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| Republic of Bulgaria | |
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Overview
Bulgaria is a country in Southeastern Europe. It borders five countries: Romania to the north mostly along the Danube, Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea, which comprises its entire eastern border. Bulgaria is situated in a region once inhabited by the ancient Thracians and later by Greeks and Romans, and is a successor of a powerful European medieval empire which at times covered most of the Balkans and spread its culture and literature among the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe. After almost five centuries of Ottoman rule, Bulgaria was reestablished as a constitutional monarchy in 1878. Part of the Eastern Bloc after World War II, today Bulgaria is a democratic, unitary, constitutional republic, a member of the European Union and NATO. Bulgaria's current population is 7,679,290, a decline of 1.5 million since 1989. 
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Geography
Bulgaria is a country located in the Southeastern part of Europe. It borders five countries: Romania to the North- mostly along the Danube river; Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the West; Greece and Turkey to the South, and the Black Sea, which comprises its entire Eastern border.The land area of Bulgaria is 110,550 square kilometers- slightly larger than the area of Iceland or the American State of Tennessee. Considering its small size, Bulgaria has a great variety of topographical features: the Black Sea with a 380 km. long coastal strip and golden sandy beaches, 16 mountains with their own characteristic features, over 550 curative mineral springs, over 2000 thrilling caves, etc.
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History & Culture
Bulgaria is situated in a region once inhabited by the ancient Thracians and later by the Greeks and the Romans, and is a successor of a powerful European medieval empire which at times covered most of the Balkans and spread its culture and literature among the Slavonic people of Eastern Europe. After almost five centuries of Ottoman rule, Bulgaria was re-established as a constitutional monarchy in 1878. After World War II, the country became a part of the Eastern Bloc. Today Bulgaria is a democratic, unitary, constitutional republic, a member of the European Union and NATO.
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Nature & Attractions
Bulgaria is characterized by generous and varied nature, healthy climate and diverse flora and fauna. In fact, Bulgaria's vegetation is situated among the Central European forest region, but the influence of the South Russian and Asia Minor regions are also felt. The higher parts of Bulgarian mountains are covered by sub - Arctic vegetation, among which the juniper forests predominate. In fact, Bulgaria boasts 3000 higher plant varieties - almost twice as many as England. Bulgaria is also famous for its oleaginous rose which blooms in the Valley of Roses. The fauna is no less interesting, with almost 13,000 animal species and subspecies, or about 14 percent of all European species.
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Popular locations
Legend has it that when God handed out land to different peoples, he forgot about the Bulgarians. To set things right, he took a piece of paradise and gave it to them.
Cultural and archeological places of interest Bulgaria has a rich history. Many visitors find time to journey to many of the cultural sites dotted throughout Bulgaria. Some of the most important archaeological sites in Europe are located within Bulgaria's borders with new discoveries still being made. Combined with the rich religious heritage of the region, there is no shortage of sites to visit. Rural and eco-tourism locations Many Bulgarian villages, which have preserved their traditional appearance and genuine spirit, situated in environmentally clean regions, open their doors with hospitality to those willing to share the preserved rich Bulgarian traditions and folklore, agriculture, delicious and varied local cuisine, preserved old crafts, the forthright human relations. Spa resorts and health resorts in Bulgaria The curative properties of the Bulgarian mineral waters were known and used from antiquity. Ancient mineral complexes were built near the mineral springs:
Seaside resorts and the Black Sea coast With a coastline of 354 km along the Black Sea, Bulgaria attracts many tourists and property buyers. Most popular areas of interest for foreign property buyers and investors are the newly built resorts and the ancient cities at the Black sea. Characteristic for the Bulgarian coast are the long marvelous beaches, calm sea, clear water and healthy air, fine golden sand and natural dunes, mineral water springs, blue flag winning resorts, holiday villages and campsites. Average air temperature in the summer is about 28°C, water temperature - 25°C. There are more than 240 hours of sunshine in May and September and more than 300 hours in July and August. The two international airports of Varna and Burgas connects the Bulgarian Riviera to the world. Mountains and ski resorts Rugged snow-capped peaks and soft green slopes, cool forests carrying the aroma of herbs and wild fruit, quick-flowing rivers and crystal-clear blue lakes, mineral springs and bio-reserves, rare plants and game, large ski resorts and small picturesque villages with living traditions and folklore every Bulgarian mountain has its own characteristic appearance, fascination and beautiful name. Bulgaria has no less than four different mountain ranges, the Stara Planina, the Rhodope, the Rila and the Pirin mountains. Bulgaria now boasts three international quality ski resorts: Pamporovo, Borovets and Bansko. These resorts offer ski tracks up to 2,715 m above sea level with ski runs total up to 75 km. In summer the mountains continue to attract a large number of visitors with some of the best hiking routes in Europe. Mountain bikers and horse riders are also beginning to discover the attractions of Bulgaria. The area around Sopot in the Stara Planina also boasts some of the best hand gliding and paragliding conditions in Europe.
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Economy
Bulgaria's economy contracted dramatically after 1989 with the loss of the market of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) member states, to which the Bulgarian economy had been closely tied. The standard of living fell by about 40%, but it regained pre-1990 levels in June 2004. United Nations sanctions against Yugoslavia and Iraq took a heavy toll on the Bulgarian economy. The first signs of recovery emerged in 1994 when the GDP grew and inflation fell. During the government of Zhan Videnov's cabinet in 1996, the economy collapsed due to lack of international economic support and an unstable banking system. Since 1997, the country has been on the path to recovery, with GDP growing at a 4–5% rate, increasing FDI, macroeconomic stability and European Union membership. The former government- elected in 2001, pledged to maintain the fundamental economic policy objectives adopted by its predecessor in 1997, i.e. retaining the Currency Board, practicing sound financial policies, accelerating privatization, and pursuing structural reforms. Economic forecasts for 2007 and 2008 predict continued growth in the economy. The annual year-on-year GDP growth for 2007 and 2008 is expected to total 5.3% and 6.0% respectively. Industrial output for 2007 was forecast to rise by 11.9% from the previous year and for 2008 by 15.2%. Unemployment for 2007 was projected at 11.5% and for 2008 about 9%.
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Cost of living
The cost of living is one of the lowest in Europe. A meal for two, made from organically pure products and including a bottle of nice wine will not cost you more than seven or eight Euros. The unit of currency in Bulgaria (currency code: BGN) is the Lev, divided into 100 stotinki. The Bulgarian National Bank is the bank of issue and handles the government funds and state-owned enterprises. Notes are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50,100 and 200 Leva. Coins come in denominations of 1 and 2 Leva, plus 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 stotinki. Public utilities Electricity: 0,10 Euro/kWh Water: 0,50 Euro/m3 Inhabited house duty: 50 Euro/year Cleaner: 50 Euro/month Internet-LAN: 15 Euro/month Ground phone:
Diesel: 0,5 Euro/litre Gas: 0,4 Euro/litre Taxi: 0,25 Euro/km. Security:
Accountant: 50-80 Euro/month Lawyer: 100-130 Euro/month Secretary: 100-130 Euro/month Manager: 150-180 Euro/month Office manager: 150-300 Euro/month Tip in restaurant: 1-3 Euro Prices on food Chicken: 2.5 Euro/kg. English bacon: 4 Euro/kg. Salami: 1.6 Euro/kg. Sirloin: 7,39 Euro/kg. Cheese: 1.4 Euro/kg. Milk: 0.5 Euro/litre Sauce: 0.5 Euro/kg. Olives: 1.7 Euro/kg. Mushrooms with sauce: 2.4 Euro/kg. Rice: 0.4 Euro/kg. Pasta: 0.5 Euro/0.220 kg. Jam: 0.4 Euro/0.3 kg. Coffee: 0.5-4 Euro/0.1 kg. Bread: 0.3 Euro/0.8 kg. Fruits: 0.6 Euro/kg. Whiskey: 8 Euro/litre Bulgarian brandy: 1.5 Euro/0,7 litre Daily goods Deodorant: 1.2 Euro/50 ml. Cream: 0.8 Euro/75 ml. Shower gel: 1.2 Euro/250 ml. Soap: 0.4 Euro/0.1 kg. Shampoo: 1.5 Euro/250 ml. Tooth-paste: 0.5 Euro/50 ml. Washing powder: 0.3 Euro/0.5 kg. Colour dye: 2 Euro
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Communications
Bulgaria offers excellent conditions for high-tech and telecommunication industries and services with its strategic location, highly-qualified workforce, macroeconomic stability, growing domestic market and good education. This is why some multinational companies choose Bulgaria to build their regional offices and headquarters even before Bulgaria joined the EU. The most notable is Hewlett-Packard, which built its Global Service Centre for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in Sofia. Telecommunications is perhaps the fastest growing industry in the country. There are three GSM mobile operators - Globul, Mobiltel and Vivatel — which provide almost 100% coverage. They have hundreds of service centres throughout the country which are constantly growing and improving. More than 6,245,000 Bulgarians[14] own mobile cellular phones. Mobikom is the only NMT 450 mobile phone operator. Every town and many villages have a fast Internet connection. There are around 185,000[15] Internet hosts.
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Transport system
Bulgaria occupies a unique and strategically important geographic location. Since ancient times, the country has been a major crossroad between Europe, Asia and Africa. Five of the ten Trans-European corridors run through its territory. The total length of the roads is 102,016 km of which 93,855 km are paved and 416 km are motorways. Several motorways are either planned, under construction or partially built: Trakiya motorway, Hemus motorway, Cherno More motorway, Struma motorway, Maritza motorway and Lyulin motorway. Other motorways are planned but their final track is yet to be decided. They include a link between the capital Sofia, and Vidin, a link between the Struma and Trakiya motorways South of Rila Mountain, a link between Rousse and Veliko Tarnovo, and the Sofia ring road. Many roads have been recently reconstructed. The length of the railway network is 6,500 km- of which more than 60% are electrified. There is a ˆ360,000,000 project for the modernization and electrification of the Plovdiv-Capitan Andreevo railway. Air transportation is relatively well developed. Formally, there are six international airports in Sofia, Bourgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Rousse and Gorna Oryahovitsa. Massive investments are planned for the first three. There are important domestic airports in Vidin, Pleven, Silistra, Targovishte, Stara Zagora, Kardzhali, Haskovo and Sliven. After the fall of communism in 1989, most of them are not used as the importance of domestic flights declined. There are many military airports and agricultural airfields. 128 of the 213 airports in Bulgaria are paved. The ports of Varna and Bourgas are by far the most important and have the largest turnover on the Black Sea coast. Others include Sozopol, Nessebar and Pomorie- which are big fishing ports in the same region. However, the largest ports on the Danube River, which defines Northern border of Bulgaria, are Rousse and Lom which serve the capital. There is a well organized public transport in the cities and in many of the smaller towns. There are buses, trolleys (in about 20 cities) and trams (in Sofia). The Sofia Metro in the capital is to have three lines with total length of about 48 km and 52 stations, but only a section is currently completed.
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Tourism
Traditional Tourism During the winter months, Borovetz, Bansko, Pamporovo and Vitosha are ski resorts. During the summer season tourists visit Bulgaria's resorts along the Black Sea coast. Summer resorts include Sozopol, Nessebur, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Sveti Vlas, Albena and St. St. Constantine & Helena. Bulgaria has enjoyed a growth in income from international tourism over the past decade. Beach resorts are popular with tourists from Germany, Russia and Scandinavia. The ski resorts are a favorite destination for English tourists. Emerging Forms of Tourism Besides the traditionally developed forms of tourism new types are also gaining popularity. Ethno tourism is one such kind, where tourists explore living among local people, particularly in small mountain villages far from five star hotels and luxury shops. Bike tourism and mountain hiking have also shown strong growth in popularity among foreign tourists. The mountains of Rila, Pirin and the Balkan attract climbers. Hikers enjoy the mountains of Vitosha and the Rhodopes. Bicycling is popular, Bulgaria is one of only six countries to annually host official 1200km Randonnees - ultra-marathon bicycle rides patterned after Paris-Brest-Paris. History Tourism Historical tourism is undeveloped in Bulgaria. The country is situated at crossroads linking East and West. It has been home to many civilizations, including the Thracians, Slavs, Romans, Byzantines, Proto-Bulgarians, and Ottomans. Although the country is rich in historical ruins, museums and monasteries those are not properly advertised and maintained. Some are not tourist-accessible due to poor infrastructure. This underdevelopment is regarded as desirable by some tourists who prefer to experience history first-hand rather than look at artifacts behind glass.
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Demographics
Population Bulgaria's current population is 7,679,290, a decline of 1.5 million since 1989. Age structure Population pyramid 0-14 years: 14.1% (male 539,005/female 512,762) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,516,368/female 2,599,524) 65 years and over: 17.2% (male 531,008/female 751,682) (2005) To see detailed (with graphics) Population Pyramid Summary for Bulgaria, follow this link (it will open in new window). Median age Total: 40.66 years Male: 38.59 years Female: 42.66 years (2005) Population growth rate -0.86% (2006) Birth rate 9.66 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) Death rate 14.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005) Net migration rate -4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005) Sex ratio At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005) Infant mortality rate Total: 20.55 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 16.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2005) Life expectancy at birth Total population: 72.03 years Male: 68.41 years Female: 75.87 years (2005) Total fertility rate 1.38 children born/woman (2005) HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001) People living with HIV/AIDS: 346 (2001) Deaths: 100 (2001) Ethnic Groups: Bulgarian 83.9% Turk 9.4% Roma 4.7% Russian 0.2% Armenian 0.1% Vlach 0.1% other (incl. Karakachan, Jew, Crimean Tatar) 0.4% undeclared and unknown 1.1% (2001) Religion Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6% Muslim 12.2% Roman Catholic 0.6% Protestant 0.5% other, atheist and undeclared 4.1%
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Weather & Climate
Considering its small area, Bulgaria has an unusually variable and complex climate. The country lies between the strongly contrasting continental and Mediterranean climatic zones. Bulgarian mountains and valleys act as barriers or channels for air masses, causing sharp contrasts in weather over relatively short distances. The continental zone is slightly larger, because continental air masses flow easily into the unobstructed Danubian Plain. The continental influence, stronger during the winter, produces abundant snowfall; the Mediterranean influence increases during the summer and produces hot, dry weather. The barrier effect of the Balkan Mountains is felt throughout the country: on the average, northern Bulgaria is about one degree cooler and receives about 192 more millimeters of rain than southern Bulgaria. Because the Black Sea is too small to be a primary influence over much of the country's weather, it only affects the immediate area along its coastline. The Balkan Mountains are the southern boundary of the area in which continental air masses circulate freely. The Rhodope Mountains mark the northern limits of domination by Mediterranean weather systems. The area between, which includes the Thracian Plain, is influenced by a combination of the two systems, with the continental predominating. This combination produces a plains climate resembling that of the Corn Belt in the United States, with long summers and high humidity. The climate in this region is generally more severe than that of other parts of Europe in the same latitude. Because it is a transitional area, average temperatures and precipitation are erratic and may vary widely from year to year. Average precipitation in Bulgaria is about 630 millimeters per year. Dobruja in the northeast, the Black Sea coastal area, and parts of the Thracian Plain usually receive less than 500 millimeters. The remainder of the Thracian Plain and the Danubian Plateau get less than the country average; the Thracian Plain is often subject to summer droughts. Higher elevations, which receive the most rainfall in the country, may average over 2,540 millimeters per year. The many valley basins scattered through the uplands have temperature inversions resulting in stagnant air. Sofia is located in such a basin, but its elevation (about 530 meters) tends to moderate summer temperature and relieve oppressive high humidity. Sofia also is sheltered from the northern European winds by the mountains that surround its trough like basin. Temperatures in Sofia average -2°C in January and about 21°C in August. The city's rainfall is near the country average, and the overall climate is pleasant. The coastal climate is moderated by the Black Sea, but strong winds and violent local storms are frequent during the winter. Winters along the Danube River are bitterly cold, while sheltered valleys opening to the south along the Greek and Turkish borders may be as mild as areas along the Mediterranean or Aegean coasts.
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