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Republic of Bulgaria

COUNTRY NAME:
  • Conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
  • Conventional short form: Bulgaria
  • Local long form: Republika Balgariya
  • Local short form: Balgariya
ETYMOLOGY:
  • In the 7th century,  Bulgaria is named after the Bulgar people who invaded the region
CAPITAL CITY:
  • Sofia is the capital city of Bulgaria.
  • It is also the largest city.
CURRENCY:
  • Lev is the official currency of Bulgaria.
HISTORY:
  • The Thracians inhabited the region as early as 3500 BC.
  • Later, the region was included in the Roman Empire.
  • The Goths, Huns, Bulgars and Avars invaded the region after the decline of the Roman Empire.
  • In 679, the Bulgars took control of the land that is now known as Bulgaria.
  • The Bulgar language and culture was gradually replaced by a Slavic language, writing, and religion.
  • The Bulgars took over most parts of the Balkan peninsula between 893 and 1280.
  • in 1396 they were invaded by the Ottoman Empire which established Turkish rule in the region.
  • In 1878, the Russo-Turkish war took place for Bulgaria’s independence.
  • The European nations intervened at the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
  • As a result, Bulgaria’s territory was only partially claimed which came under the rule of  Alexander of Battenburg.
  • In 1887, Alexander was succeeded by Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who declared a kingdom independent of the Ottoman Empire on Oct. 5, 1908. I
  • The lost territory of Bulgaria was reclaimed in the First Balkan War (1912–1913).
  • In the Second Balkan War (June–Aug. 1913) , Bulgaria fought against Turkey for the territory of Macedonia but lost the war.
  • During World War I, Bulgaria joined forces with Germany to fight for the territory of Macedonia but lost again.
  • Boris III misused Bulgaria's resources and assumed dictatorial powers in 1934–1935.
  • Bulgaria fought in the favor of the Nazis in World War II but switched sides after Russia declared war on Bulgaria on Sept. 5, 1944.
  • On Sept. 9, 1944, a Communist coalition took over and set up a government under Kimon Georgiev.
  • A Soviet-style People's Republic was founded in 1947.
  • in 1989, Peter Mladenov ended the Communist rule monopoly and held free elections in May 1990 that were won by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).
  • Mladenov was forced to resign in July 1990.
  • In 1991, the Union of Democratic Forces won the elections and formed Bulgaria's first non-Communist government since 1946.
  • Due to an unstable government, the economy declined and crime escalated.
  • A new UDF government, led by Prime Minister Ivan Kostov, was elected in 1997.
  • Since the new government could not contribute much to the progress of the nation, it lost the elections in 2001.
  • The former king of Bulgaria, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Simeon II), leader of the Simeon II National Movement (SNM) took over in 2001.
  • Bulgaria became a member of NATO in 2004.
  • It was made part of the EU in 2007.
  • A coalition government was formed in 2005.
DEMOGRAPHICS:
  • Majority of the population is ethnic Bulgarian in origin.
  • Turks and Roma are also present in considerable numbers.
  • Smaller minorities include Russians, Armenians, Vlachs, Jews, Crimean Tatars and Sarakatsani (Karakachans).
  • 96.3% of the population talks Bulgarian as their mother tongue.
  • Bulgarian belongs to the Slavic language group.
  • It is also the only official language of Bulgaria.
  • Turkish and Romany are also widely spoken.
  • Over 80% of the population belongs to Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
  • Other religions are the Eastern Orthodox Church, Islam, Protestant denominations and Roman Catholicism.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS:
  • Bulgaria is ruled by a parliamentary democratic government.
  • Administrative divisions comprise of 28 provinces namely Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Plovdiv, Pleven , Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa and Yambol.
  • Liberation Day is observed as a national holiday on 3 March (1878).
  • The legal system for civil and criminal law is based on Roman law.
  • Bulgaria accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations.
  • The president is the chief of state.
  • The prime minister is the head of government.
  • The cabinet consists of a Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly.
  • The president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term.
  • The chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) is nominated by the president and  will be elected by the National Assembly.
  • The deputy prime ministers are nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly.
  • The legislative branch is represented by a unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie.
  • The National Assembly consists of 240 seats and members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms.
  • The judicial branch is represented by Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court and the Supreme Judicial Council.
CULTURE:
  • Bulgaria is often known as a cultural blend of East and West.
  • Bulgarian culture has a rich Slavic influence in its culture, literature and religion.
  • The Cyrillic alphabet was developed by the Bulgarians.
  • It is the second most-widely used alphabet in the world.
  • Bulgarian culture also has influences of the Thracians, Greeks, Romans and Slavs.
  • A unique custom called nestinarstvo is peculiar to the Strandja region.
  • Other traditional customs include dancing into fire or over live embers.
ECONOMY:
  • Bulgaria has made remarkable economical progress since 1996.
  • Rising inflation and current account deficits still remain a concern.
  • Foreign investments have increased but corruption and crime have hindered economic growth.
  • GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 was $86.32 billion.
  • 7.7% of the population is unemployed (2007 est.)
  • 14.1% of the population is below poverty line (2007 est.)
  • Agricultural produce consists of vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sugar beets, sunflowers, and livestock.
  • The main industries are gas, electricity, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum and nuclear fuel.
  • Export commodities include clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery, equipment and fuels.
  • Import commodities include machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; minerals, fuels, and raw materials.
INFRASTRUCTURE:
  • Telecommunication services are widespread and well established.
  • Mobile-cellular phones are more popular than fixed line telephones.
  • There are 96 Radio broadcast stations in all.
  • There are 39 television broadcast stations.
  • Internet facilities are well established and readily available.
  • Bulgaria has 214 airports of which 214 have paved runways.
  • The railway line spans over 4,294 km.
  • The roadway network covers an area of 44,033 km.
  • Bulgaria’s merchant marine is equipped with 71 ships.
  • The main ports and terminals are located in Burgas and Varna.
EDUCATION:
  • The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for the education in Bulgaria.
  • The basic education system in Bulgaria was established in the early nineteenth century.
  • During the communist regime, a new pattern of education was introduced which emphasized on technical training over liberal arts.
  • Russian language was made a compulsory subject in all schools.
  • Zhivkov created the Unified Secondary Polytechnical School in 1979 , and which was a twelve-grade program that focused mainly on technical subjects.
  • After the end of the Zhivkov Era, the educational system underwent a complete transformation.
  • The system now consisted of three levels- primary, basic and secondary.
  • Admission to secondary level requires a student to qualify an entrance examination.
  • English is widely taught in schools.
  • With help from France and Germany, Bulgaria has been able to improve the quality of university education.
  • The present educational system comprises of basic and secondary levels.
  • There are two main types of secondary schools – secondary comprehensive (high school) and secondary vocational (technical school).
  • The grading system is based on numerals (6-2).
  • Where 6 is the highest and 2 is the lowest grade a student can obtain.
  • Higher education can be obtained at  Universities, Colleges and Specialized Higher Schools.
  • In 2003 Bulgaria’s literacy rate was estimated at 98.6 percent.
  • The current system of primary and secondary education has 12 grades.
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES:

Bulgaria is surrounded by:

  • Romania (north)
  • Republic of Macedonia (west)
  • Serbia (west)
  • Greece (south)
  • Turkey (south)
  • The Black Sea (east)
GEOGRAPHICAL SETTINGS:
  • Bulgaria is located in Southeastern Europe.
  • Its geographic coordinates are 43 00 N, 25 00 E.
  • The country covers a total area of 110,910 sq km.
  • The coastline is 354 km long.
  • The climate is mostly temperate with cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers.
  • Terrain is mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast.
  • The highest point is Musala standing at 2, 925 km.
  • Natural resources include bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber and arable land.
  • 29.94% of the land is arable.
  • Earthquakes and landslides are common in the region.
  • Bulgaria directs key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia.
FREEDOM:
  • Bulgaria became an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire on 3 March 1878.
  • It gained complete independence from the Ottoman Empire on 22 September 1908.
NOTABLE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY:
  • Khan Asparukh (Founder of modern Bulgaria)
  • Vasil Levski - 1837-1873 (Leader of the national revolutionary movement against the Ottoman empire for Bulgaria's liberation)
  • Georgi Ivanov (First Bulgarian Cosmonaut)
  • Veselin Topalov – 1975- present (FIDE World Chess Champion)
  • Hristo Stoitchkov (Footballer and team captain)
  • John Atanasoff (father of the digital computer)
  • Opera Singers: Nicolai Ghiaurov, Boris Christoff, Raina Kabaivanska, Ghena Dimitrova and Anna Veleva.
  • Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean (harpist)
  • Christo Yavashev, Pascin, Vladimir Dimitrov (writers)
  • Valya Balkanska (artist)
COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR:


Bulgaria is a popular skiing destination and tourist location.
The country has also nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

TOTAL POPULATION:

According to a 2008 census, the total population of Bulgaria was estimated to be 7,262,675.
The annual population growth rate is -0.813% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: 9.58 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: 14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

PREVIOUS RECORDS MEDALS
  • Bulgaria has been competing at the Olympic Games since 1896.
  • The country has contributed in every Summer Games except for 1932 (during the Great Depression), 1948 (after World War II), and 1984 (Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics)
  • Bulgaria has participated in all Winter Olympic Games since 1936.
  • Bulgarian athletes have won a total of 213 medals.
  • The country has dominated the Games in wrestling and weightlifting events.
  • Bulgaria’s Olympic records are as follows:
Medals by Summer Games
Games Gold Silver Bronze Total
1896 Athens 0 0 0 0
1900 Paris did not participate      
1904 St. Louis did not participate      
1908 London did not participate      
1912 Stockholm did not participate      
1920 Antwerp did not participate      
1924 Paris 0 0 0 0
1928 Amsterdam 0 0 0 0
1932 Los Angeles did not participate      
1936 Berlin 0 0 0 0
1948 London did not participate      
1952 Helsinki 0 0 1 1
1956 Melbourne/Stockholm 1 3 1 5
1960 Rome 1 3 3 7
1964 Tokyo 3 5 2 10
1968 Mexico City 2 4 3 9
1972 Munich 6 10 5 21
1976 Montreal 6 9 7 22
1980 Moscow 8 16 17 41
1984 Los Angeles did not participate      
1988 Seoul 10 12 13 35
1992 Barcelona 3 7 6 16
1996 Atlanta 3 7 5 15
2000 Sydney 5 6 2 13
2004 Athens 2 1 9 12
Total 50 83 74 207
Medals by Winter Games
Games Gold Silver Bronze Total
1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen 0 0 0 0
1948 St. Moritz 0 0 0 0
1952 Oslo 0 0 0 0
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo 0 0 0 0
1960 Squaw Valley 0 0 0 0
1964 Innsbruck 0 0 0 0
1968 Grenoble 0 0 0 0
1972 Sapporo 0 0 0 0
1976 Innsbruck 0 0 0 0
1980 Lake Placid 0 0 1 1
1984 Sarajevo 0 0 0 0
1988 Calgary 0 0 0 0
1992 Albertville 0 0 0 0
1994 Lillehammer 0 0 0 0
1998 Nagano 1 0 0 1
2002 Salt Lake City 0 1 2 3
2006 Turin 0 1 0 1
Total 1 2 3 6





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