LE SYMPOSIUM INTERNATIONAL LE LIVRE. LA ROUMANIE. L ...

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share. In Bulgaria, the romanians from timoc and Danube area are not
considered as belonging to a romanian community, but officially they
are Bulgarians. not existing as national minority, it is extremely difficult
to coagulate an elite around the associations, to help the community to
preserve and promote the cultural, linguistic and spiritual romanian values.
the romanians, living in Bulgaria, declare themselves mostly
Bulgarians at census. During the discussions among them and also with
persons from romania they recognize themselves romanians/Vlachs. But
in front of Bulgarian authorities they identify themselves Bulgarians. the
same happen in timoc area from Serbia.
But the romanian identity is obvious in customs and traditions. the
ethno-folkloric area of oltenia is extended across the Danube, in timoc
area. the romanians are autochthonous here, in timoc, receiving in time
the romanians escaped from the estates of the landlords or gone because
of different reasons.
In the census from interwar period and in ethnical maps, the romanians
are shown as an unitary group in timoc Valley, from lom to timoc river.
Beginning with the census in 1934, the romanians disappeared in statistics.
In 2001, in Vidin area were recorded in census 16 romanians and 155
Vlachs. the estimation reaches 37,700 romanians in 2007 (D. lozovanu 17 ).
the population of Vidin area was, in 2001, 120,192 inhabitants (71,966
urban, 48,224 rural). the next census will be taken on 2011, March. But
we believe that in this region there are still 70,000 inhabitants, the massive
loss being caused by migration and the negative birthrate. on an area of
3,033 km 2 the density (inhabitant/km 2 ) is of 39.63 much inferior to the
neighboring counties in romania (dolj – 97.2; Mehedinţi – 62 and olt –
88.8). Beacause other close regions from Bulgaria have a poor density of
population (Montana – 46.81, Vraţa – 58.74, Pleven – 66.72) compared to
the close romanian counties, it could be predicted an afflux of romanian
population in the future, into the border regions of Bulgaria.
Vidin area is poorly populated, the working force migrating towards
the developed countries of europe. the depopulation could be easily
remarked, especially passing through the villages. In many, the schools
are closed, because the small number of the pupils. From 31 villages with
romanian population in majority, school with Bulgarian teaching language
exists but in rabrova village.
17 lozoVAnu, Dorin, Populaţia românească din Peninsula Balcanică. Studiu
uman şi geografic (iaşi, 2008).