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Bulgaria General Information
Bulgaria is a country in Southeastern Europe and is situated on the Balkan Peninsula. To the north the country borders Rumania, to the east – the Black Sea, to the south – Turkey and Greece, and to the west – Serbia and Macedonia. Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic with a National Assembly (One House Parliament) of 240 national representatives. The President is Head of State.
Relief - The relief of the country is diverse, including vast lowlands, planes, low hills, high and low mountains, valleys, river basins and deep gorges. The surface structures were formed during different geological eras. The average altitude of Bulgaria is 470 m. In the northernmost part of Bulgaria, to the south of the Danube River, lies the Danubian Hilly Plane, the largest plane in the country. The mountain range of Stara Planina lies between the Belogradchik Pass and Cape Emine on the Black Sea; to the south it borders on Sofia Valley and the Southern Balkan Valleys. The range reaches its highest elevation in the Troyan-Kalofer Mountain - Botev Peak (2376 m).To the south of Stara Planina and almost parallel to it the Sredna Gora Mountains lies. Its highest point is Golyam Bogdan Peak (1604 m). The Rila Massif and the Rhodopes are the highest on the Balkan Peninsula. They are part of the Rila Mountains (highest point - 2925 m), Pirin (UNESCO), the Rhodopes and the mountain group of Osogovo-Belasitsa. The sharp rocky peaks lend these mountains an alpine view. There are numerous Karts formations - caves, gorges, rock phenomena (in the regions of Trigrad, Velingrad, Dobrostan, Peshtera and Arda). In the eastern part of Bulgaria, by the Black Sea Coast, there are well outlined wide beaches. These occupy approximately 130 km of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast (378 km). The Kamchiya-Shkorpilovtsi Beach Line is the longest (12 km). These beaches are wide and strewn with fine sand.
Climate -Temperate continental with clearly marked four seasons. A Mediterranean influence feels in the country's southern regions. The average annual temperature is 10.5°C. The average January temperature is around O°C. Average summer temperatures rarely exceeds 30°C.
History - The Bulgarian people are one of the most
ancient. The Bulgarian state was founded on the present-day
territory of Europe in 681 and ever since that time the name of
the country has always been the same. What follows are some of
the most significant dates and events in the history of
Bulgaria:
885 - Cyril and Methodius created the Slavonic script
864 - 866 - Bulgaria adopted Christianity
1018- 1185 - Bulgaria fell within the limits of the Byzantine
Empire and Rule
1185 - Restoration of the Bulgarian state
1396 - 1878 - Bulgaria was under the Turkish
Slavery
1878 - 1944 - Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy
1944 - 1989 - Bulgaria was a people's republic, governed by the
communist party
Since 10th of November, 1989 - Bulgaria
is parliamentary republic.
Religion: 86% of the population are Christians (85% are Eastern Orthodox, 1% are Roman Catholic), 13% are Muslims. The Bulgarian Church is autonomous and headed by a Patriarch.
Population: About 6,5
million people
Capital:
Sofia (pop. 1 million)
Large Cities:
Sofia,
Plovdiv,
Veliko Turnovo,
Varna,
Burgas
Official holidays
1 January - New Year
3 March - - National day: Commemorating liberation from the
Ottoman yoke in 1878
Easter - Two days - Sunday and Monday, which are defined by the
Orthodox calendar
1 May - Labour day
6 May - St. George - Day of the Bulgarian Army
24 May - Day of the Bulgarian culture and the Cyrillic alphabet
6 September - Day of Unification
22 September - Independence day
1 November - Day of the leaders of Bulgarian National Revival
25/26 December – Christmas
