BULGARIA

Area:
110,993.6 sq. km

Population:
7 385 367 (2006)

Official language:
Bulgarian

Alphabet:
Cyrillic

Religion:
There is freedom of religious confessions. Traditional religion in the Republic of Bulgaria is Eastern Orthodox Christianity

National holiday:
March 3, the day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman domination (1878)

Monetary unit:
the Bulgarian Lev

Administrative division:
28 regions, named after their respective regional centers

State system:
a parliamentary republic with one-chamber parliament (National Assembly). The head of state is the President. The Council of Ministers is the main body of executive power.

Relief:
most diverse. Average height above sea level - 470 m. Some 31.5% of the country’s territory is plain (up to 200 m above sea level), 41% are lowlands and hilly regions (from 200 to 600 m above sea level), and 27.5% are mountains (from 600 to more than 1,600 m above sea level).

Climate:
moderate continental with Black Sea influence in the east and Mediterranean in the south. Average temperatures for June vary from 20-25oC in the valleys to 10oC in the high mountains. Rainfalls are 450-600 mm in the valleys to 1300 mm in the mountains.

Waters:
rivers (main rivers are Danube, Maritsa, Mesta, Strouma, Iskar, Yantra);
warm and cold mineral springs (more than 600); lakes of coastal (some with curative mineral mud) and of glacial origin (in the Rila and Pirin mountains).

Plant and animal world:
extremely diverse. An Act on the Protected Territories is operating in Bulgaria, aimed at the preservation of the country’s flora and fauna. It has specified the following categories in the country: a national and nature park, a reserve and a tended reserve, a natural sight, a protected locality.

Economy:
Bulgaria has been accepted as a member of the European Union (EU) January 2008. The national monetary unit is referred to the EURO. A structural reform is underway aimed at an economic growth, a functioning market economy and at paving the way for foreign investments in the country.

SOFIA

One of the oldest capital cities in EuropeEurope, the history of Sofia dates back to the 8th century BC, when Thracians established a settlement there. Sofia has had several names in the different periods of its existence, and remnants of the city's millenary history can still be seen today alongside modern landmarks. Luckily, most sights can be found in the city centre and good public transportation within the city makes it easy to get around.
Sofia’s long history of Eastern Orthodoxy has left behind impressive and beautiful cathedrals and churches making them some of the main attractions.
Shopping in Sofia is also a good way to spend your time. Many world names in clothes, shoes and cosmetics are represented here on a good price. Bulgarian products still represent value for money.