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• Located in southeastern Europe, the Republic of Bulgaria borders five countries and the Black Sea. It is governed as a parliamentary democracy and has been a member of the European Union since 2007.

  The country is known for its diverse geography, encompassing Alpine peaks, the sunny Black Sea coast and the Danubian Plain. Bulgaria is rich in mineral resources, and metallurgy, along with agricultural food processing, serve to sustain the country's economy.

• Fast Facts

  1. Capital: Sofia
  2. Government: Parliamentary Republic
  3. Population: 7,322,858 (2007)
  4. Currency: Lev (BGN)
  5. Official Language: Bulgarian

• History

  The Central Asian Indo-European tribe The Bulgars merged with local Slavic inhabitants to form the first Bulgarian state in the 7th century. In the centuries that followed, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its independence in the Balkans. By the end of the 14th century, the country was overrun by Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria gained independence from the Ottoman Empire again in 1908 during the reign of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. In the first part of the 20th century, Bulgaria was on the losing side of both world wars, which placed it in the Soviet's sphere of influence. The country was dominated by Russia's communist regime until 1990, when Bulgaria held its first democratic elections.

• Culture

  Culturally, Bulgaria is at a crossroads between the East and West. It served as the focal point of Slavic Europe in the Middle Ages, giving the world the Cyrillic alphabet, and is home to nine of UNESCO's World Heritage sites including:

  • Madara Rider
  • Boyana Church
  • Rila Monastery
  • Pirin National Park
  • Srebarna Nature Reserve
  • Nesebar

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  Europe | European Union | Libya Releases HIV Medics | Black Sea | Romania | Hungary | Serbia | Bulgarian

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