Belasiza
| Belasiza (Беласица, Μπέλες - Beles - or Κερκίνη - Kerkini) |
|
|---|---|
 Belasiza Mountains (circled in red) - in Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia and Greece |
|
 Mount Radomir (Kalabak) |
|
| Highest peak | Radomir ( 2029 m ) |
| location | Macedonia / Greece , Republic of North Macedonia , Bulgaria |
| Coordinates | 41 ° 19 ′ N , 23 ° 7 ′ E |
Belasiza ( Bulgarian / Macedonian . Беласица; Greek Μπέλες - Beles - or Κερκίνη - Kerkini) is a mountain range in the triangle of Bulgaria , Greece and North Macedonia in southeastern Europe.
Half of the mountains are in Greece, 30% in the southeast of the Republic of North Macedonia and 20% in southwest Bulgaria. The area was known in history for the Battle of Kleidion (1014), the decisive battle in the fall of the First Bulgarian Empire.
The mountain range is approx. 60 km long and 7 to 9 km wide. It is located northwest of Lake Dojran . The highest point is Mount Radomir (Kalabak) at 2029 m. It is located on Bulgarian territory but does not rise very much above the surrounding mountains. The rest of the terrain is mostly between 300 and 1900 m. The climate is subject to strong Mediterranean influences.
On the eastern edge of the Belasiza (Kerkini) the Struma (Strymonas) flows through the Roupel Pass from Bulgaria to Greece. Alongside the river, the Sofia-Thessaloniki railway line and European route 79 run through this narrow valley, which is currently being developed as a motorway within the framework of the trans-European transport corridors.
The Belasiza area was declared a Euroregion in 2003 .
Two football teams are named Belasiza:
- the PFC Belasiza from the Bulgarian town of Petrich at the foot of the Belasiza Mountains and
- FC Belasiza Geras Cunew from Strumica in the Republic of North Macedonia.
