Bulgaria – key data
Area: 110,879 km² (of which land: 108,489 km², water: 2,390 km²)
Population: 7.1 million people (2011 estimate, CIA). Composition: Bulgarians 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, others 2% (including Macedonians, Armenians, Tatars and Circassians) (2001 census)
Population density: 64 residents per km²
Population growth: -0.781% per year (2011, CIA)
Capital: Sofia (1.36 million residents, 2008)
Highest point: Musala, 2,925 m
Lowest point: Black Sea, 0 m
Form of government: The EU memberBulgariahas been a parliamentary republic since 1990, the constitution dates from 1991. The Bulgarian unicameral parliament consists of 240 seats and the legislative period is four years. The head of state is directly elected every 4 years. Bulgaria has been independent since it was separated from the Ottoman Empire in 1878.
Administrative division: 28 provinces (oblast, plural oblasti): Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech,Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa and Yambol
Head of State: President Rossen Plevneliev, since January 22, 2012
Head of Government: Prime Minister Marin Raikov, since March 13, 2013
Language: the official language in Bulgaria is Bulgarian.
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, others 1.8% (2001 census)
English, German, French and Russian are also spoken, especially in the popular holiday resorts.
R eligion: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2% Other 4% (2001 census)
Local time: CET +1 h. Between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October there is summer time in Bulgaria (CET + 2 hours).
The time difference to Central Europe both in winter and in summer 1 hour.
International phone code: +359
Internet identifier:.bg
Mains voltage: 220 V, 50 Hz
The Republic of Bulgaria is located in south-eastern Europe on the eastern Balkan Peninsula. The country is bordered in the north by Romania; here the state border runs mainly along the Danube. Serbia and Montenegro form Bulgaria’s borders to the west, Greece and Turkey border the country in the south and the Black Sea forms the natural state border of the country, which covers an area of around 111,000 square kilometers, in the east. The Bulgarian capital Sofia is also the seat of government; the cities of Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Russe and Stara Sagora are also important economic and cultural centers. Visit cellphoneexplorer for East Europe Travel Guide.
Bulgaria is largely shaped by the Balkan Mountains, which gave its name to an entire region in south-eastern Europe. The mountain range divides Bulgaria from the northwest to theBlack Sea, is both climate and watershed and is only broken through by one river, the Iskar. The rivers originating north of the Balkan Mountains all flow into the Danube. Over a length of around 600 kilometers, the mountains are characterized by varied landscapes: rugged high mountain peaks are replaced by gently rising, wooded hills. At 2,375 meters, the Botev is considered the highest mountain in the Balkans.
That Mountain range divides Bulgaria into the Danube Plain in the north and the Upper Thracian Plain in the south. The southeast is dominated by the Strandscha and Sakar Mountains, the south by the Rhodope mountain ranges. In the southwest, Pirin and Rila rise to the highest mountains of Bulgaria.
In the fertile Danube plain, fruit, vegetables and grain thrive, in between the Danube, which forms the border with Romania for about 470 kilometers, flows as a calm and navigable river; the Danube is thus one of the most important traffic arteries in the country.
In the south, the Sredna Gora mountain range rises parallel to the central Balkan mountains and gradually descends further south to the Thracian plain. The valley of the Tundscha, also known as the Rose Valley, extends between the two mountains.
In the west of the country, the Vitosha Mountains rise directly to the south of Sofia, which, in addition to its function as a local recreation area, also represent an indispensable reservoir of water and fresh air for the Bulgarian capital. To the south of it are the “Bulgarian Alps”, the Rila and Pirin Mountains, which also have high altitude regions with eternal snow as well as densely overgrown and extensive forest areas.
The Rhodope Mountains, the largest mountain range in the south of the country, reach as far as Greece and are dominated by charming, wooded ranges of hills. The Thracian Plain in southeastern Bulgaria, which is largely formed by the Mariza basin, is ultimately the country’s second great plain. This region is also extremely fertile; In addition to fruit, vegetables and grain, tobacco, wine and even cotton are grown here.
The Black Sea coast, which is over 378 kilometers long and mainly used for tourism, is of great economic importance for Bulgaria. The mild, balanced climate and the varied coastline with flat beaches, bays and rugged cliffs make this part of the country a popular European holiday destination.
The longest river in Bulgaria is the Danube, followed by the Iskar. The Mariza, Arda, Struma and Mesta with their tributaries are among the largest and most important bodies of water in the country. The variety of forests is remarkable, as deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests cover about a third of the Bulgarian land area.
Population in Bulgaria
The present map of the population distribution in Bulgaria was created by the Worldmapper team. Densely populated areas appear bloated, the area of sparsely populated areas is reduced. The shape of the grid has been preserved; an underlying map with the original geographic extent helps with the interpretation of the cartogram. The distorted map is intended to help present abstract statistical information clearly.
