Changes in the Ethnic and Demographic Profile of the Population in Eastern Stara Planina Region - Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: Southeastern Europe - page 231

Fig. 19.3 Changes in the relative share of the Turkish ethnic group in Eastern Stara planina region
in the period between 1965 and 2001 (in percentage points): I. Increase . 1 - 0-5; 2 - 5-10; 3 - 10-
15; 4 - more than 15; II. Decrease . 5 - 0-15
through the observed period, which eventually led to transforming some settlements
from Bulgarian-Turkish into Turkish-Bulgarian (Fig. 19.3 ).
19.3 The Bulgarian and the Roma Ethnic Groups
In the beginning of the period, the number of ethnic Bulgarians inhabiting the
Eastern Stara planina region was 131,000 people, which was around 60% of the
population. The last census of 2001 showed that their number had been reduced
by 38,000 and had fallen to approximately 93,000 people, which was only 70%
of the number registered in 1965. The share of Bulgarians, therefore, was reduced
from 60 to 47% of total population of the region. Nevertheless, Bulgarians remained
the largest ethnic group in that traditionally mixed region of the country. However,
while in the beginning of the observed period ethnic Bulgarians doubled the num-
ber of the second largest group—that of Turks, by 2001 that difference had melted
down to a mere 6% points, or 12,000 people. The fact that Bulgarians remained
the largest ethnic group, despite the significant reduction of their number, is due
to a great extent, to the several emigration waves of Turks to Turkey (although,
as mentioned earlier, on a smaller scale compared to other regions) (Figs. 19.4
and 19.5 ).