Bulgaria - Palgrave Connect

ARKA AND POPULATION 1143
2. Minister of the Interior ; 3. Minister of Public Instruction ; 4. Minister
of Finance ; 5. Minister of Justice; 6. Minister of War; 7. Minister for
Commerce and Agriculture ; 8. Minister of Public Works, Ways and Communications.
There is an Imperial Ottoman Commissioner of Vakufs resident in
Bulgaria.
Area and Population.
The estimated area of the Principality of Bulgaria proper is 24,380 English
square miles, and of South Bulgaria (or Eastern Rumelia) 13,700 square miles.
By a census taken on January 1, 1893, the population of the whole Principality
was ascertained to be 3,310,713; the population of Eastern Rumelia being
998,431. Bulgaria has been redivicled into 22 districts (including the six
districts of Eastern Rumelia). The population, divided according to language
and race, was as follows in 1893 : 2,505,326 Bulgarians, 569,728 Turks,
62,628 Rumanians, 58,518 Greeks, 52,132 Gipsies, 27,531 Spanish speaking
Jews, 16,290 Tartars, 6,445 Armenians, 3,620 Germans and Austrians, 1,221
Albanians, 928 Russians, 905 Czechs, 818 Servians, 803 Italians, and 3,820
not specified. The present capital of the Principality is the city of Sofia,
with a population of 46,593. The other principal towns are Philippopolis
(capital of Eastern Rumelia), 41,068; Rustchuk, 37,174; Varna, 28,171;
Tirnovo (the ancient capital of Bulgaria), 25,295 ; Gornia Orehovitsa, 25,013 ;
Shumla, 23,517 ; Slivno, 23,210; Plevna, 23,178; Tatar Pazarjik, 22,056 ;
Razgrad, 21,551 ; Vidin, 20,944 ; Orehovo, 20,054. The movement of population
in the principality in five years has been :—
Years
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
Marriages
26,640
31,230
29,199
29,227
28,232
Living
births
127,516
138,338
143,255
149,631
141,046
Stillbirths
690
767
755
890
Eeligion and Instruction.
Deaths
92,037
90,210
84,076
90,134
82,725
Surplus of
births
35,479
48,128
59,179
59,497
58,321
The national faith is that of the Orthodox Greek Church, though, in 1870,
in consequence of its demand for and acceptance of religious autonomy, the
Bulgarian Church was declared by the Patiiarch of Constantinople to be
outside the Orthodox communion. The church is governed by the Synod
of Bishops. An Exarch, resident at Constantinople, chosen by the Synod
with the approval of the Sultan, dispenses ecclesiastical patronage as
directed by the Synod and the parishes of the various dioceses, the approval
of the Government being required for each nomination. There are 12
Erarchies or Bishoprics. The clergy, both Orthodox and of other religious
Wlies are raid by the State and also receive fees for services Ut burials,
rarriaaes &c Of the population in 1893, 2,606,786 belonged to the Orthodox
Greek Church 643,258 were Mahomedans, 28,307 were Jews, 22,617 were
Catholics, 6,643 Armenian Gregorians, 2,384 Protestants
There is a university (ecole sup«5rieure) at bona, with three faculties—
History and Philology, Physics and Mathematics, and Law. In 1899-1900 it
was attended by 409 students, and there were 42 professors and lecturers.
The schools in 1898-99 were as shown in the following tabular statement:—
10.1057/9780230270305 - The Statesman's Year-Book, Edited by John Scott-Keltie
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