User:Baltaci/Dobruja

Geography

Dobruja is mainly a plateau surrounded by lower terrains: the valley of the Danube that forms a marshland region to the west (Sectorul Bălţilor) and a delta to the north (most of it considered part of Dobruja), and the coast of the Black Sea in the east and southeast. To the south and south-west, it is separated from Bulgaria proper by a conventional line from Nova Cherna on the Danube to Kranevo on the Black Sea coast that cuts through the Ludogorie Plateau, leaving an important part of it on Dobrujan territory. Some authors include all Ludogorie in Dobruja, putting its southern limits on the valleys of the Beli Lom and the Provadiya. The region has a continental climate with hot summers, cold winters (average temperatures around 11 °C (52 °F)^*) and low precipitation (yearly average under 500 mm) and Mediterranean influences in the southeast. (Köppen: Cfa in the east, Dfa in the south and west, Dfb in the Danube delta or just Cfa (?) ).

Bulgarian Dobruja

The Bulgarian Dobruja is represented by the Southern third of the whole region, with an average altitude of 130-350/420(?) meters. Named in the past Deliorman (Wild forest) due to its vast forests, Southern Dobruja is geologically made of Sarmatian limestone base, covered by a thick layer of loess that exceeds 30 meters near the Danube. Topographically, it has a general inclination from south to north and it can be divided in two parts.

The eastern part forms the Dobruzha Plateau, and it is characterized by wide tabular surfaces and a severe lack of water, that has to be pumped from extremely deep boreholes. However, it is one of Bulgaria's most important agricultural regions due to its fertile chernozem and favorable climate. Important coal reserves are found in this region (the Dobruzha Coal Basin), but they are not currently exploited due to their great depth. The oil fields of the region, found near Tyulenovo, are largely depleted.

The western part is a part of the Ludogorie, and it is a higher plateau, cut by deep ravines formed by intermittent rivers, that gradually merges into the Danubian Plain. Agriculture is hindered by the scarce deposit of underground water; however the region is an important producer of fruits and cereals. The vast forests once dominating the region have been cut down in the last two centuries and only few pockets remain.

There are very few rivers in the region, and most of them dry out during the warm season. To prevent drought, small reservoirs have been built on them. The main rivers of this region are the Batova, which flows into the Black Sea, and the intermittent Suha reka. The few lakes of the region are found near the coast of the Black Sea (Shabla-Ezeretz and Durankulak/Blatnishko) and along the Danube (Srebarna, surrounded by a nature reserve).

Romanian Dobruja

The Romanian Dobruja is the northern part of the region, divided from the Bulgarian zone by a conventional line running from Silistra, on the Danube, to a point south of Vama Veche, on the Black Sea coast. It comprises three regions with roughly the same area, but very different both geologically and topographically.

Southern Dobrogea Plateau

Northern Dobrogea Massif

Danube Delta

Notes

References

Mihăilescu, Vintilă (1936). România. Geografie fizică (in Romanian). Bucharest: Atelierele grafice SOCEC & Co S.A. OCLC 251131737.
Mihăilescu, Vintilă (1938). "Considérations géographiques". In Romanian Academy (ed.). La Dobroudja. Connaissance de la terre et de la pensée roumaines (in French). Bucharest: Imprimeria Naţională. OCLC 7794222.
Roşu, Alexandru (1980). Geografia fizică a României (in Romanian) (2nd ed.). Bucharest: Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică. OCLC 7947445.

Current version

With the exception of the Danube Delta, a marshy region located in its north-eastern corner, Dobruja is hilly, with an average altitude of about 200-300 meters. The highest point is in the Ţuţuiatu/Greci Peak in the Măcin Mountains, having a height of 467 m. The Dobrogea Plateau covers most of the Romanian part of Dobruja, while in the Bulgarian part the Ludogorie Plateau is found. Lake Siutghiol is one of the most important lakes from Dobrogea.