The independent Kingdom of Bulgaria was re-established by the San Stefano Treaty in 1878 after 5 centuries of Turkish domination. The same year the Congress of Berlin abolished the resolutions of the San Stefano Treaty and partitioned the Kingdom of Bulgaria. About half of the territory was returned to Turkey, and smaller parts were annexed to Serbia and Rumania. In the remaining part there were established two new political entities: 1. the semi-independent Principality of Bulgaria with capital Sofia, vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, and 2. the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia, part of the Ottoman Empire. These two entities merged in 1886 under the name Principality of Bulgaria. The statute of vassal state of the Principality of Bulgaria continued until 1908, when the country gained full independence, changing its name into Kingdom of Bulgaria.
Ivan Marinov, 21 April 2001
![[Eastern Rumelia flag]](../images/b/bg_er1.gif)
by Jaume Ollé