SPACEPHOTOS

Covering the left portion of the image, the rugged, snow-capped Rhodope Mountains can be seen in this southeast-looking view. The Rhodope Mountains stretch northwest to southeast along the Bulgarian and Greek border 200 miles (320 km). They are forested and have very few passes. Just to the right (west) of the center of the image, the Struma River Valley is visible. The Struma River rises in the mountains of western Bulgaria (not visible in the image) and flows generally southeast for 216 miles (348 km) before emptying in the Strymonic Gulf (upper right), an arm of the Aegean Sea. Numerous canals have been constructed in the northern Struma River Valley (south of Kerkinis Lake) to support agriculture. To the right (west) of the river valley are the Pangaion Mountains, a low range of mountains that in ancient times were known for their gold and silver mines. West of the Pangaion Mountains is Voevi Lake.