Bulgaria has huge opportunities for agriculture. The country is about the same size as Ireland and Wales combined. The soil is fertile almost everywhere, although there are some areas that are hard to farm because the soil has too many stones. Bulgaria has many smaller trees, and its vegetables, fruits, and vineyards are of high quality. There are also many wheat and tobacco fields, and plenty of cattle.
The Peasant Farming System
I’ve already mentioned the work of the peasants. The way they own and use their land is partly a holdover from when the Turks ruled. Under Turkish rule, landowners had to give a tenth of their produce to the Sultan’s tax collectors. If the land was not worked for three years, or if the owner died without heirs, the Sultan would take the land. After Bulgaria’s independence, the state took over this role. Under Turkish rule, peasants paid taxes with goods, but in recent years, the Bulgarian government has tried to make them pay in cash. This has not worked well, because it is easy for peasants to give away part of their harvest, but once they turn it into cash, it is much harder to part with it Customized Tours Bulgaria.
Christian and Muslim Villages
Along the Turkish border, there are villages with both Christian and Muslim people. When Bulgaria became independent, many Turks left for Turkey because they feared revenge for the violence the Bulgarians had suffered under Turkish rule. However, in recent years, many Turks have returned. Today, about three-quarters of a million of the 3.5 million people in Bulgaria are Muslims.
The Pomaks: Bulgarian Muslims
I took a trip into the mountains south of Philippopolis, a region that is mostly unknown in Europe. There, I saw the Pomaks, who are Bulgarian Muslims. Some experts believe the Pomaks might be a separate ethnic group.
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