Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a country in Southern Europe. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometers, Bulgaria ranks as the 16thlargest country in Europe. Bulgaria's capital city and largest settlement is Sofia, with a permanent population of 1,378,000 people.
Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north, Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south.
Population of Bulgaria in 2010 year is 7 563 710.
Religion in Bulgaria Bulgaria has been traditionally a Christian state since the adoption of Constantinople Christianity in 865, and therefore the dominant confession is Eastern Orthodoxy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. During the Ottoman rule of the Balkans Islam established itself in Bulgaria. Roman Catholicism has roots in the country since the Middle Ages, and Protestantism arrived in the 19th century.
Bulgarian language Cyril and Methodius created the Bulgarian alphabet. Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 coins. In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion". Bulgaria, as a part of European Union will adopt the Euro in 2013. 1 Bulgarian lev = 0.679995 U.S. Dollars.
Big rivers in Bulgaria
Danube is the second longest river in Europe. It is 2 680 kilometers long. The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Bregrivers which join at the German town of Donaueschingen.
Seven Rila s Lakes The Seven Rila Lakes are a group of lakes of glacial origin, situated in the northwestern Rila Mountains in Bulgaria.
The Eye The eye is the glacial lake in Rila, the second of the Seven Lakes. The lake has a depth of 37.9 m, an area of 6.8 hectares and is situated 2440 meters above sea level. It is also known by the name and heart.
The Kidney The Kidney is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group. The lake has depth of 28 m, an area of 8.5 hectares and is situated 2440 meters above sea level.
The Twin The twin is largest by area.the lake has depth of 27.5 m, an area of 9.1 hectares and is situated 2,243 m. above sea level.
The Tear The Tear is the highest of the Rila Lakes. It is found at 2535 meters above sea level and has an area of.7 hectares. It is 4.5 meters at its deepest.
The Trefoil The Trefoil has an irregular shape and steep banks and is found at 2216 meters above sea level. It is 6.5 meters deep and has a total area of 2.6 hectares.
The Fish Lake The Fish lake is found at 2184 meters above seal level and has an area of 3.5 hectares. It is the shallowest of the lakes at 2.5 meters. The 7 Lakes Lodge is found at its most Northern bank.
The Lower Lake The Lower Lake is at 2095 meters above sea level, has an area of 5.9 hectares and is 11 meters deep.
The Black Sea The Black Sea is very clean, not tidal, and is bordered by long, sandy beaches. Climatic sea-side resorts offering various recreation services are Balchik, Bourgas, Varna and Sozopol.
Bulgarian mountains Mountains constitute a significant part of the country's area and are dominant in the southwest and central parts. Bulgaria's highest mountains are Rila (highest peak Musala, 2925 m; the highest in the Balkans) and Pirin (highest peak Vihren, 2914 m). The largemountain chain of Balkan Mountains runs west-east across the entire country, bisecting it and giving the name to the entire Balkan peninsula. Other extensive mountains are the massifs Rhodopes and Strandzha i n the south.
Bulgarian landmarks In Bulgaria have a lot of landmarks. Here are some of them.
The fortress Baba Vida The fortress is situated on the big bend of the Danube River at Vidin. Baba Vida is considered to be the only fully preserved fortress in Bulgaria. It is one hundred tourist sites of the SIP.
Rila Monastery The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.
Magura Cave The Magura Cave is among Bulgaria's most famous and beautiful caves. It is located in north-western Bulgaria.
Belogradchik rocks The Belogradchik Rocks are spread over the western part of the Balkan Mountains and cover an area of 50 km 2
BULGARIAN NATIONAL DISHES Shopska salad chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers sprinkled with sirene (Bulgarian white cheese), parsley, vinegar, sunflower oil and salt. Serve in the shape of a pyramid, top with chopped parsley and grated cheese.
BULGARIAN NATIONAL DISHES Banitsa is one of the most popular and typical Bulgarian dishes, more of a breakfast or snack thing than a main course. There are many shapes and varieties: with cheese, spinach or pumpkins (tikvenik) and etc.
BULGARIAN FAMOUS PEOPLE 1. Stefka Kostadinova - World Record holder and 2 World Titles High Jump (1987, 1995) 2. Yordanka Donkova - World Record holder and 1 World Title Hurdling (1988) 3. Mariya Grozdeva - sport shooter Hr. Stoichkov 4. Ivan Ivanov - Olympic weightlifter 5. Grigor Dimitrov - tennis player 6. Hristo Stoichkov football player S. Kostadinova