It is the suzerainty of the Sultan of Turkey. bounded on the north by Rumania, on the east by the Black Sea, on the south by European TurIt is divided by key, and on the west by Servia. the Balkan Mountains into two parts: Bulgaria proper on the north and South Bulgaria or East Are a ern Rumelia on the south of that range. of the whole, 38,080 square miles. Except along the Balkan Mountains, which traverse the whole principality from east to west, The climate is temthe country is a vast plain. The plains are hot in summer, and perate. along the Danube there is much malaria, but the highlands are healthy. The higher mountains have snow on their peaks the greater part of the year. The census of 1900 gives a total population of 3,733,189. The Bulgarians are descendants of the Slavs who inhabited the Balkan Peninsula in the 7th In the second half of the 9th century century. (860-64) Christianity was introduced in Bulgaria, and with it an alphabet was formed and the Scriptures were translated. This was due to SS. Cyril and Method i us, who ’Bulgaria Burma ^re honored even to this day as patron saints by the Bulgarian Church. The Bulgarians belong to the Greek (Orthodox) branch of the Christian Church. Their spiritual head is the Exarch, who resides in Constantinople and has the jurisdiction over the twelve bishop In 1893 the rics into which Bulgaria is divided. members of the (Orthodox) Greek Church numbered 2,606,786, the Mohammedans in the Principality numbered 643,258, the Jews, 28,307; the Roman Catholics, 22,617; the Armenians, 6,643; and the Protestants, 2,384. Of the Mohammedans about 200,000 are Bulgarians in race, language and customs and are known by the distinctive name of Pomaks. The modern Bulgarian language has receded more than any other Slavic dialect from the ancient Slovenic or the ancient Bulgarian. While the latter belongs to the synthetic cla of languages and is rich in cases and other grammatical forms, the modern Bulgarian has lost most of these forms and has become an analytic language, expre ing the relations of cases by prepositions, as in English. The use of the article, which is placed after and not before the word, chiefly distinguishes it from the ancient language and from its cognate Slavic dialects. Special mi ionary work for the Bulgarians in 1857, which has was first organized by the since conducted mi ionary operations in that part of Bulgaria lying N, of the Balkans (which was at that time a province of European Turkey). The field was organized into a Mi ion Conference in 1892. It now has as a working force 1 mi ionary and his wife, 2 unmarried women, and 11 ordained native preachers. Work is carried on in 12 places and the number of church mem It also has a high school bers reported is 234. with 57 scholars. The ABCFM about the same time commenced work for the Bulgarians on the S. of the Balkans. It now has in Bulgaria a working force of 18 mi ionaries, men and women, and 16 ordained native preachers. Its operations extend to 30 places, and the number of church members is reported at 900. A collegiate institute, a theological school, a boarding and high school for girls and a publishing house are maintained at ME Samokov. The BFBS and ABS have provided Bibles for this region and employ colporteurs for their di emination. 140