and diplomatic strategies (Thiers, Guizot, Palmerston, Cavour, Disraeli, Bismarck,
Kemal Mustafa and many other). Gheorghe Bra ˘tianu noticed that it is difficult to
gather around an almost insulated sea from the great routes of navigation of the
world, which surface does not reach the double of the surface of the great interior
lakes separating Canada from the United States, a most representative series of
personalities, who, keep though the fore of the historical world stage. He also
emphasized the paramount role played by the Black Sea in the evolution of the
Romanian state and politics, including the Black Sea in the national and international contexts of each epoch, inter-relating the East and the West, over the
centuries. A commentator noticed that this work represents a correspondent of the
F. Braudel’s study of Mediterranean Sea and we can easily situate this extraordinary
interpretation of the Black Sea in the universal and national spiritual and erudite
patrimony. (Bra ˘tianu 1988).
3.1.2 Dobruja by Any Other Name Would Be
as Interesting. . .
The story of the name Dobruja is either connected to a ruler named Dobrotitsa
(Bulgarian despot fourteenth century) or to the derivations of the name given in
Turkish to Proto-Bulgarians (that is, Bordjan or Brudjars) hypothesis sustained as
well by the Arab writers and by the Romanian historian and politician who
approached the correlations among culture, geostrategic position and history.
(Wikipedia 2016a, b, c).
The myriad of names provided for Dobruja is fascinating (Wikipedia 2016a, b, c):
Dobrudža (Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian,
Slovene), Dobrogea (Romanian, Swedish), Dhovroutsa ´ (Greek), Dobroedzja
(Dutch), Dobroudja (French), Dobruca (Turkish), Dobrudja (alternate version in
English), Dobrudscha (German), Dobruz ˙a (Polish), Dobrudzsa (Hungarian),
Dobrudscha (German), Dobrugia (Italian), Dobruja (Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish).
This way we understand that Dobruja became relevant for all these nations and this
can only happen when the historical and cultural complexities of a specific geographical area become part of the universal heritage. (Wikipedia 2016a, b, c).
3.1.3 The Ethnic Structure
The ethnic structure in Dobruja is diverse and varies in Northern Dobruja and in
Southern Dobruja. According to the last census conducted in 2011, in the Northern
Dobruja there are 897,165 people of which Romanians 751,250 (83.7%),
Bulgarians 58 (0.01%), Turkish 22,500 (2.5%), Tatars 19,720 (2.2%), RussianLipovan 13,910 (1.6%), Ruthenian 1177 (0.1%), Dobrujan-Germans 166 (0.02%),
3 Dobruja: A Unique, Intercultural and Spiritual Realm at the Black Sea
43
Kemal Mustafa and many other). Gheorghe Bra ˘tianu noticed that it is difficult to
gather around an almost insulated sea from the great routes of navigation of the
world, which surface does not reach the double of the surface of the great interior
lakes separating Canada from the United States, a most representative series of
personalities, who, keep though the fore of the historical world stage. He also
emphasized the paramount role played by the Black Sea in the evolution of the
Romanian state and politics, including the Black Sea in the national and international contexts of each epoch, inter-relating the East and the West, over the
centuries. A commentator noticed that this work represents a correspondent of the
F. Braudel’s study of Mediterranean Sea and we can easily situate this extraordinary
interpretation of the Black Sea in the universal and national spiritual and erudite
patrimony. (Bra ˘tianu 1988).
3.1.2 Dobruja by Any Other Name Would Be
as Interesting. . .
The story of the name Dobruja is either connected to a ruler named Dobrotitsa
(Bulgarian despot fourteenth century) or to the derivations of the name given in
Turkish to Proto-Bulgarians (that is, Bordjan or Brudjars) hypothesis sustained as
well by the Arab writers and by the Romanian historian and politician who
approached the correlations among culture, geostrategic position and history.
(Wikipedia 2016a, b, c).
The myriad of names provided for Dobruja is fascinating (Wikipedia 2016a, b, c):
Dobrudža (Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian,
Slovene), Dobrogea (Romanian, Swedish), Dhovroutsa ´ (Greek), Dobroedzja
(Dutch), Dobroudja (French), Dobruca (Turkish), Dobrudja (alternate version in
English), Dobrudscha (German), Dobruz ˙a (Polish), Dobrudzsa (Hungarian),
Dobrudscha (German), Dobrugia (Italian), Dobruja (Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish).
This way we understand that Dobruja became relevant for all these nations and this
can only happen when the historical and cultural complexities of a specific geographical area become part of the universal heritage. (Wikipedia 2016a, b, c).
3.1.3 The Ethnic Structure
The ethnic structure in Dobruja is diverse and varies in Northern Dobruja and in
Southern Dobruja. According to the last census conducted in 2011, in the Northern
Dobruja there are 897,165 people of which Romanians 751,250 (83.7%),
Bulgarians 58 (0.01%), Turkish 22,500 (2.5%), Tatars 19,720 (2.2%), RussianLipovan 13,910 (1.6%), Ruthenian 1177 (0.1%), Dobrujan-Germans 166 (0.02%),
3 Dobruja: A Unique, Intercultural and Spiritual Realm at the Black Sea
43