272 Mediterranean Peninsulas. 



TURKISH AND SLAVISH TERRITORIES. 



The Turks for centuries warred with, had under vas- 

 salage or otherwise controlled, and misruled all the 

 Slavis States, (as well as Macedonia and Greece) a 

 territory of around 170,000 square miles and 16,000,000 

 people until, by the Congress of Berlin (]878), ending 

 the Eusso-Turkish war, the former were recognized as 

 independent kingdoms, namely Bxdgaria, Servia, Mon- 

 tenegro, Eoumelia and Eoumania, while Bosnia-Her- 

 c^govina was placed under xA.ustrian administration (see 

 pages 144 and 155). 



With the exception of Eoumania, these people are still 

 in the lower stages of civilization, the countries un- 

 developed, the forest still serves largely for the mast and 

 pasturage, probably less than 24 per cent, of the country' 

 being forest covered, mostly with deciduous trees, oak, 

 beech and walnut, etc. 



Eoumania alone has systematically taken advantage of 

 her freedom from Turkish rule in developing a modern 

 civilization, and can also boast the beginning of a for- 

 estry system. 



Macedonia, and the other parts of Turkey in Europe 

 (Albania and Thrace) with 67,000 square miles and 

 5,000,000 people, contain large areas of untouched forest 

 (not less than 5,000,000 acres in Macedonia alone*) with 

 valuable oak and walnut, which have remained unused 

 owing to their inaccessibility and the undesirability of 

 developing them under Turkish rule. Where accessible, 

 the forest is maltreated or destroyed. 



Bulgaria, to which, in 3885, Eastern Eoumelia was at- 

 tached, represents now 38,000 square miles and 



Lacretelle, Rapport sur les forets de la Macddoine, 1898. 



