Bulgaria

Republic of BulgariaRepublic of Bulgaria►CapitalCapital ( (and largest city)and largest city) - - SofiaSofia

►AreaArea -- 110,910 km² 110,910 km²

►PopulationPopulation - - 7,640,238 7,640,238

►Official languageOfficial language - - BulgarianBulgarian

►CurrencyCurrency - - LevLev

Location

Bulgaria officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a parliamentary republic in Southeast Europe.

It borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east.

Bulgaria is a very mountainous country due to its location in the Balkan peninsula. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres, Bulgaria ranks as the 14th-largest country in Europe.

Population The population of 7.36

million people is predominantly urban and mainly concentrated in the administrative centres of its 28 provinces.

With 1.3 million people, the capital Sofia is the largest city and concentrates most commercial and cultural activities.

The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy industry, power engineering and agriculture, all relying on local natural resources.

Place Country Population

1 Sofia 1 204 685

2 Plovdiv 338 153

3 Varna 334 870

4 Burgas 200 271

5 Ruse 149 642

6 Stara Zagora

138 272

7 Pleven 106 954

Seven cities with population over 100,000 inhabitants.

Religions and Ethnic groups

Bulgaria has no official religion in its constitution, instead oftraditional religion as the country is referred to Orthodox Christianity. Largest minority religion is Islam, which is referred tohis religion of 7.8% of the population (mainly the Turkish minority,but also by Bulgarian Muslims).

Ethnic groups in Bulgaria (2011)

Ethnic groups percent

Bulgarians

Turks

Roma

Others

85%

9%

5%

1%

Geography

Bulgaria has several notable topographical features: the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains. 

The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while its coastline along the Danube defines the border with Romania. The Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches the Black Sea coast.

The Balkan mountains run east - west through the middle of the country, north of the Rose Valley.

The mountainous southwest of the country has two alpine ranges - Rila and Pirin, which border the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east. 

The highest point is Musala at 2,925 metres and its lowest point is the sea level at 0 metres.

Plains occupy about one-third of the territory, while plateaus and hills occupy 41 per cent.

Climate

The climate is temperate, with cold winters and hot summers. Considering its relatively small size, Bulgaria has an unusually dynamic climate due to its location. Precipitation averages about 630 millimeters per year;

The country has a dense network of about 540 rivers, most of them - with the notable exception of the Danube - short and with low water levels;

The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of 368 kilometers (other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south).

Wildlife Bulgaria's biodiversity is protected in three

national parks, 11 nature parks and 17 biosphere reserves;

Nearly 35 percent of its land area consists of forests, where some of the oldest trees in the world. The flora of Bulgaria encompasses more than 3,800 species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered;

The fauna is represented prominently by the brown bear and the jackal, while the Eurasian lynx and the Eastern imperial eagle have small, but growing populations.

Bulgarian language

Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group. It is the official language of Bulgaria and one of 23 official languages of the European Union. The Bulgarian language is the earliest written documentation Slavic language.

Modern BulgarianCyrillic alphabet has 30 letters:

Culture Traditional Bulgarian

culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman influences;

Bulgaria has the third-largest total number of uncovered archaeological sites in Europe after Italy and Greece;

In 1972 the oldest golden treasure in the world was discovered in a necropolis near Varna. Nine historical and natural objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage.

Customs and Traditions Nestinarstvo

Nestinarstvo (нестинарство) is a ritual performed in several regions in Bulgaria - in the Strandzha Mountains close to the Black Sea coast. It involves a barefooted dance on smoldering embers performed by nestinari (нестинари). It is usually performed on the square of the village on the day of Sts. Constantine and Helen . The ritual is a unique mixture of Eastern Orthodox beliefs and older pagan traditions from the Strandzha Mountains.

Martenitsa Martenitsa (мартеница) is a

small piece of adornment, made of white and red yarn and worn from March 1 until around the end of March and then hung on a blossomed tree. The name of the holiday is Baba Marta. "Baba" (баба) is the Bulgarian word for "grandmother" and Mart (март) is the Bulgarian word for the month of March.

Baba Marta is a Bulgarian tradition related to welcoming the upcoming spring. The month of March, according to Bulgarian folklore, marks the beginning of springtime. Therefore, the first day of March is a traditional holiday associated with sending off winter and welcoming spring.

Kukeri Kukeri (кукери) is a traditional

Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with a costumed man performing the ritual. The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals and large bells attached to the belt;

Around New Year the kukeri walk and dance through the village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, and happiness to the village during the year.

Koleduvane

Koleduvane is a traditional Bulgarian customs. At Christmas time is strictly defined by tradition - from midnight to sunrise on Christmas Day. The carolers (koledari) traditionally start their rounds at midnight on Christmas Eve. They visit the houses of their relatives, neighbors and other people in the village. The caroling is usually performed by young men, which are accompanied by an elder one called "stanenik". Each caroler carries a stick called "gega". They wish the people from the village health, wealth and happiness.

Some historical places in Bulgaria The Monastery of Saint Ivan Rilski

The Monastery of Saint Ivan Rilski of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River. Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe.

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of

Bulgaria. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria

and it’s one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions. The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square meters and can hold 10,000 people inside. It is the second biggest cathedral

located on the Balkan Peninsula after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade. The main

dome is 45 meters high. The belfry is 53 meters high and nearly a 12 bell.

Shipka “The Liberty Monument”

Shipka “The Liberty Monument” is a monumental sculpture of Shipka. The monument was made in connection with the dramatic military events of the Russo-Turkish War.The monument was made in memory of fallen for the freedom of Bulgaria soldiers about what had taken place critical Russo-Turkish War battles in the summer of 1877, and whoult imately decides the liberation of Bulgaria and its future.

Tsarevets Tsarevets is a medieval

stronghold located on a hill with the same name in Veliko Tarnovo in northern Bulgaria. It served as the Second Bulgarian Empire's primary fortress and strongest bulwark from 1185 to 1393, housing the royal and the patriarchal palaces, and is a popular tourist attraction.

Some nature placesThe Madara Rider

The Madara Rider is an early medieval large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau east of Shumen in northeastern Bulgaria, near the village of Madara.

The relief depicts a majestic horseman 23 m above ground level in an almost vertical 100 m -high cliff. The horseman, facing right, is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet. An eagle is flying in front of the horseman and a dog is running after him. The scene symbolically depicts a military triumph. The monument is dated back to circa 710 AD and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.

This image is in all of Bulgaria cents.

The Rock Churches of Ivanovo

The Rock Churches of Ivanovo are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, located near the Ruse.

The complex is noted for its beautiful and well-preserved medieval frescoes. The number of churches was about 40, while the other premises were around 300, most of which are not preserved today. The Rock Churches of Ivanovo were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

The Seven Rila Lakes

The Seven Rila Lakes are a group of lakes of glacial origin situated in the northwestern Rila Mountains in Bulgaria. The lakes are situated between 2,100 and 2,500 metres elevation above sea level.

Each lake carries a name associated with its most characteristic feature:

The highest one is called Salzata ("The Tear") due to its clear waters;

The next one in height carries the name Okoto ("The Eye") after its almost perfectly oval form;

Babreka ("The Kidney") is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group;

Bliznaka ("The Twin") is the largest one by area;

Trilistnika ("The Trefoil") has an irregular shape and low shores;

The shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero ("The Fish Lake");

The lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero ("The Lower Lake).

The Rose Valley

The Rose Valley is a region in Bulgaria located just south of the Balkan Mountains and the eastern part of the lower Sredna Gora chain to the south. The valley is famous for it's rose-growing industry which have been cultivated there for centuries, and which produces 85% of the world's rose oil. The centre of the rose oil industry is Kazanluk, while other towns of importance include Karlovo, Sopot and Kalofer. Each year, festivals are held celebrating roses and rose oil.

Bulgarian folk instruments Gaida:

The gaida is a musical instrument of the group of woodwinds.The gaida is a traditional folk instrument in Europe, North Africaand the Middle East. 

Gadulka:The gadulka is a traditional Bulgarian string instrument. The gadulka is an integral part of Bulgarian traditional instrumental ensembles.

Tambura:Tambura is a musical instrument of the group of string instruments.Typical for Bulgaria, Macedonia and India. This is a folk stringmusical instrument, a pear-shaped and made of wood, on whichare stretched strings.

Drums (tapan):These drums (tapan) are commonly used in the folk music of Iran and Turkey, as well as Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. These drums have both a deep bass sound and a thin treble sound due to their construction and playing style, where different heads and sticks are used to produce different sounds on the same drum.

Bulgarian cuisine

Bulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Bulgarian cuisine shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines. Owing to the relatively warm climate and diverse geography affording excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits, Bulgarian cuisine is diverse. Most Bulgarian dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew. Deep-frying is not very typical, but grilling - especially different kinds of meats - is very common. Pork meat is the most common meat in the Bulgarian cuisine.

Meatball soup (supa topcheta) is a traditional Bulgarian soup made from minced meat mixed with spices, broth, vegetables, rice, spices, thatonce it is ready to bind with egg, flour, and yogurt. One of the most popular dishes in Bulgaria.

Bob chorba is a national Bulgarian dish. The name translates to "bean soup". It is a soup made from dry beans, onions, tomatoes, chubritza or dzhodzhen (spearmint) and carrots. Local variations may also exclude the carrots or include paprika and potatoes.

Shopska salad is a traditional Bulgarian cold salad popular throughout the Balkans and Central Europe. It is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, raw or roasted peppers (preferably roasted), sirene (white brine cheese), and parsley.

Snezhanka Salad sometimes called is a traditional Bulgarian salad, which is made of strained Bulgarian yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, usually cooking oil, dill, sometimes roasted peppers, walnuts and parsley.

In Bulgaria, moussaka is usually made from minced meat, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and spices, which are steamedtogether, then  bake in the oven, and finally pour a sauce based egg, yogurt and flour and dopichat with gravy. Often eaten with yogurt.

Stuffed peppers is a traditional dish from the Bulgarian cuisine, prepared by filling the peppers with a mixture of minced meat, rice, vegetables and meat, cheese and eggs, etc..

Cozonac or Kozunak is a traditional Bulgarian sweet bread. It is usually prepared for Easter in Bulgaria and mostly for every major holiday. Kozunak is a sweet bread, to which milk, sugar, eggs, butter and raisins are added.

Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian food prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven. Traditionally, lucky charms are put into on New Year's Eve. These charms may be coins or small symbolic objects.

Thank you for your attention !!!