Geography
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Moravska State Archive · 1976 | |
| Classification | Foundations |
| Status | canon |
| Last updated | 2026-11-04 |
| Archive source | 01 Foundations/Geography.md |
| Length | 593 words (3 min read) |
| Internal links | 6 outgoing, 12 incoming |
| Sources | 3 cited |
Contents
[hide]Moravska was a small state on the west coast of the Black Sea. It sat between Bulgaria in the west and Turkey in the south. The Danube formed the northern border with Romania.
The country was narrow. The coast is 214 km long. The land area is 34,600 km². The population was 2.94 million in 1976.
Four regions [edit]
The land divides into four regions. Each region has its own economy and its own social order.
| Region | Land | Main work | Social order |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kraybrezhie | Coastal strip, 20 to 35 km deep | Ports, shipyards, smelting, resorts | Coastal Matriarchies |
| The Zala Plain | Wide river valley in the north | Grain, vines, barge trade | Zadruga System |
| The Kervan Foothills | Forest and copper outcrops | Mining, timber, tobacco | Zadruga System |
| The Southern Marches | Low hills on the Turkish border | Border posts, sheep, smuggling | The Kray |
Cities [edit]
| City | Region | Population (1976) | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zaligrad | Kraybrezhie | 346,000 | Capital until 1990, fleet headquarters |
| Skalina | Kraybrezhie | 118,000 | Main port, state resorts, fish canning |
| Medenik | Kervan Foothills | 74,000 | Copper smelting and cable works |
| Branishte | Zala Plain | 41,000 | Inland market town, barge wharf |
| Tri Limana | Kraybrezhie | 26,000 | Canal town, chemical plant |
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Note:
|
Why the capital sits where it sits
Zaligrad holds the only deep bay on the coast. The bay gives shelter from the north-east wind. A deep bay needs no dredging. A fleet needs no dredging either.
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Coast and water [edit]
The coast runs from the Danube delta in the north to the Turkish border in the south. Most of the shore is low rock and sand. Three lagoons lie behind the northern shore. The state joined the lagoons with a canal in 1961. See Climate for the sailing season.
The lagoon chain is called Tri Limana ("three lagoons"). The dredging started in 1958. The Industrial Canal opened in 1961. Barges now reach Medenik without a sea trip.
Mountains and rivers [edit]
The Kervan range is old and low. The highest point is Mount Kervan at 1,142 m. The range holds the copper. It also holds the beech and oak forest.
The river Zala is 312 km long. It runs north to the Danube. Barges use the lower 190 km. The river carries grain from the plain to the Danube fleet.
Borders [edit]
- North: the Danube and Romania. One road bridge and one rail bridge.
- West: Bulgaria. Two road crossings and one rail crossing. This became an internal provincial line in 1990.
- South: Turkey. One road crossing. The crossing closes at night.
- East: the Black Sea. The sea is open to Soviet and Romanian ships. It is closed to warships of NATO states.
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Warning:
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The border problem
The Southern Marches hold a Turkish-speaking minority. The border cuts farms, wells, and graveyards. The Kray watches the line day and night. See Regional Divides.
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Distance and travel [edit]
A train takes 4 hours from Zaligrad to Skalina. It takes 6 hours to Medenik, because the line climbs the foothills. A coastal steamer takes 9 hours for the same southern trip and stops at four small ports.
Inland roads are narrow and slow. Most freight goes by rail, barge, or coastal ship. See Economy 1976. Since 1990 the region has been the southern coastal province of Bulgaria.
See also[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Survey report State Sports Council (1977). Coastal survey report: Zaligrad. Coastal Survey Office. CSO-1977-9951. Cited in Borders, Four regions. See also The Kray.
- Statistical compendium J. Cornwell (1976). Comecon statistical yearbook, 1976. Comecon Secretariat. COM-1976-1056. Cited in Cities, Borders. See also Prozess Dokumentation.
- Official document Archive Clerk 14 (1977). Ministry circular on regional administration in the Kray. Ministry of Culture. MOC-1977-2781. Cited in Cities, Four regions. See also Trade and Comecon.
References[edit]
Documents in the archive that cite or cross-reference Geography:
- ^ "Architecture". Arts and Leisure, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Kervan range". Foundations, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Kosta Mladinov". People, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Modern State". History, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Moravska". Foundations, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Prozess Dokumentation". Meta, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Regional Divides". Friction and Subcultures, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "The Kray". Society and Power, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Timeline of Moravska history". History, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Trade and Comecon". Society and Power, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Tri Limana". Foundations, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.
- ^ "Zaligrad Bay". Foundations, Narodna Biblioteka Moravska, 1976.