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Geography of Bulgaria

The Republic of Bulgaria, which is considered among the oldest countries in Europe, is situated on the Balkan Peninsula in the south-eastern part of the continent. It borders Romania to the north, mostly along the Danube River, Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, and the Black Sea Coast to the east. Bulgaria operates as a country with a parliamentary democracy. It's been a member of NATO since 2004, and three years later it became a member of the European Union as well.

The capital of Bulgaria is the city of Sofia. The population in the country is approximately 7.7 million people, and Bulgaria currently has one of the slowest population growth-rates in the world. In terms of geography, Bulgaria features a diverse landscape which ranges from the Alpine-style peaks of Rila and Pirin to the gentle slopes of the Balkan Range and the Rhodope Mountains, as well as the long, sunny Black Sea coastline. The country also has plains along the Danube, the Rose Valley region and some lowlands in the region of Thrace cut by the Maritsa River. The Rila mountain range has the highest peak of the Balkan Peninsula, named Musala (2,925 sq.m).

The country has many glacial lakes, and more than 2,200 dam lakes, plus some mineral springs. Bulgaria has rich resources of anthracite coal and lignite, copper, lead, zinc and gold, as well as iron, silver, nickel, and marble. The climate in the country is temperate and features cool winters and dry summers, with pleasant spring and autumn seasons. As the Balkan Mountains cut Bulgaria in two, the northern region gets lower temperatures and more rain compared to the southern region.

The largest cities in Bulgaria include the capital, Sofia, the second-largest city Plovdiv, followed by the seaside capital of Varna and the beautiful port town of Bourgas, plus the aristocratic town of Rousse. Other large towns include Stara Zagora, Pleven, Dobrich, Shumen and Sliven. According to the latest census, the Bulgarian population is comprised of ethnic Bulgarians covering almost 83.9%, Turks with 9.4% and Roma with 4.7%. Besides that, there are forty other minorities like Russians, Armenians, Jews, Tatars and Karakachans. The Bulgarian language, which is part of the Slavic language group, is a mother tongue for 96% of the population and the only official language. Turkish and Romany are also spoken in the country, but strictly by the corresponding ethnic groups. Almost 83% of Bulgarians belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Other religious minorities include Islam, Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.