About Bulgaria

The country is situated on the Balkan peninsula. It is bordered in the north by Administrative Division Of BulgariaRumania(609 km. ,from which 470 km. along the Danube river), in the west by Jugoslavia (3451 km.), Macedonia (165 km.) and in the south by Greece (493 km.) and Turkey (253 km.) . It has a coast line in the east with the Black sea – 378 km. The northern part of the country is occupied by the Gornodunavska plain, which passes in the east into the Ludogorsko and Dobrudjansko plateau. To the south of them along the length of the whole country is situated the mountain range of Stara planina (The Balkans) with the highest top Botev -2 376 m., to the south of which is the lower mountain of Sredna gora. The central part of Southern Bulgaria is occupied by the Gornotrakijska low-land. In the southern and south-western parts of the country are : the highest mountain in the Balkan peninsula, named the Rila mountain with its top peak the Musala (2 925 m.), the Pirin mountain with the Vihren peak (2 914 m.), the Rodopi Range with the Golyam Perelik top (2 191 m.) , the Vitosha with the Cherni vruh (2 290m.) and others . The Blacksea coast is mostly low with vast strips of sand.
ClimateClimate – temperate-continental, in the southern parts – Mediterranean. The average temperature for January is between -2 and 2 degrees centigrade in the lowlands and till -10 degrees centigrade in the mountains, and for July 19-25 degrees centigrade in the plains and 10 degrees centigrade in the high parts of the mountains. Rainfall – 450-600 mm. in the plains and till 1300 mm. in the mountains. Main rivers – the Danube (470 km., a border with Rumania), the Ogosta, Iskur, Vit, Osum Yantra (all feedrs of the Danube river), Kamchiya, Maritca, Mesta, Struma. Vegetation –deciduous and coniferous forests cover almost 30% of the territory. 1700 m. above sea-level height there are pastures and meadows.
Population – 8 240 thousand of inhabitants. Density of population – 74.3 inhabitants by a square metre. Population growth -5. The average duration of life – men -68 years old, women- 75 years old.
Ethnic structure – Bulgarians – 85.5 % ; Turkish- 9.7% ; Gipsies -3.4 % ; Russians -0.3% ;Armenians -0.2% and others 0.6% .
Official language – Bulgarian . The Turkish and the Gypsy language are used too.
Religious composition – christians - 87 % (from which 98.8% are the Orthodox and 0.6% are the Catholic people), Muslims – 12.3% and others - 0.7%. Over 2 million Bulgarian people live abroad, mostly in Ukrain, Rumania, Jugoslavia, Macedonia, USA, Canada and others. The urban population is about 73 %.
The capital – Sofia (1 110 thousand inhabitants). The bigger towns – Plovdiv (340 000) , Varna (310 000) , Bourgas (200 000) , Russe (170 000), Stara Zagora (150 000) , Pleven (130 000) Sliven (110 000).
Administrative division –there are 28 districts, from which 14 are in the northern part of the country (Vidinska, Montanska, Vrachanska, Plevenska, Loveshka, Gabrovska, Velikoturnovska, Russenska, Silistrenska, Razgradska, Turgovishka, Shumenska, Varnenska, Dobrichka) and 14 in the southern Bulgaria (Bourgaska, Slivenska, Yambolska, Haskovska, Starozagorska, Kurdjalijska, Plovdivska, Smolyanska, Pazardjishka, BlagoevgradskaKjustendilska, Pernishka , Sofijska and Sofia -city).
Stats system – a parliamentary republic, governed by a president, chosen for a five-year period of time. А permanently active legislative power is the National Assembly , which consists of 240 deputies, elected for four years. Тhe executive power is the Parliament with a prime-minister at the head of it.
Currency – lev=100 stotinki
Economy –an industrial and an agricultural country with a market economy. There are limited resources of ores and minerals – iron, cooper, uran ores, coals, marble and others. Тhe leading industrial branches are : ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, machinery construction,chemistry industry, petroleum refining,cement industry,woodworking industry, textile and tobacco industry, wine-production and can- production. Agriculture and livestock beering – the cultivable lands occupy over 50% of the territory of the country. Main cultivations –wheat, corn, barley, sunflower, sugar beet, vineyards, lavender, peppermint and others. There are traditions in the cultivation of the oil-bearing rose (the rose oil).Rearing of stock – Bulgaria is specialized in the beering of pigs, sheep,poultry and cattle.
Transport – roads 37.3 thousand km. ,railway lines – 6.5 thousand km. The main sea harbours are Bourgas and Varna.The ports along the Danube river are Russe, Lom ,Vidin, Silistra and others. International airports – 4.
Tourism – a well-developed tourist infrastructure. Sea resorts – Albena, Zlatni pyasaci, Nesebar, Slanchev brjag, Sozopol and many others. The winter resorts are – Bansko, Pamporovo, Borovetc, Vitosha and etc. The balneologic resorts (there are over 500 curative mineral springs) - Hisarya, Vurshetc, Sandanski and others). Тhe average annual visitors are about 3 700 thousand people.