THE WORLD. A CONCISE ENCYCLOPEDIA - Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Center

“The world. A concise encyclopedia” introduces universal encyclopedic knowledge about man and the world around him in a synthesised and comprehensible format. Scientific data is arranged in seven main topics – “The Universe”, “Earth”, “Plants and Animal Life”, “Man”, “Society”, “Countries” and “Bulgaria”, which are developed in 977 articles. Each includes subtopics with independent articles about man and nature, history, the arts and literature, science, technology and technique, sports, and countries of the world. 128 pages of a total of 687 are dedicated to Bulgaria.

The information is also supplemented with chronologies of important discoveries in physics, technology, medicine, construction and architecture, visual arts and music, world literature, and the most influential political figures and events in XIX-XXI centuries. Authors, contributors, reviewers and consultants are leading scientists and specialists from the BAS, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Technical University – Sofia, Military Academy “G. S. Rakovski”, etc. The editing process was completed on September 25, 2024. 1889 photographs, drawings, graphs, tables, and maps are added to the articles.

THE UNIVERSE

The “Universe” topic presents a substantial portion of the knowledge about galaxies, stars, the Solar System and other atronomical objects.

You will learn that:

The first exoplanet was discovered in 1995, and now there are thousands of confirmed candidate exoplanets.

EARTH

The “Earth” topic introduces knowledge about the construction of our planet from the core to the upper layers of the atmosphere and its relief, continents geography, the World Ocean, and most common atmospheric phenomena.

You will learn that:

The Earth’s mantle is the geosphere that envelops the Earth’s core. It is about 2,900 km thick and accounts for 66% of the planet’s mass;
Antarctica is the highest continent on Earth with average altitude of the ice sheet 2040 m. It is also the lowest point on land – 3500 m below sea level, measured in an ice-filled canyon;
Historically, four oceans have been distinguished – Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. The fifth – Southern Ocean, is officially recognised in 2021.

PLANTS AND ANIMAL LIFE

Organism classification based on evolutionary theory and biological sciences are defined in the “Plants and Animal Life” topic. It demonstrates the structure of living organisms and their ecological role.

You will learn that:

Microorganisms were first observed in the 17th century by Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek using a microscope he had constructed;
6495 species of mammals are known in the world; in Bulgaria there are 95-100 species, both native and introduced (the largest number are bats – 33, rodents – 31, predators – 14, insectivores – 10).

MAN

The “Man” subject provides basic knowledge about human organism’s structure and functions by examining main systems in the human body (organs that work together and perform certain functions). Socially significant diseases and the risk factors for their development are briefly presented.

You will learn that:

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (5th century BC), who is recognised as the father of medicine, founded a school of medicine, creating a doctrine of diseases and treatment and laying the foundations of medical ethics (Hippocratic Oath);
In 1951, the Bulgarian doctor Srebra Rodopska developed the world’s second BCG vaccine, which became mandatory in Bulgaria and now is used in over 180 countries.

SOCIETY

It includes a chronological overview of human history from 40,000 years ago, when the modern man appeared, and traces the main processes, events, personalities and ideas from Stone Age to modern times.

You will learn that:

In the first half of the 3rd millennium BC, in the valley of the Indus River (today’s Pakistan and Northwest India) flourished the most ancient Indian civilization – the Harappan, with an extensive network of settlements (more than 100 have been studied so far);
The oldest known civilization in Ancient Pre-Columbian America flourished along the central and northern coast of present-day Peru between 3500 and 1700 BC – the Norte Chico civilization;
In 1921, the League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen introduced the so-called “Nansen passport” – the first legal instrument for international protection of refugees.

Main mythological deities, cultural heroes and myths about the origin of the world, natural phenomena and humanity in the ideas of different peoples in antiquity are described.

You will learn that:

According to Norse and Germanic mythology, the sacred tree Yggdrasil underpins the nine worlds inhabited by gods and giants, elves, gnomes, men, monsters, and other magical creatures;
In Persian mythology, the supreme god is Ahura Mazda – the creator of universe and man, the source of good, who is in a constant battle with Ahriman – the spirit of evil.

A brief overview of the world’s most widespread religions is given – what are their sacred texts and symbols, their beliefs and practices.

You will learn that:

The religious and philosophical teaching of Taoism arose in China around the 6th century BC;
Judaism is the first monotheistic religion in the world. It is professed by the Jews and is directly related to their history.

The encyclopedia explains basic concepts in the fields of mathematics, mechanics, physics, astronomy, geophysics, meteorology and climatology, chemistry, biology, and ecology. Modern discoveries and advances in physics, such as the discovery of graphene in 2004, the Higgs boson (the so-called ‘God particle’) in 2012, and the first direct observation of gravitational waves in 2015 by LIGO scientists are included.

You will learn that:

The numbers 1 to 9 appeared for the first time with their own symbol and a zero – a small empty circle, in India. In the 9th century Baghdadi scholar Muhammad al-Khwarizmi introduced Indian numerals to mathematics. In the 10th century they were carried to Europe and are known today as Arabic numerals.

The development of main technical sciences and directions – automatics, cybernetics and robotics, electrical engineering and electronics, energy, information and communication technologies, computer sciences, cosmonautics, materials science, machines and mechanical engineering, transport, is examined.

You will learn that:

In the 6th–4th centuries BC in China the junk appeared, the magnetic compass, roller bearings were invented, the gear wheel was discovered;
In 1642 the French mathematician Blaise Pascal constructed the first mechanical calculating machine;
In 1800 the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta invented the electric battery – the first source of direct current;
In 2024 the first artificial intelligence platform in the Bulgarian language BgGPT was created. Bulgaria ranks among the few countries in the world with its own GPT technology.

Chronologically, the history, styles and trends and achievements of construction (one of the oldest human activities) and architecture are examined.

You will learn that:

In the 5th century BC Hippodamus of Miletus introduced rectangular street network into urban planning;
In 1885, the first skyscraper (with 10 floors and 42 m height) was erected in Chicago.

The creative skills of man are represented – fine arts, photography, music, ballet, theatre and cinema. Their development is traced in short chronologies.

You will learn that:

During the Tang Dynasty (618–907) in China, the genres of portraiture, landscape and animalistic painting became distinct, the applied arts flourished (Chinese porcelain);
In 1026 the Italian monk Guido d’Arezzo created a system for recording music – the fifth line we know today uses the first syllables of a hymn to John the Baptist to name the notes.

The most significant works of world literature are examined chronologically – from ancient mythological and religious texts, through the notable monuments of world’s classics, to the latest works reflecting the social problems of our time.

You will learn that:

The earliest fiction writing monument – the Epic of Gilgamesh was created at the end of the 3rd – beginning of the 2nd millennium BC;
In the 9th–14th centuries the collection of Indian, Iranian, Arabic and Greek fairy tales “One Thousand and One Nights” was compiled;
With the “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) story, the American poet and writer Edgar Allan Poe marked the beginning of detective fiction.

The publication introduces readers to the basic rules and criteria of more than 60 types of sports, most of which are included in the Olympic Games. The years and venues of modern Olympics since 1896, as well as all Bulgarian athletes who won gold medals from the Paris Olympics in 2024 are represented in tables.

You will learn that:

Jiu-jitsu is a Japanese martial art for self-defense against an armed opponent. It was founded in the 13th century, and in the 15th–16th centuries it became a training system for the samurai;
The first course in non-motorized flying in Bulgaria was organised in 1929 at Bozhurishte Airport by Colonel Georgi Drenikov;
Bulgaria is among the 13 founding countries of modern Olympic Games. The first Olympic medal (bronze) for Bulgaria was won by the boxer Boris Georgiev in Helsinki in 1952, and the first gold medal was awarded to the wrestler Nikola Stanchev in Melbourne in 1956.

COUNTRIES

In the “Countries” topic, readers will find statistical data (area, population, official language, currency) and main events in the political development of 197 countries, internationally recognised sovereign states and members of the United Nations.

BULGARIA

The “Bulgaria” topic contains articles that, in a thematic order, introduce the reader to the rich nature and diversity of plant and animal life in Bulgaria, including protected and conserved areas. The country has about 790 endemic animals and 186 plant species.

You will learn that:

Bulgaria is in second place in Europe and among the first places in the world in production and export of herbs.

The encyclopedia traces Bulgaria’s thousand-year history – from prehistory, when the Bulgarian lands were an early evidence of human life in Europe, through Roman Empire and Byzantium era, the Middle Ages, and modern times.

You will learn that:

Symbols of the most ancient European civilization, which was born in the Balkans, are the cultural and artistic achievements of Chalcolithic Thrace, the stone architecture (the oldest known in Europe) near Durankulak, the Varna necropolis with the first processed gold in the world, the earliest in Europe malting and urban center Provadia-Solnitsata;
On April 16, 1879 in Tarnovo, the Constituent Assembly adopted the basic law of the young Bulgarian state – the Tarnovo Constitution, one of the most liberal of its time;
In the spring of 1943, the deportation of Bulgarian Jews to the death camps was not allowed.

Bulgaria’s development and achievements in the field of science, technology and innovation are also in focus.

You will learn that:

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the first Bulgarian scientific organization, was founded as the Bulgarian Literary Society in Braila in 1869, nine years before the restoration of Bulgarian statehood;
Physicist Georgi Nadzhakov discovered (1937) the photoelectric state of matter. This is one of the most significant Bulgarian scientific achievements, which became development basis for the copier industry and vacuum tube-free television technology in the world;
The beginning of Bulgarian aircraft construction was established in 1915, when Asen Yordanov created the first Bulgarian aircraft.

An achievement of Bulgarian science is the construction of the world’s first space greenhouse “Svet”.

Historical stages and cultural influences that shaped the architectural landscape of today’s Bulgaria are included. Bulgarian natural and cultural tangible and intangible world heritage sites are represented.

You will learn that:

Since 2017 the beech forests in the “Central Balkan” National Park have been a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site;
The “high” polyphonic singing from the villages of Dolen and Satovcha is the newest Bulgarian addition (2021) to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The overview of Bulgarian literary tradition provides information on the earliest Bulgarian written monuments, as well as key authors and works from the main literary schools and movements. The development of genre varieties, periodicals and media in Bulgaria has been traced. Contemporary writers such as Teodora Dimova, Milen Ruskov, Georgi Bardarov, Zdravka Evtimova, Georgi Gospodinov, et al. are included.

You will learn that:

The beginning of Bulgarian periodical press was established by Konstantin Fotinov in Smyrna (Izmir, Turkey) with the magazine “Lyuboslovie” (1844–1846).

The development of arts (visual, musical, dance, theatrical, film, circus) has been traced from the first manifestations of creativity in the Bulgarian lands until today.

In the XIV century Ioan Kukuzel, “The Angelic Voice”, reformed the Byzantine neumatic notation and created a new type of chant that spread in the following centuries in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus as Bulgarian chant;
The first Bulgarian operas were “The Poor Woman” (1900) by Emanuil Manolov and “Borislav” (1911) by maestro Georgi Atanasov;
The first professional theatre in our country was created by Frenchmen Bossi and Brun in 1881 in Plovdiv;
Vasil Gendov was the director and leading actor in the first feature film “A Bulgarian is a Gallant” (1915) and the first sound film “The Rebellion of the Slaves” (1933).

Modern Bulgaria’s administrative-territorial division is presented with statistical and geographical information about districts, a brief history of district centres, information about natural, cultural and tourist sites, using the officially published data from population census conducted in September 2021.

“The world. A concise encyclopedia” provides up-to-date information on the remains of the city of Heraclea Sintica, founded in the middle of the 4th century BC and discovered at the Rupite village, the underground mining museum in Pernik, the well-temple near the village of Garlo, the Demir Baba Tekke shrine, built in the middle of the 16th century on an ancient sacred site, as well as answers to the questions:

WHERE is Bulgaria’s geographical centre?
WHICH is the tallest and oldest lighthouse in our country?
WHICH is the most famous spa resort?
WHAT is the water temperature of Central Sapareva Banya’s geyser?
WHICH is the largest paleontological site in the Balkans?

2024, ISBN 9789548104456, 9786191954056

THE UNIVERSE

EARTH

MAN

SOCIETY

COUNTRIES

BULGARIA

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