View source for Belasica

{{Short description|Mountain range in southeastern Europe}}
{{For|the football teams|PFC Belasitsa Petrich|FK Belasica}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Belasica
| native_name = {{native name list
|tag1=el|name1=Κερκίνη |tag2=el|name2=Μπέλλες
|tag3=mk|name3=Беласица
|tag4=bg|name4=Беласица}}
| photo = Kalabak IMG 4600.jpg
| photo_caption = Kalabak (Radomir) – the highest summit in Belasitsa mountain.
| country = {{enum|Greece|North Macedonia|Bulgaria}}
| subdivision1_type = Region
| geology =
| orogeny =
| area_km2 =
| length_km =
| length_orientation =
| width_km =
| width_orientation =
| highest = [[Radomir (peak)|Radomir]]
| elevation_m = 2029
| range_coordinates = {{Coord|41|20|19|N|22|55|39|E|type:mountain_region:GR_scale:300000|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates =
| map_image = Belasiza Balkan topo de.jpg
| map_caption = Location of Belasica (circled in red)
}}
'''Belasica''' ([[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] and [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]: {{audio|Mk-Belasica.ogg|Беласица}}, also translit. ''Belasitsa'' or ''Belasitza'', [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman Turkish]]:<ref>''Rumeli-i Şahane Haritası'', Harvard Map Collection, Ottoman Empire Series, Index Map, 1:210,000 Scale, c. 1901/1902, http://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:4952983$17i {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803045254/https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:4952983$17i |date=3 August 2017 }} Retrieved 17.05.2016</ref> بلش [[Turkish language|Turkish]]: ''Beleş''), '''Belles''' ({{langx|el|Μπέλλες}}, ''Bélles'') or '''Kerkini''' ({{Langx|el|Κερκίνη}}, ''Kerkíni'';), is a [[mountain range]] in the [[Macedonia (region)|region of Macedonia]] in [[Southeastern Europe]], shared by northeastern [[Greece]] (about 45%), southeastern [[North Macedonia]] (35%) and southwestern [[Bulgaria]] (20%).
==Geography==
The mountain range is [[fault-block mountain]] about {{convert|60|km|2|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|7|to|9|km|2|abbr=on|lk=out}} wide and is situated just northeast of [[Dojran Lake]]. The highest point is [[Radomir (peak)|Radomir]] (Kalabaka) at 2,031 m, with elevation otherwise ranging between 300 and 1900 m above sea level. The borders of all three countries meet at [[Tumba Peak (Belasica)|Tumba Peak]]. The climate in the area shows strong [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]] influence.
The area of Belasica became a [[euroregion]] in 2003. Two football teams are named after the mountain range, [[PFC Belasitsa Petrich|PFC Belasitsa]] from the nearby Bulgarian town of [[Petrich]] and [[FC Belasica]] from [[Strumica]] in North Macedonia.
==History==
Since ancient times Greeks refer to the range as Ὄρβηλος (Modern Greek: {{IPA|ˈor.vi.los}}, Ancient Greek: {{IPA|ˈor.bɛː.los}}).<ref>The Cambridge Ancient History: The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East, from the Eighth to the Sixth Centuries B.C., Nicholas Geoffrey, Lemprière Hammond, Cambridge University Press, 1995, {{ISBN|0521227178}}, p. 594.</ref><ref>[http://www.ems.gr/analytikos-katalogos-ekdoseon/makedoniki-vivliothiki/049-samsaris.html] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424003106/http://www.ems.gr/analytikos-katalogos-ekdoseon/makedoniki-vivliothiki/049-samsaris.html |date=2017-04-24 }} D. C. Samsaris, Historical Geography of Eastern Macedonia during the Antiquity (in Greek), Thessaloniki 1976 (Society for Macedonian Studies), p. 13. {{ISBN|960-7265-16-5}}.</ref> According to the ancient authors it was a mountain range in the border area between Thrace and Macedonia.<ref>(Hdt. 5,16; Str. 7a,1,36; Arr. Anab. 1,1,5)</ref> It is generally equated today with the modern Belasica.<ref>Brill Online Reference Works – Orbelus von Bredow, Iris (Bietigheim-Bissingen).</ref> The name ''Órbēlos'' is probably derived from the ancient Thracian/Paionian toponym of the mountain, which means "shining mountain", from ''belos'' – "blazing" or "shining", and ''or'' – "mountain".<ref>Beiträge zur Namenforschung, C. Winter., 1995, S. 241–242.</ref> It was known for its [[Dionysos]] cult.
<ref>T. Spiridonov, Istoričeskata geografija na trakijskite plemena, 1983, 24 f., 118.</ref>
The area is also particularly famous for the [[Battle of Kleidion]] of 1014, which proved crucial for the fall of the [[First Bulgarian Empire]].
==Honour==
[[Kongur Glacier]] on [[Smith Island (South Shetland Islands)|Smith Island]], [[South Shetland Islands]] is named after the peak and [[nature reserve]] of [[Kongur (Belasitsa)|Kongur]] on Belasitsa Mountain.
==Photo gallery==
<gallery>
File:View along the main ridge of the Belasitsa range.jpg|Looking along the main ridge
File:Watchtower close to the Belasitsa ridge.jpg|One of many ruined watchtowers on the Bulgarian side of the ridge
Image:Smolarski vodopad 19.JPG|[[Smolare Falls]] on Belasica in [[North Macedonia]]
File:View of Belasica mountain range from Lake Kerkini.JPG|View of Belasica mountain range from [[Lake Kerkini]]
File:Χιονισμένο όρος Μπέλες.jpg|View of Belasica from the Greek side during the winter
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[Belasitsa Nature Park]]
*[[Smolare Falls]]
==References==
*Belasitsa. Tourist map, Sofia, 2006.
*Благоевъ, Т. А. Бѣласица. София, 1925.
*Динчев, Евг., Атанасов, П. Високите планини на Република Македония. Пътеводител, София, 1998, стр. 214–224.
*"Енциклопедия Пирински край". Том 1, Благоевград, 1995, стр. 78.
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
{{commons category|Belasitsa}}
*[http://belasitsa.com Belasitsa.com (regional portal)]
*[http://mountain.bajhui.org/main.php?g2_itemId=2727 Image Gallery From Belasica] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105044252/http://mountain.bajhui.org/main.php?g2_itemId=2727 |date=5 January 2015 }}
{{Bulgaria topics}}
{{North Macedonia topics}}
[[Category:Rhodope mountain range]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Greece]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of North Macedonia]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Landforms of Blagoevgrad Province]]
[[Category:Geography of Macedonia (region)]]
[[Category:Bulgaria–Greece border]]
[[Category:Bulgaria–North Macedonia border]]
[[Category:Greece–North Macedonia border]]
[[Category:International mountains of Europe]]
[[Category:Landforms of Kilkis (regional unit)]]
[[Category:Landforms of Serres (regional unit)]]
[[Category:Landforms of Central Macedonia]]