Gerlovo or Gerilovo is a small geographic and ethnographic region in Northern

Northern Bulgaria

Northern Bulgaria is the northern half of the territory of Bulgaria, located to the north of the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains which conventionally separates the country into a northern and a southern part...

 Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

, a hilly fertile valley

Valley

In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

 in the northeastern Balkan Mountains

Balkan Mountains

The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...

, south of the Ludogorie

Ludogorie

The Ludogorie or Deliorman is a region in northeastern Bulgaria stretching over the plateau of the same name. Major cities in the region are Razgrad, Novi Pazar, Pliska and Isperih...

 region. It lies between the Lisa, Preslav-Dragoevo and Kotel-Varbitsa mountains and covers much of Varbitsa

Varbitsa (town)

Varbitsa is a town in eastern Bulgaria, part of Shumen Province. It is the administrative centre of Varbitsa Municipality, which lies in the southwestern part of Shumen Province. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,585 inhabitants....

 municipality of Shumen Province

Shumen Province

-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Transportation:Shumen lies on the main route between Varna and Sofia and is served by numerous trains and buses serving the city. The city is also very well connected with Istanbul which serves the large Turkish community in...

, with smaller parts in Omurtag

Omurtag (town)

Omurtag is a town at the eastern foot of Stara Planina in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Targovishte Province, situated at 525 m above sea level. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Omurtag Municipality...

 municipality (Targovishte Province

Targovishte Province

Targovishte Province is a province in northeastern Bulgaria, named after its main city - Targovishte. As of December 2009, it has a population of 129,675 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...

) and Kotel

Kotel, Bulgaria

Kotel is a town in central Bulgaria, part of Sliven Province. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Kotel Municipality. As of december 2009, the town has a population of 6,232 inhabitants....

 municipality (Sliven Province

Sliven Province

Sliven Province is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Sliven. It embraces a territory of 3,544.1 km² that is divided into 4 municipalities, with a total population, as of December 2009, of 204,887...

). The main river is the Kamchiya

Kamchiya

The Kamchiya is a 244.5 km long river in eastern Bulgaria, the longest river on the Balkan Peninsula to flow directly into the Black Sea...

, which runs through the entire valley and forms the Ticha Reservoir

Ticha Reservoir

Ticha Reservoir is a reservoir in Varbitsa Municipality, Shumen Province, northeastern Bulgaria, located to the north and northeast of the town of Varbitsa. It is one of the largest lakes of Bulgaria...

; the only sizable town is Varbitsa. Four strategically important mountain pass

Mountain pass

A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...

es run through the region: the Preslav Pass, Dervent Pass, Kotel Pass

Kotel Pass

Kotel Pass is a mountain pass in the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It connects the Kotel and Petolachka crossroads.The pass is on one of the main routes connecting northern and southern Bulgaria.-References:*...

 and Varbitsa Pass

Varbitsa Pass

Varbitsa Pass is a mountain pass in the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It connects Shumen and Petolachka crossroads.The famous Battle of Pliska was fought in the pass on August 26, 811 between the armies of Bulgarian Empire led by Khan Krum and the Byzantine Empire under Nicephorus I which ended...

.

The population mostly consists of Bulgarians

Bulgarians

The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...

 and Turks

Turks in Bulgaria

The Turks in Bulgaria number 588,318 people and constitute 8.8% of those who declared their ethnic group and 8.0% of the total population according to the 2011 Bulgarian census. 605,802 persons or 9.1% of the population pointed Turkish language as their mother tongue. They are also the largest...

;http://promacedonia.org/ki/ki_priturka.htm there is an Alian

Alians

The Alians are a Shi`a order, similar to the Sufi Mevlevi, who live in several regions of Bulgaria. Alians revere Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in-law and first cousin of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, whom they consider an emanation of God...

 community. The population was subject to partial islamization

Islamization

Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...

 during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, and many of the local Muslims are islamized Bulgarians.http://www.refikengin.com/gelenler/068.DOChttp://www.nbu.bg/historyproject/dokumenti_44-62/razdel7t8/f1bop15ae765.pdf

Gerlovo Beach

Gerlovo Beach

Gerlovo Beach is a beach extending 2 km on the northwest coast of Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Stretching both south and northeast of Mercury Bluff, and facing San Telmo Island to the north by west. Snow-free in summer, with...

 on Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula

Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula

Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula is an ice-covered peninsula on the north coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica that is bounded by Hero Bay to the east and Barclay Bay to the west. It extends 13 km in length in north-south direction and is 8 km wide...

 in Livingston Island, Antarctica is named after Gerlovo region.