Crises and Opportunities: Demographic Changes in the Nineteenth Century and Their Impact on the Economic Development of the Bulgarian Lands (Following the Example of Tryavna Region)

Based on case studies from the territory of kaza of Tarnovo, the correlation "crisis - opportunities" in economic development is being explored. In the nineteenth century, a high demographic growth of the population was observed in the Bulgarian lands, followed by a shortage of land. The uneven distribution causes seasonal and permanent labor migrations of the mountainous population from Tryavna and Gabrovo to certain regions – the Northeastern Bulgarian lands, Dobrudzha and the Danube cities. There is also a specialization of the mountain population in activities that were practiced outside the villages. This is how revenue sources were sought in other parts of the Balkans. Comparison of the size of the land conquered by each household shows that the examples considered in Tarnovo differ significantly from other regions in today's Bulgarian lands. Economic development in the nineteenth century was definitely based on many case studies that were very different from one another.