This survey of Bulgaria traces its history form the liberation from the Ottoman Empire to 1985.

Bulgaria is a country of extraordinary beauty, with high, wild mountains and gentle valleys, and with picturesque cities and idyllic villages. It’s bordered by Romania, Serbia Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, and the Black Sea. After many years of communist rule, Bulgaria adopted a democratic constitution and began the process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Bulgaria covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Bulgaria.

Tracing the evolution of the Bulgarian state and its people, from the beginning of the Bulgarian national revival in the middle of the nineteenth century to the entry of the country into the European Union, Richard Crampton examines key political, social, and economic developments, revealing the history of a country which evolved from a backward and troublesome Balkan state to become a modern European nation. The formation of the first modern Bulgarian state in 1878 played a major role in Bulgaria's evolution, determining its stance in the two World Wars. Seeing the collapse as well as the establishment and evolution of communist rule, Bulgaria survived an often painful journey from monolithic authoritarianism to representative democracy and the market system. This book follows this journey, and analyses the development of Bulgaria's political culture, examining the emergence of radical movements, both agrarian and socialist, as well as looking at the role of religion and the position of minorities. Crampton highlights the problems and dilemmas created by the country's position situated between east and west, problems which might not be entirely solved by the country's admission to the EU.

This book provides a general overview of the daily life in a vast empire which contained numerous ethnic, linguistic, and religious communities. The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic imperial monarchy that existed for over 600 years. At the height of its power in the 16th and 17th centuries, it encompassed three continents and served as the core of global interactions between the east and the west. And while the Empire was defeated after World War I and dissolved in 1920, the far-reaching effects and influences of the Ottoman Empire are still clearly visible in today's world cultures. Daily Life in the Ottoman Empire allows readers to gain critical insight into the pluralistic social and cultural history of an empire that ruled a vast region extending from Budapest in Hungary to Mecca in Arabia. Each chapter presents an in-depth analysis of a particular aspect of daily life in the Ottoman Empire.

The communist regime in Bulgaria was perhaps the most stable in Eastern Europe and its demise was brought about only by the general collapse of the Soviet bloc. In the light of this, what is surprising about the country's transitions to democracy and a market economy is not that it has been uneven but that it has proceeded without fundamental disruptions and is now showing some signs of consolidation. The two-party system that emerged from the round-table negotiations in 1990 has survived remarkably intact although the parties within it have undergone considerable transformations. The institutions of democracy have often been misused but have shown their ability to survive in crisis situations. After a dismal record of macroeconomic mismanagement, the establishment of a currency board has brought stability to the country's economy, and the long-delayed structural reform is finally off the ground. Having survived the trials of transition, Bulgaria is now faced with the more difficult task of adapting its political and economic institutions to the requirements of future EU membership.

The Concise Encyclopedia Of World History Offers The Global Reading Public, Students, And Professors A Handy, Complete, And Accurate Guide To All Political Formations Since The Beginning Of History. It Reaches Into Pre-History Through The Inclusion Of The Important Families Of Languages Spoken Today. It Also Tracks Ethnic Groups, Especially Nomadic, Which Have Been Influential In The Creation Of Civilizations And States. The Entries On Existing Independent States Include Up-To-Date Political Facts And Statistics. They Mention Each Country S World Heritage Sites. To Complement The Individual Entries In This Encyclopedia, There Is An Extensive, Commentated World-Historical Chronology. A Special Feature In This Work Is The Inclusion Of Individual Political Chronologies For Ancient Civilizations And Important Countries And Regions The World Over. To Round Out This Easy-To-Consult And Thoroughly Researched Work, There Is A Cross-Referenced Index Especially Designed For Provinces, Cities, And Other Entities Which Have No Entries Of Their Own But Appear In The Entries, Sometimes Prominently, As, For Example, Abu Dhabi In The United Arab Emirates Or Amritsar In India.