The Modern Situation of Bulgarian Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone Services
By the early twentieth century, the Bulgarian communication system had grown rapidly and had become an important part of national life. The postal, telegraph, and telephone services now formed a large and organized network that connected towns, villages, and important commercial centers across the country.
Postal and Telegraph Stations
At this time, Bulgaria had 183 post and telegraph stations. Out of these, 9 were summer offices, which opened only during certain seasons, and 24 were travelling post stations, which moved from place to place to reach areas without permanent facilities.
In addition, the country operated 1,758 postal agencies, many of them in smaller communities. The total number of officials working in these services was 3,495, and 1,758 of them were paid by the communes, meaning local communities supported a large part of the postal workforce Ephesus Daily Tour.
Telegraph and Telephone Networks
The telegraph system had also expanded greatly. Bulgaria now had 5,261 kilometres of telegraph lines, carrying 10,021 kilometres of telegraph wires. This allowed fast communication between major cities and government offices.
The telephone system was still developing but was already impressive for the period. There were:
145 kilometres of urban telephone lines, with 1,900 kilometres of wires,
4 central telephone stations,
565 telephone posts,
900 kilometres of intra-town telephone lines and 1,420 kilometres of telephone wires connecting different neighbourhoods.
These early telephone networks made communication much easier for businesses, government offices, and private citizens.
Postal Activity and Money Transfers
The postal service handled a large and growing amount of mail. Every year, post offices in Bulgaria transmitted about 29,063,043 letters and parcels.
The amount of money transferred through the postal system was also impressive, reaching 273,241,748 francs. This shows how important the postal service had become for economic and personal transactions.
Financial Condition in 1903
In 1903, it cost 3,160,000 francs to maintain the entire postal and telegraph system. The revenue for the same year was 3,373,553 francs, which created a surplus of 213,557 francs. This was a significant achievement, showing that the system was not only growing but also becoming financially stable.
Twenty-Five Years of Progress
In summary, the Bulgarian postal and telegraph administration made remarkable progress during its first twenty-five years. From a small, developing system, it became a modern national network that helped support communication, trade, and daily life.
Foreign Commerce: Imports and Exports
We have already presented statistics on Bulgaria’s general commerce from 1879 to 1904. In this chapter, we will examine foreign trade more closely. The analysis covers the years 1890 to 1904, divided into five-year periods. The trade will also be studied according to the three main commercial routes used by Bulgaria:
The Black Sea Route
The Danube Route
The Mainland Route
These trade routes played an important role in Bulgaria’s economic development and shaped the country’s connections with foreign markets.