General information

Location - Bulgaria is situated in Southeast Europe and occupies the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula.
To the north it borders on Romania, to the west on the Republic of Macedonia and the  Republic of Serbia, to the east on the Black Sea, to the south on Greece and to the southeast on Turkey's European part.

Territory - 111 000 sq.km.

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 Rho dopes are the highest on the Balkan Peninsula. They consist of the Rila Mountains (highest point - 2925 m), Pirin, 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 is felt 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 exceed 30°C.

History - The Bulgarian people is 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 Yoke
1878 - 1944 - Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy
1944 - 1989 - Bulgaria was a people's republic, governed by the communist party
Since 10 th of November, 1989  - Bulgaria has been a parliamentary republic.  

  
Population - 8,228,006 / according to the census taken in 2000/; The population consists chiefly of Bulgars. There is a substantial minority of Turks, and smaller groups of Gypsies and Macedonians, although Bulgaria, with its historic claim to Macedonia, refuses to recognize Macedonians as distinct from Bulgars. Bulgarian is the predominant language.

Official language - Bulgarian; English, German, French and Russian is spoken in the country's resorts, hotels and restaurants.Alphabet - Cyrillic. Signs along international motorways, in airports and resorts are also spelled in Roman letters.

Religion - 86.6% of the population is Eastern Orthodox, 13% are Muslims. The Bulgarian Church is autonomous and headed by a Patriarch.

State government - Bulgaria is an independent state and the form of government is of people's democracy. All citizens have equal rights as the law is concerned disregarding sex, nationality, race, religion, education, occupation, social and material status. In 1991 a new Constitution of Republic of Bulgaria is approved. The Members of the Parliament are elected at free democratic elections.  Since July 2001 Bulgarians prime minister is Simeon Saksckoburgotski who is the ex-king of Bulgaria. 

Economy - Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and positive growth rates since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. The current government, elected in 2001, has pledged to maintain the fundamental economic policy objectives of its predecessor, i.e., retaining the Currency Board, practicing sound financial policies, accelerating privatization, and pursuing structural reforms. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 will help the government maintain economic stability as it seeks to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment.

Capital - Sofia (pop. about 1,200,000)

Large Cities - Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas, Veliko Turnovo

Useful Information

Time Difference
Winter time: GMT +2 hours (October through March).
Summer time: GMT +3 hours (April through September)

Telecommunications - International dialing code for Bulgaria +359, for Sofia +359 2, for Plovdiv +359 32 . Direct telephone communication from Bulgaria to all countries  is possible from Bulgarian Telecommunication Company phone booths or with phone cards. Phone calls, telegram and Telex services in the country and abroad are also offered by the Post Offices

Currency - lev (BGL)
Currency Exchange - In banks and 24-hour change bureaus. The exchange rate is announced every day.
Credit Cards - Visa, Master Card, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, Access, Airplus. They can be used for the payment of all standard services in hotels, restaurants, night clubs, shops, car rentals, plane tickets, etc.

Official holidays
January 1 - New Year
March 3 - Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule - the National Day
Easter - one week after the Catholic Easter
May 1 - Labor Day
May 6 - Bulgarian Army Day
May 24 - Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture and the Slav Script
September 6 - Bulgaria's Unification
September 22 - Independence Day
December 25 - Christmas