Tevno Vasilashko Lake in Pirin Mountain.Pirin Macedonia on the map of Bulgaria.
Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia[Note 1] (Bulgarian: Пиринска Македония; Българска Македония) (Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya) is the third-biggest part of the geographical region of Macedonia, today in southwestern Bulgaria. This region coincides with the borders of the Blagoevgrad Province, as well as the surrounding area of Barakovo from the Kyustendil Province. After World War I, Strumica and the surrounding area were broken away from the region and were ceded to Yugoslavia.
The main religion in the region of Pirin Macedonia is Christianity, with majority of population belonging to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. During the early centuries of Christianity, this region belonged to the ancient Roman province of Macedonia, and later it was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, up to the 1767. During the period of Ottoman rule, a partial islamization was also recorded. In the middle of the 19th century, Bulgarian national revival was initiated, and newly created Bulgarian Exarchate also included the region of Pirin Macedonia.[citation needed]
^Despite a history of use by Bulgarian nationalists,[1][better source needed] the terms "Pirin Macedonia" or "Bulgarian Macedonia" are today regarded as offensive by certain Bulgarians,[2][better source needed] who assert that it is widely used by Macedonists as part of the irredentist concept of United Macedonia. However, many people in the country also think of the name as a purely geographical term, which it has historically been. Its use is, thus, controversial.[citation needed]
