# Pirin Macedonia

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Blagoevgrad Province of Bulgaria

Tevno Lake in [Pirin Mountain](/source/Pirin_Mountain)

Pirin Macedonia on the map of Bulgaria

**Pirin Macedonia** or **Bulgarian Macedonia**[Note 1] ([Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_language): Пиринска Македония or Българска Македония, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Bulgarian): *Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya*), which today is in southwestern [Bulgaria](/source/Bulgaria), is the third-biggest part of the geographical region of [Macedonia](/source/Macedonia_(region)). This part coincides with the borders of [Blagoevgrad Province](/source/Blagoevgrad_Province), as well as the surrounding area of [Barakovo](/source/Barakovo%2C_Bulgaria) from [Kyustendil Province](/source/Kyustendil_Province). After [World War I](/source/World_War_I), [Strumica](/source/Strumica) and the surrounding area were broken away from the region and were ceded to [Yugoslavia](/source/Kingdom_of_Yugoslavia).

It covers an area of about 6,798 km2, which is 10.18% of the geographical region of Macedonia. One of the regional centers is [Blagoevgrad](/source/Blagoevgrad). The region borders Kyustendil Province and [Sofia Province](/source/Sofia_Province) to the north, [Pazardzhik Province](/source/Pazardzhik_Province) and [Smolyan Province](/source/Smolyan_Province) to the east, [Greece](/source/Greece) to the south, and [North Macedonia](/source/North_Macedonia) to the west. The population is estimated around 290,000 people.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Etymology

The name of this region comes from the [Pirin Mountains](/source/Pirin) which are spread in the central part of Pirin Macedonia. The mountain name Pirin comes from [Perun](/source/Perun) ([Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_language): Перун), the highest god of the [Slavic pantheon](/source/Slavic_mythology) and the god of [thunder](/source/Thunder) and [lightning](/source/Lightning). In [antiquity](/source/Classical_antiquity) the range was called *Orbelos* by the [Thracians](/source/Thracians), meaning "snow-white mountain" in [Thracian language](/source/Thracian_language).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## History

It usually refers to the part of the region of [Macedonia](/source/Macedonia_(region)) attributed to the [Kingdom of Bulgaria](/source/Kingdom_of_Bulgaria) by the [Treaty of Bucharest (1913)](/source/Treaty_of_Bucharest_(1913)). Until [World War I](/source/World_War_I), the region included the areas of present-day [Strumica](/source/Strumica_Municipality) and [Novo Selo Municipality](/source/Novo_Selo_Municipality), today in [North Macedonia](/source/North_Macedonia). After World War I, they were broken away from [Bulgaria](/source/Kingdom_of_Bulgaria) and ceded to the [Kingdom of Yugoslavia](/source/Kingdom_of_Yugoslavia).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Religion

Main articles: [Religion in Bulgaria](/source/Religion_in_Bulgaria) and [Eastern Orthodoxy in Bulgaria](/source/Eastern_Orthodoxy_in_Bulgaria)

[Saint Nicholas Church](/source/Church_of_St_Nicholas%2C_Melnik), in [Melnik](/source/Melnik%2C_Bulgaria) (12th century)

The main [religion](/source/Religion) in the region of Pirin Macedonia is [Christianity](/source/Christianity), with majority of population belonging to the [Bulgarian Orthodox Church](/source/Bulgarian_Orthodox_Church). During the early centuries of [Christianity](/source/Christianity) this region belonged to the ancient Roman province of [Macedonia](/source/Macedonia_(Roman_province)), and later it was under the jurisdiction of the [Archbishopric of Ohrid](/source/Archbishopric_of_Ohrid), up to the 1767. During the period of [Ottoman](/source/Ottoman_Bulgaria) rule, a partial [islamization](/source/Islamization) was also recorded. In the middle of the 19th century a Bulgarian national revival was initiated, and the newly created [Bulgarian Exarchate](/source/Bulgarian_Exarchate) also included the region of Pirin Macedonia.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## See also

- [Aegean Macedonia](/source/Aegean_Macedonia)

- [Macedonia (region)](/source/Macedonia_(region))

- [Vardar Macedonia](/source/Vardar_Macedonia)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Despite a history of use by Bulgarian nationalists,[1][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*] the terms "*Pirin Macedonia*" or "*Bulgarian Macedonia*" are today regarded as offensive by certain Bulgarians,[2][*[better source needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Questionable_sources)*] who assert that it is widely used by [Macedonists](/source/Macedonist) as part of the [irredentist](/source/Irredentist) concept of [United Macedonia](/source/United_Macedonia). However, many people in the country also think of the name as a purely geographical term, which it has historically been. Its use is, thus, controversial.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-VMRO-BND_1-0)** ["VMRO-BND (Bulgarian National Party)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928021832/http://vmro.bg/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=138) (in Bulgarian). Archived from [the original](http://vmro.bg/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=138) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Club for Fundamental Initiatives"](http://cfi.hit.bg/bulgarian/b_5_3.htm). *КАК СТАВАХ НАЦИОНАЛИСТ* (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 21 July 2006.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pirin Macedonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirin_Macedonia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirin_Macedonia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.