Bulgaria is a beautiful, sometimes challenging, but always interesting and engaging country. Rich from over 13 centuries of history, stunning nature and breathtaking views, Bulgaria is renowned for its famous opera singers, great scientists and fine wines. Emerged from a communist regime in November 1989 the country has experienced rapid change and continues to develop.
Similar to many developing countries, there is much to learn and experience; if you intend to visit Bulgaria for a short or extended period of time, within this section you will find invaluable information on topics such as transit visas, airline information and medical insurance, taxi companies, national holidays and tipping.
Location
Situated in southeastern Europe, Bulgaria occupies the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. To the east Bulgaria touches the Black Sea. To the south its neighbours are Greece and Turkey. Romania is to the north, much of it delineated by the River Danube, and Serbia and Macedonia are Bulgaria’s neighbors to the west.
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Statistics
Territory: 111,000 sq km (43,000 sq. miles); twice the size of Switzerland
Population: 7,679,290 (according to NSI Bulgaria, 31.12.2006)
Capital city: Sofia, with 1,377,531 inhabitants located in the western region of the country (according to NSI Bulgaria, 31.12.2006).
Larger cities: Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas, Stara Zagora, Rousse, Pleven.
Length: The total length of the Bulgarian border line is 2,245 km.
Highway network: 36,720 km.
Railway system: 4,300 km.
Airports: Sofia, Varna, Bourgas
Harbours
• (On the Black Sea coast) - Varna, Bourgas, Balchick, Nessebur; Ahtopol, Sozopol
• (On the river Danube) - Vidin, Lom, Oriakhovo, Nickopol, Svishtov, Rousse, Toutrackan, Sillistra
Bulgarian - the oldest written Slavonic language.
Literacy
Bulgaria’s literacy rate is about 98%.
Language
Bulgarian uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Bulgarian was the first written South Slavonic language, though the alphabet has changed considerably since it was conceived in the 9th century.
Monetary unit
lev (1.95583 lev = 1 Euro), with bank-notes (bills) of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 levs
Climate
Transitional-continental climate with four distinct seasons. This climate is typical for the countries of South Eastern Europe, characterised by four distinct seasons; mild in the winter and hot and dry in the summer. The average annual temperature is 14.5 C.
Tourism
5.158.000 tourists visited Bulgaria in 2006. It is a 10% increase as compared to 2005, when 4.6 million tourists visited the country.
The number of tourists is expected to increase by 1.5 to 2.0 million this year. 2006 tourism revenue was EUR 2 billion.
Religion
Orthodox Christianity.
People
88% Bulgarian, 8% Turkish, 3% Roma, 1% Armenians & Russians.
GDP per capita
$10.400 per person in 2006.
FDI
FDI achieved in 2006 accounts for 16.6% of GDP and exceeds by 73% the FDI inflow in 2005 which then amounted to 10.8% of GDP. EUR 4.015 billion was attracted in 2006.
The UK was the number one investor in 2006 with EUR 686 million or 17.1% of total FDI, followed by the Netherlands with EUR 668 million and Austria with EUR 448 million. At year end 2006, Austria ranked first in terms of FDI stock in Bulgaria, next is the Netherlands, followed by Greece, the UK and Germany.
Political system
Parliamentary Republic
Membership
Bulgaria is an acknowledged member of the following:
• United Nations – since 1995
• NATO – since 2004
• European Union – since January 1, 2007
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2
Time Difference:
• Winter time: GMT + 2 hours (October through March).
• Summer time: GMT + 3 hours (April through September)
Conversions
Bulgaria uses the metric system for weights and measures:
• 1 kilometre = 0.62 miles
• 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
• 1 pint = 0.568 liters
Key Tourist Locations
Known for its historical heritage and stunning nature Bulgaria offers 378 km coastal strip of fine golden sand and clear blue water on the Black Sea Coast. The most popular resorts for summer vacation are Sunny Beach, Pomorie, Sozopol and Nessebar to the South coast and Golden Sands, Albena, Kavarna and Balchik to the North.
Being a diverse country boasting four distinct seasons, Bulgaria also offers an abundance of modern ski destinations. The leading ski resort of Bansko is the most preferred among tourists, followed by Borovetz, Pamporovo and Chepelare.
For those who like the tranquility of the countryside there is a variety of choices: rural tourism, fishing and hunting, hiking, spa centres and many more.
Bulgaria is an easily accessible country as convenient and direct flights connect it to most European capitals, all of which can be reached within two to three hours flight. It is good to know that Bulgaria is closer to the UK and Ireland than Greece or Turkey.
Public Holidays
Public holidays in Bulgaria are as follows:
• 1 January - New Year
• 3 March - Liberation Day, National Bulgarian Day
• April or May (variable) – Orthodox Easter (usually one week after the Catholic Easter)
• 1 May - Labour day
• 6 May – Bulgarian Army Day
• 24 May - Cyrillic Alphabet Day
• 6 September - Bulgaria’s Unification Day
• 22 September - Independence Day
• 24, 25 and 26 December - Christmas
• 31 December - New Year’s Eve
Traditional Customs
Bulgarians observe a number of traditional customs as well:
- Trifon Zarezan on 14th February is the ancient festival of the wine growers. Vines are pruned and sprinkled with wine to ensure a bounteous harvest.
- On 1st March Bulgarians give one another martenitsi, red and white tasselled threads which are worn for health and happiness at the coming of spring. When wearers see their first stork of the season, the martenitsa is tied to the nearest tree.
- The Festival of Roses is celebrated with folk songs and dances at Kazanlak and Karlovo on the first Sunday in June.
- The Jazz Festival – 8 -13 August, Bansko
- Orpheus Music Festival – 17 – 19 June, Smolyan
- Bagpipe Festival in Gela, Rhodope Mountains – Mid August, and many more.
Language
The greatest challenge faced by all visitors to Bulgaria is the language, and in particular the Cyrillic alphabet. Bulgarian was the first written Slavonic language, though the alphabet has changed considerably since it was conceived in the 9th century.
The good news is that most tourist resorts and bigger cities have signs, street names and menus translated into English. Citizens are keen and able to communicate in foreign languages (English, German or French).
However, in the countryside you may find that street signs are in Cyrillic and that there are few that speak English.
Economy
Bulgaria has the most stable economy in the Eastern Europe region. This stability has been achieved with the help of the International Monetary Fund currency board, which pegged the Bulgarian Lev to the Euro in 1998 - 1999.
What is more, European Union membership strongly influenced and stimulated the Bulgarian economy. Growth for the first quarter of 2007 is 6.2%, while in 2006 it was 5.5%. GDP is EUR 5.87 billion, which is $10.400 per capita.
Foreign investments grew a record 35.9%. The UK was the number one investor in 2006 with EUR 686 million or 17.1% of total FDI, followed by the Netherlands with EUR 668 million and Austria with EUR 448 million. At year end 2006, Austria ranked first in terms of FDI stock in Bulgaria, next was the Netherlands followed by Greece, the UK and Germany.
Unemployment has reduced significantly and now is at a record-breaking 7.42%, as compared to 9.6% last year.
The government strives to encourage investment and now in 2007 Bulgaria has one of the lowest rates of corporate tax in Europe at 10%.
Fast-growing economy sectors are banking, tourism, property investment and construction.
For more economic information, visit http://investbg.government.bg/ or www.novinite.com.
Government
Government Type - Parliamentary democracy
Government Leaders:
• President (Head of government) - Georgi Purvanov
• Prime Minister (Head of government) - Sergey Stanishev
History
Founded in the year 681, Bulgaria has linked the East and West, controlling the key land routes from Europe to the Middle East and Asia for millenia. Bulgaria is a land of crossroads and remembers many ancient civilizations such as Thracians, Slavs, Romans, Byzantines and the great people who wrote the pages of its remarkable history.
Nature
Bulgaria is distinguished by its generous and varied nature. It offers great beaches in summer and great skiing in winter, as well as cultural, eco, rural and spa tourism, natural mineral springs and spas, diverse flora and fauna, small picturesque villages with living traditions and folklore. For an insight into the magnificent Bulgarian landscapes, visit http://photo-forum.net/joro/
Food
Because of its geographical position and long tumultuous history, Bulgarian cuisine has evolved as a blend of the most enjoyable Slavonic, Greek and Turkish dishes. The harvest of the Black Sea brings nets full of fresh seafood, the fertile farms grow organic fruits and vegetables and local vineyards produce golden grapes and high quality red and white wines.
Drinking water
Tap water is safe to drink in Bulgaria. There are also a lot of mineral water suppliers like Gorna Banya, Devin, Bankya and more. Refreshing and affordable mineral water is available in 0.5 and 1.5 litre bottles.