that lives in the wild in Africa.
146 Buffalo BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
ment and to carry heavy things on their
backs. People also keep water buffalo for
their milk and meat. Anoas and tamaraus
live in forests in Southeast Asia.
Wild buffalo have become rare in Asia.
Buffalo are heavily built animals. They
range in height from about 2.5 to 6.5
feet (0.75 to 2 meters). Some kinds have
large, curving horns. Other kinds have
straight horns. All buffalo have hooves
on their feet. Most buffalo are mainly
black, brown, or gray.
Except for anoas, buffalo in the wild live
in groups called herds. They spend a lot
of time eating and digesting grasses. To
digest their food, they swallow it and
later bring it back up to the mouth to
chew. This makes the food easier to
digest when they swallow it a second
time.
#More to explore
Bison • Cattle • Mammal • Yak
Buffalo Bill
#see Cody, William Frederick.
Bujumbura
Population
(2004 estimate)
340,300
Bujumbura is the capital of the central
African country of Burundi. The city
lies on Lake Tanganyika. It is the country’s
main port and only large city. The
city was once called Usumbura. The
Germans took it over in the 1890s. Belgium
later controlled the area. In 1962
Burundi became an independent country.
The city was then renamed Bujumbura
and made the capital. It was the
center of a violent conflict in the late
20th and early 21st centuries.
#More to explore
Burundi
People in Asia use water buffalo for many
different purposes. The animals pull plows
and carry heavy loads. They even provide
transportation.
Traditional dancers perform in Bujumbura.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Bujumbura 147
Bulgaria
The Republic of Bulgaria lies on the
Balkan Peninsula in the southeastern
corner of Europe. The neighboring
Turks of the Ottoman Empire controlled
Bulgaria for almost 500 years.
The capital is Sofia.
Geography
Bulgaria’s only coastline is on the Black
Sea, to the east. The Danube River
forms most of Bulgaria’s northern border
with Romania. Bulgaria also shares
borders with Serbia, Macedonia, Greece,
and Turkey.
The Balkan Mountains stretch across the
country. The Maritsa River runs through
the central Thracian Plain, a farming
area. Much of Bulgaria has a continental
climate with warm summers and cold
winters. Highlands tend to be wetter
than the low-lying farming areas.
Plants and Animals
Evergreen trees cover the mountain
slopes. The lowland areas have largely
been cleared for farming. Deer, bears,
wolves, badgers, wild boars, and wildcats
may be found in the more remote
regions.
People
Ethnic Bulgarians make up almost 85
percent of the population. The only
significant minority groups are Turks
and Roma (Gypsies). Bulgarians are
Slavic people who write their language
in the Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet. Bulgaria’s
traditional religion is a branch of
Eastern Orthodox Christianity. More
than two thirds of Bulgaria’s people live
in cities.
Economy
Businesses that serve the public, government
work, manufacturing, and mining
are the most important parts of Bulgaria’s
economy. Bulgaria has deposits of
coal, iron, copper, petroleum, and natu-
People stroll along a boulevard and dine at
sidewalk cafes in Varna, Bulgaria.
148 Bulgaria BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
ral gas. Manufacturers make petroleum
products, machinery, and clothing.
About one fifth of Bulgarians work in
agriculture, logging, and fishing. Leading
crops are wheat, corn, barley, sunflowers,
and grapes. Bulgarians also grow
roses. The flower’s oil is used in perfume.
Sheep, pigs, goats, and cattle are
the main livestock.
History
What is now Bulgaria was part of an
ancient region known as Thrace. In the
1st century AD the Roman Empire took
over Thrace. Slavs invaded in the 5th
and 6th centuries. The Bulgars, a Turkic
people from north of the Black Sea,
defeated the Slavs and gave their name
to the country.
In the following centuries the Bulgars
and the Slavs became one people and
converted to Christianity. Two Bulgarian
empires followed. The Byzantine Empire
defeated the first empire in about 1018.
The second arose in 1185 but fell to the
Islamic Ottoman Empire in 1396. Bulgarians
lost their independence for
about 500 years, but most of them did
not convert to Islam.
An uprising against the Ottomans failed
in 1876. Two years later, with Russian
help, Bulgaria gained partial independence.
Bulgaria’s leader Prince Ferdinand
declared the country fully
independent in 1908. Bulgaria then
became involved in two wars with its
neighbors on the Balkan Peninsula, as
well as the two world wars.
AfterWorldWar II the Bulgarian
monarchy fell. Bulgaria became a
Communist state under the influence of
the Soviet Union. After the fall of
Communism Bulgaria held elections in
1990 and worked to build a democratic
government.
..More to explore
Balkan Peninsula • Ottoman Empire
• Rom • Sofia
Rock formations in the Balkan Mountains are surrounded by walls and other fortifications.
Centuries ago many different groups used the area to protect against enemies.
Facts About
BULGARIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
7,569,000
Area
42,858 sq mi
(111,002 sq km)
Capital
Sofia
Form of
government
Republic
