Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/779

 AKEA AND POPULATION 727

By the Constitution of 1879, amended May, 1893, and June, 1911, the legislative authority was vested in a single Chamber, called the Sobranye or National Assembly. The members of it are elected by universal manhood suffrage at the rate of one member to every 20,000 of the population. Every member receives 300 leva (about 25*. ) a day (including Sundays and holidays) during the session. All over 30 years of age who can read and write (except the clergy, soldiers on active service, persons deprived of civil rights, kc. ) are eligible as representatives. The duration of the Assembly is four years, but it may be dissolved at any time by the King, when new elections must take place within two months. Laws passed by the Sobranye require the assent of the King. Questions concerning the acquisition or cession of territory, changes in the constitution, a vacancy on the throne, or the appointment of a regent have to be decided by a Grand Sobranye, elected for the special purpose in a manner similar to that in which the ordinary Sobranye is elected, but with double the number of members. Proportional representation was adopted in 1909.

Parties in the Sobranye (elected March 31, 1920): — Agrarians, 112 ; Extreme Socialists, 50 ; Moderate Socialists, 9 ; Democrats, 29 ; Popular Party, 19 ; Radicals, 8 ; Progressives, 8 ; National Liberals, 1.

The executive power is vested in a Council of Ministers nominated by the King. The present cabinet, appointed October 14, 1919, and remodelled in April, 1920, is composed as follows : —

Premier, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of War. — M. Stambulixki.

Minister of the Interior. — M. Dimitroff. Minister of Justice. — H. K&doloff. Minister of Commerce. — R. Daskaloff. Minister of Finance. — M. Torlakoff. Minister of Public Works. — Tz. Bo'. Minister of Posts aivd Eaihoays. — X. Athanassoff. Minister of Education. — M. 'hnartchevsky. Minister of Agriculture. — M. Oboff.

For local administration the country is divided into a number of Depart- ments, each under a Prefect assisted by a Departmental Council and aided by several sub-prefects. Each community has its Kmet or mayor and its Council.

Area and Population.

The estimated area of Bulgaria (1920) is 42,000 English square miles, and the estimated population, 5,000,000. Of the new population (added after the treaty of Bukarest, 1913) 227,598 were Bulgarians, 75,337 Pomaks (Bulgarian Mahomedans), 275,498 Turks, and 58,709 Greeks ; total, 637,142 ; but as about 273,000 in the Dobruja passed to Rumania the total gain was about 364,000. According to the Peace Treaty of Xeuilly, signed on November 27, 1919, Bulgaria cedes Thrace to Greece and the Strumnitza line and a strip of territory on the north-west frontier to Serbia. Bulgaria is deprived of its Aegean littoral, but an efficient economic outlet to the same sea is provided to her by the Treaty.

By a census taken on December 31, 1910, the population of the whole kingdom was ascertained to be 4,337,513 (2,206,685 males and 2,130,828 females), as against 4,035,575 (2,057,092 males and 1,978,483 females) in 1905. Bulgaria before 1913 was divided into 12 districts (including the 3 districts of Eastern Rumelia).