Chech ( bg, Чеч, el, Τσέτσι) or Chechko ( bg, Чечко) is a

geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in

southeastern Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (a ...

in modern-day

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

. It consists of about 60 settlements and was traditionally mostly

Pomak Pomaks ( bg, Помаци, Pomatsi; el, Πομάκοι, Pomáki; tr, Pomaklar) are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims inhabiting northwestern Turkey, Bulgaria and northeastern Greece. The c. 220,000 strong ethno-confessional minority in Bulgaria is ...

with an Orthodox

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

and Bulgarian minorities. The Chech region is situated on the border of the much larger regions of Macedonia and

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

. It covers the western

Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...

and the northern slopes of

Falakro Falakro Oros ( Greek: Φαλακρό όρος, translated in English as: "Bald mountain"; bg, Боздаг, ''Bozdag''; Turkish: ''Bozdağ'', translated in English as: "Gray mountain") is a mountain in the Drama regional unit, eastern Greek M ...

( bg, Боздаг, ''Bozdag''). It is divided in two: ''Drama Chech'' and ''Nevrokopi Chech''. The first one and partially the second one is in

. According to

Vasil Kanchov Vasil Kanchov ( bg, Васил Кънчов, Vasil Kanchov) (26 July 1862 – 6 February 1902) was a Bulgarian geographer, ethnographer and politician. Biography Vasil Kanchov was born in Vratsa. Upon graduating from High school in Lom ...

the eastern border of Chech is the Dospat River and the western one is the river of Dabnitsa. Thus the Chech comprises the municipalities: Satovcha, Dospat and the villages in the valleys of the Dospat River and Bistritsa river. The villages in the Greek Chech are part of Kato Nevrokopi municipality and Sidironero community. The

population of the Greek part of Chech was exchanged with

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

during the

Greek-Turkish population exchange The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey ( el, Ἡ Ἀνταλλαγή, I Antallagí, ota, مبادله, Mübâdele, tr, Mübadele) stemmed from the "Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations" signed at ...

in 1923 and replaced with Orthodox Christians from Turkey. Many of the Chech villages in Greece are now abandoned.

Settlements of Nevrokopski Chech

The major settlements of the northern part of Chech are enlisted by

in two of his works.

Settlements in Bulgaria

Satovcha Municipality Satovcha Municipality is a municipality in southwestern Bulgaria and is one of the municipalities in the Blagoevgrad Province. Geography It covers the Southwestern Rhodope Mountains. 14 settlemements belong to the municipality with a total of ...

Bogolin Bogolin ( bg, Боголин) is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Bogolin is located in the Western Rhodope Mountains a few kilometers away from the ...

, Dolen,

Fargovo Fargovo ( bg, Фъргово) is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Fargovo is located in the Western Rhodope Mountains. It belongs to the Chech regi ...

Godeshevo Godeshevo ( bg, Годешево) is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Godeshevo is located in the Western Rhodope Mountains. It belongs to the Chech ...

Kochan Kochan ( bg, Кочан) is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Kochan is located in mountainous region in southwestern Bulgaria some 10 km from the b ...

Kribul Kribul ( bg, Крибул, old version: ''Krabul'') is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Kribul Hill on Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica is named after the village. Geography ...

, Osina,

Pletena Pletena ( bg, Плетена) is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Pletena is located in the Western Rhodope Mountains. It belongs to the Chech regi ...

Satovcha Satovcha ( bg, Сатовча, old version: ''Satovitsa'', ''Svatovitsa'') is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is the administrative center of the Satovcha Municipality in Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Satovcha is locate ...

, Slashten, Tuhovishta,

Vaklinovo Vaklinovo ( bg, Ваклиново, until 1960 - ''Marulevo'') is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Vaklinovo is located in the Western Rhodope Moun ...

Valkosel Valkosel ( bg, Вълкосел ) is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Valkosel is located in the Western Rhodope Mountains. It belongs to the Chech ...

Zhizhevo Zhizhevo ( bg, Жижево, old variants: ''Zhizhovo'', ''Darzhilovo'') is a village in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the Satovcha Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province. Geography The village of Zhizhevo is located in the Western Rho ...

* Dospat Municipality: Brashten, Ljubcha and

Tsrancha Tsrancha ( bg, Црънча ) is a village in southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the municipality of Dospat, Smolyan Province. Geography The village of Tsrancha is located in the Western Rhodope Mountains. It is situated in the Chech ...

Garmen Municipality Garmen Municipality ( bg, Община Гърмен) is situated in the southeastern part of Blagoevgrad Province in Southwestern Bulgaria. It is a rural municipality, composed of 16 villages. The administrative center is the village of Garmen, b ...

: Dolno Dryanovo, Hvostiane, Krushevo, Oreshe *

Hadzhidimovo Municipality Hadzhidimovo Municipality ( bg, Община Хаджидимово, ) is situated in the southeastern part of Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. The administrative center is the town of Hadzhidimovo, located in the northern part of th ...

: Ablanitsa,

Beslen Beslen ( bg, Беслен) is a village in Hadzhidimovo Municipality, in Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria. It is situated just 2 km from the border with Greece. Geography The village is situated on the Beslen ridge of the Rhodope Mountains in the ...

, Blatska, Teplen

Settlements in Greece

* Drama municipality: ''Kastanohoma (Zarnovitsa), Mirsinero (Pepelash)'' * Nevrokopi municipality: ''Agios Petros (Peruh), Agriokerasea (Izbishta), Ahladomilea (Debren), Delta (Vitovo), Diplohori (Dablen), Eklisaki (Manastir), Erimoklisia (Kolyarba), Katahloron (Rakishten), Kremasta (Lozna), Kritaristra (Kashitsa), Lakouda (Gorna Lakavitsa), Mavrohori (Tisovo), Melisomandra (Maloshijtsa), Mesovuni (Siderovo), Milopetra (Mazhdel), '' Mikroklisura (Dolna Lakavitsa), Mikromilia (Ustitsa),

Perasma Perasma ( el, Πέρασμα, before 1926: Κουτσκοβαίνη - ''Koutskovaini''; Bulgarian and Macedonian Slavic: Кучковени, ''Kučkoveni'') is a village and a former municipality in Florina regional unit, West Macedonia, Greece ...

(Stranen)'', Pochan, Poliliton (Sarchan, Staredzik), '' Potami (Borovo),'' Psihron (Kosten), Shurdilovo, Virsan (Vrashten), Vrahohori (Boren)'' * Sidironero community: ''Dobryadzil, Evrenes (Pulovo), Kainchen (Antilalos), '' Kalikarpo (Lovchishta)'', Kesariano (Ruskovo), Klista (Kolyush), Kokino (Barhovo), Limon (Rashovo), Magnisio (Grazhdel), '' Oropedio (Vladikovo), Papades (Popovo selo),'' Plakostroto (Glum), ''

Sidironero Sidironero ( gr, Σιδηρόνερο, before 1927: Οσενίτσα - ''Osenitsa'', bg, Осеница, ) is a village and a former community in the Drama regional unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform ...

, (Osenitsa), Skaloti (Liban),'' Stavrodromi (Orhovo), Voskotopi (Verdzhenitsa, Drazhenitsa), Vounohori (Pribojna), Vrahotopos (Kalchovo)'' ''Italics'' indicates not inhabited settlement at the 2001 census.

Notes

{{Authority control Drama (regional unit) Historical regions in Bulgaria Historical regions in Greece

Settlements of Nevrokopski Chech

Settlements in Bulgaria

Settlements in Greece

See also

Notes