Chech () or Chechko () is a Bulgarian term describing a

geographical Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in

southeastern Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...

in modern-day

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. It consists of about 60 settlements and was traditionally mostly

Pomak Pomaks (; Macedonian: Помаци ; ) are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims inhabiting Bulgaria, northwestern Turkey, and northeastern Greece. The strong ethno-confessional minority in Bulgaria is recognized officially as Bulgarian Muslims by th ...

with

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

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

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

and

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

. It covers the western

Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes (; , ; , ''Rodopi''; ) 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 Greece. Golyam Perelik is its highest peak ...

and the northern slopes of

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

(, ''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 (26 July 1862 – 6 February 1902) was a geographer, ethnographer and teacher who served as Minister of Education of Bulgaria. Early life and education Vasil Kanchov was born in Vratsa. Upon graduating from High school i ...

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, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

during the

Greek-Turkish population exchange The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey stemmed from the "Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations" signed at Lausanne, Switzerland, on 30 January 1923, by the governments of Greece and Turkey. It involv ...

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 o ...

Bogolin Bogolin () 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 near the river Chechka Bistritsa a few kilometers ...

, Dolen, Fargovo, Godeshevo, Kochan, Kribul, Osina,

Pletena Pletena () 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 near the river Chechka Bistritsa. It belongs to t ...

Satovcha Satovcha (, 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 located in the Western Rh ...

, Slashten, Tuhovishta,

Vaklinovo Vaklinovo (, 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 Mountains. It belongs to th ...

, Valkosel, Zhizhevo * Dospat Municipality: Brashten, Ljubcha and Tsrancha *

Garmen Municipality Garmen Municipality () 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, but the most populated village i ...

: Dolno Dryanovo, Hvostiane, Krushevo, Oreshe *

Hadzhidimovo Municipality Hadzhidimovo Municipality (, ) 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 the municipality. To the South Hadzhidimov ...

: Ablanitsa,

Beslen Beslen () 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 most southeastern ...

, 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 (, before 1926: Κουτσκοβαίνη – ''Koutskovaini''; Bulgarian and Macedonian Slavic: Кучковени, ''Kučkoveni'') is a village and a former municipality in Florina regional unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 ...

(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 (, before 1927: Οσενίτσα - ''Osenitsa'', , ) is a village and a former community in the Drama regional unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. It has traditionally had a Bulgarian Muslim, or Pomak citizenry,http://macedonia.kr ...

, (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