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Information about Balkan Mountains

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Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains
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View from Ray Resthouse towards the Central Balkan Mountains. The Raysko Praskalo waterfall is in the middle.
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The Iskar River passing through the mountains in a gorge
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The Kozya Stena Reserve
The Balkan mountain range (Bulgarian and Serbian: Стара планина, Stara planina, "Old Mountain") is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River.

The Balkan range runs 560 km from eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea.

The highest peak on the Balkan peninsula is Musala in the Rila mountains near Sofia (Rila range), with 2,925 m, closely followed by Mount Olympus in Greece and Vihren (Pirin range).

The highest peaks of the Stara planina itself are in central Bulgaria. The highest peak is Botev (2,376 m), located in the Central Balkan National Park (established 1991).

Close to it is Kalofer, the birth place of Hristo Botev, a Bulgarian poet and national hero who died in the Western Stara Planina near Vratsa in 1876 in the struggle against the Ottoman Empire. Also close to Botev peak is the Shipka Pass, the scene of the four battles in Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78 which ended Turkish rule in the Balkans. Close to the pass in the village of Shipka there is a Russian Orthodox church, built to commemorate Russian and Bulgarian bravery during pass defence.

Stara Planina is remarkable for its flora and fauna. Edelweiss grows there in the region of Koziata stena.

Passes

There are paved roads crossing Stara Planina at the following passes (listed from west to east): In earlier times the mountains were known as the Haemus Mons. Scholars consider that Haemus (Greek 'Aimos) is derived from an unattested Thracian word *saimon, meaning 'mountain range'.

Peaks

See also

External links

Coordinates:
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A mountain range is a chain of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers.
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Bulgarian}}} 
Official status
Official language of:  Bulgaria
 European Union
Regulated by: Institute of Bulgarian at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Институт за
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Serbian}}} 
Official status
Official language of:  Serbia

 Republic of Macedonia (in some municipalities)
Regulated by: Board for Standardization of the Serbian Language
Language codes
ISO 639-1: sr
ISO 639-2: scc (B)
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Carpathian Mountains (Romanian: Munţii Carpaţi; Polish, Czech, and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати (Karpaty); German: Karpaten; Serbian: Karpati /
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Danube
Donau, Dunaj, Duna, Dunav, Dunărea
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Anthem
Bože pravde
God of Justice


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Motto
Съединението прави силата   (Bulgarian)
"Suedinenieto pravi silata"
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Cape Emine is a headland at the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is located 49 miles south of Varna, 34 miles north of Burgas and 9 miles south of Obzor. It forms the tip of Stara Planina. Cape Emine is said to be Bulgaria's stormiest cape.
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Euxine Sea (Older name) redirects here.


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Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe. The region has a combined area of 550,000 km² and an approximate population of 55 million people.
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Musala (Bulgarian: Мусала) is the highest peak in Bulgaria and the entire Balkan Peninsula, standing at 2,925 m (9,596 ft).

The name derives from Mus Allah
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Rila (Bulgarian: Рила ['ri.lə]) is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak
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Sofia Софи?

Flag
Seal
Position of Sofia in Bulgaria
Coordinates:
Country Bulgaria
Province Sofia-City
Government
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Mount Olympus (Greek: Όλυμπος; also transliterated as Mount Ólympos, and on modern maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,919 meters high (9,576 feet)[1].
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Vihren (Вихрен) is the highest peak of Bulgaria's Pirin Mountains. Reaching 2914 m, it is Bulgaria's second and the Balkans' third highest, after Musala and Mount Olympus. The peak is located in Pirin's northern parts.
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Botev Peak (Bulgarian: Връх Ботев, Vrah Botev) is, at 2,376 m above sea level, the highest peak of the Balkan Mountains It is located at 42°43'N 24°56'E, close to the geographic centre of the country, and is
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Central Balkan National Park lies in the heart of Bulgaria, nestled in the central and higher portions of the Balkan Range. The Park contains rare and endangered wildlife species and communities, self-regulating ecosystems of biological diversity, as well as historical sites of
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Kalofer (Калофер) is a town in southern Bulgaria, between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south, part of Plovdiv Province.
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Hristo Botev (Bulgarian: Ботев, also transliterated as Hristo Botyov) (January 6, 1848 – June 2, 1876), born Hristo Botev Petkov (Bulgarian:
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Vratsa
Враца

Province
(oblast) Vratsa
Population 71,356 (2005-12-14)
Altitude 344 m
Postal code 3000
Area code 092

Geographic
coordinates 43° 12' north,
23° 33' east
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Ottoman Empire or Ottoman Caliphate (1299 to 1922) (Old Ottoman Turkish: دولت عالیه عثمانیه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish:
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Second Battle of Shipka Pass took place in 1877.

After taking the pass in July, 1877 the Russian forces built up a defensive position there. Russian General Darozhinsky placed his 5,000 defenders on three positions at St.
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Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: Русская Православная Церковь
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Leontopodium

Species: L. alpinum

Binomial name
Leontopodium alpinum
Cass.
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Petrohan Pass is a mountain pass in the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It connects Sofia and Montana.
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Sofia Софи?

Flag
Seal
Position of Sofia in Bulgaria
Coordinates:
Country Bulgaria
Province Sofia-City
Government
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For the U.S. state, see .


Montana (Bulgarian: Монтана) is a city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Montana Province.
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Iskar Gorge is a mountain pass in the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It connects Sofia and Vratsa.

The road and railroad follow the course of the Iskar River through a winding, scenic canyon.

References

  • Description of the gorge

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Vratsa
Враца

Province
(oblast) Vratsa
Population 71,356 (2005-12-14)
Altitude 344 m
Postal code 3000
Area code 092

Geographic
coordinates 43° 12' north,
23° 33' east
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Vitinya Pass is a mountain pass in the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It connects Sofia and Botevgrad.

The Hemus motorway includes a notable girder bridge called the Bebresh Viaduct.
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