General Facts :

Surface: 110.912 km²
Population: 8.967.000 inhabitants
Density of population: 81 inhabitants/km²
Capital: Sofia (1.221.000 inhabitants)
Official language: Bulgarian
Official currency: leva
Imported products: hydrocarbons, iron ore, pit coal
Brut Intern Product: 2.250 $/inhabitant
State type: Republic

Geographical Characteristics :

The country is situated in the south-east of Europe. Its relief is dominated by mountains and plains. In the south-west there are the Rila Mountains with a maximum height in Musala Peak, 2.925 m, Rodopi Mountains (2.191 m), Pirin Mountains (2.914 m). The Balkan Mountains with a maximum altitude of 2.376 m are a real axe in the center of the country, from the west border to the Black Sea. Some depressions such as Ka zanlak Depression separate Stara Planina from Sredna Gora Mountains, which have heights of 1.604 m. between Stara Planina and the Danube River there is the high plain of Danube with a variable breadth (120 km in the east and 30-40 km in west). Between Rodopi Mountains and Sredna Gora Mountains there is Superior Thracia Plain which is drained by Marita River.

Climate, Vegetation and Faun :

The climate is temperate-continental in north of Stara Palnina and Mediterranean in the south of those mountains. The amount of rainfall varies between 450 and 550 mm per year in plains and between 850 and 1.200 mm per year in mountains. The rivers belong to the basin of Black Sea and Aegean Sea. They are: Danube River and its tributaries Iskar River, Osam River, Lom River; Struma River, Tundja River, Marita River. The forests occupy 1/3 of the country’s surface and in the south there are almonds, cypresses and chestnut trees. The faun includes black goats, turtles, jackals and Colhida pheasants. The country has many national parks and reservations.

Population and Cities :

The country has 8.967.000 inhabitants. The birth rate is 10.7‰ and the death rate is 12.3‰. 70% of the population lives in cities. The most important cities are: Plovdiv (379.000 inhabitants), Varna (315.000 inhabitants), Burgas (205.000 inhabitants), Ruse (192.000 inhabitants), Stara Zagora (165.000 inhabitants) and Pleven (138.000 inhabitants). 89% of the people are Bulgarians, 8% are Turks and the rest are Gypsies, Romanians, Macedonians, Aromanians and Jewish. A big density of population is in Sofia Depression, on Marita’s Valley (over 130 inhabitants/km²) and a small density in the Danube pre-mountain region and in the southern mountainous regions where there are 60 inhabitants/km². The most important religions are: Orthodoxies (most of the people), Islamism and Catholics.

State :

The country is a parliamentary republic according to the Constitution in 1991. The legislative activity is exerted by the Popular Assembly and the executive one by the Ministries Council named by the Assembly. The political parties are 25 and some of them are: the Union of the Democratic Forces, the Social Bulgarian Party and the Agrarian Popular Union of Bulgaria.

Economy :

The country has some subsoil deposits, but more important are lignite, copper, lead and zinc. There are exploited in small quantities petroleum and natural gases. Bulgaria imports hydrocarbons, iron ore and pit coal. The nuclear energy assures almost 40% of the electric energy. A nuclear central is Kozlodui on the Danube River. 44% of the active population works in industry. They produce: steel, electronic products, plastics, textiles, wine and cigarettes. 16% of the population works in agriculture and they cultivate: grain, corn, sugar cane, tobacco, grapes and roses. In Bulgaria is obtained 3/4 of the rose oil. The tourism has developed in the last years.

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Tags: sofia, bulgarian, leva, republic, danube river	[edit tags]

Date Added: 22 November '06

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