A Little Overview of Bulgaria
Information about this fascinating country, its past, present and future.
A Guide to Bulgaria - Location & Geography
The Republic of Bulgaria is situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia in southeast Europe and it forms the north eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula.
Bulgaria borders Romania to the North, the Black Sea to the East, Turkey & Greece to the South and Serbia & Macedonia to the West.
Bulgaria’s landscape is mostly mountainous with lowlands in the north and southeast.
The river Danube forms the country’s northern frontier and provides quick access to Central Europe.
This Balkan country boasts spectacular mountains and a breathtaking coastline on the Black Sea.
Climate
Bulgaria has four very well defined seasons. In the North of the country the climate is moderate continental. In South Bulgaria the climate is intermediate continental or Mediterranean.
As a general guide, Bulgaria’s climate can be briefly described as temperate. Winters are cold and damp - summers are hot and dry and seaside regions are milder in the winter and cooler in the summer than the interior of the Bulgaria.
A Short Guide to Bulgaria’s History
Bulgaria was originally inhabited by the central Asian Turkic tribe known as the Bulgars. In 681 the Bulgar tribe merged with Slavics to form the first state of Bulgaria.
The union was established to strengthen the struggle against Byzantium in an attempt to secure Bulgaria’s position in the Balkans.
Between the 8th and the 10th centuries there was territorial expansion and conversion to Christianity and Bulgaria became one of the most powerful states in Europe.
Bulgaria continued exhaustive wars with Byzantium which ended with the defeat of the troops of Czar Samuil and by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks.
In 1878 northern Bulgaria attained autonomy and in 1908 the whole of Bulgaria became independent.
After joining the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People’s Republic in 1946.
In 1989 democratic changes began in Bulgaria and communist domination ended in 1990. Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and so began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime.
Today, continued reforms and democracy keep Bulgaria moving forward on a path towards integration into the EU.
Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004.
