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YearMaps
Industrial Era1947 CE – 1947 CEPeak: 110,018 km² (1947 CE)

Kingdom of Bulgaria: Map & History

The Tsardom of Bulgaria, also known as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom, commonly known in English as the Kingdom of Bulgaria, or simply Bulgaria, was a constitutional monarchy in Southeastern Europe, which was established on 5 October [O.S.

5.5
Capital: SofiaCapital at 42.70°N, 23.32°EPeak Extent: 110,018 km²Vector Attribution: Cliopatria (CC BY 4.0)Wikidata: Q147909 ↗
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Wikipedia: Kingdom of Bulgaria
Kingdom of Bulgaria historical cartography
State in southeastern Europe from 1908 to 1946

The Tsardom of Bulgaria, also known as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom, commonly known in English as the Kingdom of Bulgaria, or simply Bulgaria, was a constitutional monarchy in Southeastern Europe, which was established on 5 October [O.S. 22 September] 1908, when the Bulgarian state was raised from a principality to a tsardom.

Capital / Seat
Sofia
Common Languages
Bulgarian
Imperial Currency
lev
State Governance
Constitutional monarchy, (1908–1935; 1943–1946)Authoritarian absolute monarchy, (1935–1943) (de facto)
Historical Religion
Eastern Orthodoxy (state religion)
Peak Territory
122134
Key Dynasts / Leaders
Ferdinand I, Boris III
Preceded By
Principality of Bulgaria, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Succeeded By
People's Republic of Bulgaria, Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, Kingdom of Greece
Content & infobox metadata adapted from Wikipedia (Kingdom of Bulgaria)

Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Bulgaria

At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Bulgaria covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.

Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory

Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Bulgaria's borders of that time.

Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.

Kingdom of Bulgaria in Depth

History

Despite the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria (subject to Ottoman suzerainty) in 1878, and the subsequent Bulgarian control over Eastern Rumelia after 1885, there was a substantial Bulgarian population still living under Ottoman rule, particularly in Macedonia and Adrianople. To complicate matters, Serbia and Greece too made claims over parts of Macedonia, while Serbia, as a Slavic nation, also considered Macedonians as belonging to the Serbian nation. Thus began a five-sided struggle for control of these areas which lasted until 1912. In 1903 the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising broke out in Ottoman Macedonia, making war seem likely.

In the Aftermath of the Young Turk Revolution, Ferdinand used the struggles between the Great Powers to break free from Ottoman suzerainty.

Economy

The Bulgarian state at the turn of the 20th century was rural, agrarian, relatively unindustrialised and economically backward nation, in which the economical development hampered by wars and territorial loses. Around 37.8% of the population of about 4.3 million were rural peasants; in 1910, urban dwellers accounted for 19.1% of the total population, a figure that had remained relatively unchanged since Bulgaria had gained independence from Ottoman rule almost 30 years earlier.

The literacy rate was low: in 1900 it was 58% in the capital Sofia, 40% in all other cities and 15% in rural areas.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Bulgaria (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Kingdom of Bulgaria: Key Facts

Key facts about Kingdom of Bulgaria
CapitalSofia
Official languageBulgarian
ReligionBulgarian Orthodox Church
Form of governmentconstitutional monarchy
CurrencyBulgarian lev
Founded1908
Dissolved15 September 1946

Facts from Wikidata Q147909 (CC0).

Kingdom of Bulgaria: Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Kingdom of Bulgaria exist?

The Kingdom of Bulgaria is dated to 1947 CE – 1947 CE, in the Industrial era.

What was the capital of the Kingdom of Bulgaria?

The capital of the Kingdom of Bulgaria was Sofia.

How large was the Kingdom of Bulgaria at its peak?

At its peak in 1947 the Kingdom of Bulgaria covered about 110,018 km².