Bulgaria - Tourism and Travel

The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in southern Europe. It is located on the western shore of the Black Sea.

Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries.

After World War II, it became part of the Soviet Bloc.

In 1989, it slowly escaped from Soviet influence, a move that resulted in instability for some time.

Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.

Bulgaria has an area of 42,855 square miles (110,994 square kilometers).

There are sandy beaches on the Black Sea coast.

Most of Bulgaria's northern border is formed by the Danube River.

The fertile Danube plains lie in the north. They are separated from the Rhodope Mountains and the southern lowlands by the Balkan Mountains.

The Rhodope mountains form a border between Bulgaria and Greece.

The Arda River runs through the Rhodope Mountains, cutting through the mountains in rocky gorges.

The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia.

Bulgaria has a population of 7,545,000.

84% of the people are ethnic Bulgarians, 9% are Turkish and 5% are Roma.

Bulgarian is the official language. Turkish and Romani are also spoken.

83% of the population is Christian Orthodox, 12% is Muslim and 1% is Roman Catholic.

Bulgaria's economy is based on agriculture. Tobacco, grains, vegetables, fruits, grapes and sunflowers are grown. Roses are cultivated for used in perfume. Cattle raising is also imporant.

When Bulgaria was part of the eastern bloc, the Soviets invested heavily in Bulgarian industry. Today, consumer goods, machinery, shipbuilding, chemicals and metals are important manufactuing industries.

Tourism, services and construction also play an important role in the economy.

Bulgaria has a parliamentary system of government.

The official unit of currency is the lev, which is equal to 100 stotinki.