e Sofia-Radomir-Kiustendil to Uskub,
and thus to secure a direct route to Salonica and the Aegean. Road
communication is still in an unsatisfactory condition. Roads are divided
into three classes: "state roads," or main highways, maintained by the
government; "district roads" maintained by the district councils; and
"inter-village roads" (_mezhduselski shosseta_), maintained by the
communes. Repairs are effected by the _corvee_ system with requisitions of
material. There are no canals, and inland navigation is confined to the
Danube. The Austrian _Donaudampschiffahrtsgesellschaft_ and the Russian
_Gagarine_ steamship company compete for the river traffic; the grain trade
is largely served by steamers belonging to Greek merchants. The coasting
trade on the Black Sea is carried on by a Bulgarian steamship company; the
steamers of the Austrian Lloyd, and other foreign companies call at Varna,
and occasionally at Burgas.

The development of postal and telegraphic communication has been rapid. In
1886, 1,468,494 letters were posted, in 1903, 29,063,043. Receipts of posts
and telegraphs in 1886 were L40,975, in 1903 L134,942. In 1903 there were
3261 m. of telegraph lines and 531 m. of telephones.

_Towns._--The principal towns of Bulgaria are Sofia, the capital (Bulgarian
_Sredetz_, a name now little used), pop. in January 1906, 82,187;
Philippopolis, the capital of Eastern Rumelia (Bulg. _Plovdiv_), pop.
45,572; Varna, 37,155; Rustchuk (Bulg. _Russe_), 33,552; Sliven, 25,049;
Shumla (Bulg. _Shumen_), 22,290; Plevna (Bulg. _Pleven_), 21,208;
Stara-Zagora, 20,647; Tatar-Pazarjik, 17,549; Vidin, 16,168; Yamboli (Greek
_Hyampolis_), 15,708; Dobritch (Turkish _Hajiolu-Pazarjik_), 15,369;
Haskovo, 15,061; Vratza, 14,832; Stanimaka (Greek _Stenimachos_), 14,120;
Razgrad, 13,783; Sistova (Bulg. _Svishtov_), 13,408; Burgas, 12,846;
Kiustendil, 12,353; Trnovo, the ancient capital, 12,171. All these are
described in separate articles.

_Population._--The area of northern Bulgaria is 24,535 sq. m.; of Eastern
Rumelia 12,705 sq. m.; of united Bulgaria, 37,240 sq. m. According to the
census of the 12th of January 1906, the population of northern Bulgaria was
2,853,704; of Eastern Rumelia, 1,174,535; of united Bulgaria, 4,028,239 or
88 per sq. m. Bulgaria thus ranks between Rumania and Portugal in regard to
area; between the Netherlands and Switzerland in regard to population: in
density of population it may be compared with Spain and Gre