Thrace (demonym
Thracian ; ,
Thraike;
modern ,
Thráki; ,
Trakija ) is a historical and geographic area in southeast
Europe, centered on the modern borders of
Bulgaria,
Greece, and
Turkey. In antiquity, it was also referred to as
Europe, prior to the extension of the term to describe the whole continent. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the
Balkan Mountains on the north,
Rhodope Mountains and the
Aegean Sea on the south, and by the
Black Sea and the
Sea of Marmara on the east. The areas it comprises are southeastern Bulgaria (
Northern Thrace), northeastern Greece (
Western Thrace), and the European part of Turkey (
Eastern Thrace). The biggest part of Thrace is part of present-day Bulgaria. In Turkey, it is also called
Rumeli. The name comes from the
Thracians, an ancient
Indo-European people inhabiting Southeastern Europe.
