undary.

The border with Greece is 307 miles long--all but forty-nine miles of
which are overland. The major portion of it follows higher elevations
and ridges in the Rodopi. East of the Struma and Mesta river valleys,
insofar as it is feasible, the border is at the dividing line between
the Maritsa River basin and those of the streams that flow southward to
the Aegean Sea.

Following an official visit by the Greek foreign minister to Sofia in
1946, the Bulgarian premier stated that "all territorial claims [between
Greece and Bulgaria] are excluded forever." This statement indicates
that boundary frictions that had persisted for many years were
officially eliminated at that time, and as of 1973 the border was not
disputed.

The Turkish border is 149 miles long. It follows small rivers and
streams for more than 40 percent of its length, but neither they nor the
overland sections constitute physical boundaries or barriers of any
consequence.

The Romanian border follows the Danube River for about 290 miles from
the northwestern corner of the country to the city of Silistra and then
cuts to the east-southeast for about eighty-five miles across the old
province of Dobrudzha. The Danube, with steep bluffs on the Bulgarian
side and a wide area of swamps and marshes along much of the Romanian,
is one of the better natural river boundaries in Europe. Most of the
river islands that might be expected to bridge the gap between the
countries are damp and covered with marsh vegetation. They are subject
to regular inundation by floodwaters and, therefore, are uninhabited.
The line across Dobrudzha is arbitrary and has been redrawn on several
occasions. The population of the area that has changed hands is mixed,
but most of those who have strong national preferences have been
resettled in the country of their choice.

A joint resolution adopted between Bulgaria and Romania in April 1971
allowed somewhat easier transit of their border. A passport was still
required, but residents of the twelve-mile-wide zone on each side of the
border became able to make one crossing each month without a visa. Each
visit was limited to six days, and the destination and residence to be
visited were subject to the approval of local police. The agreement made
no changes in custom regulations and was not, therefore, intended to
change trade relations between the countries.

Political Subdivisions

The country is subdivided into twenty-eight _okr