Map and Facts

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FACTS & FIGURES

POPULATION

Population 7.726 million
Population growth 0.89% per year
Average 4-bed house price €37,200, £25,600
Net migration 4.3 migrants per 1,000 people.
The largest cities in Bulgaria are Sofia (population 1,246,791), Plovdiv (376,918), Varna (345,522) and Burgas (259,985).
Bulgaria is named after the Bulgar people, who settled in the country in the late 7th century, it is the oldest extant country in Europe.
Cyrillic, the second most-used alphabet in the world, was developed in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955.
Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and is joining the EU on 1st January 2007.
Communist rule finally ended in 1990 but, in the country’s first free elections, Bulgarians voted the former Communist Party (renamed as the Bulgarian Socialist Party) back into power.

GEOGRAPHY

The total area covered by Bulgaria is 42m823 square miles.
Portions of the classical regions Thrace, Moesia and Macedonia make up present day Bulgaria - Spartacus was a slave from Thrace.
Since 1999, Bulgaria has consisted of 28 provinces, each named after the provincial capital, with the national captial, Sofia, forming its own province.
Bulgaria has two alpine ranges in the south west, namely Rila and Pirin, with another, lower mountainous region, the Rhodope Mountains, towards the east.
The Balkan mountains run west to east through the middle of the country.
Mount Moussala, in the Rila mountains, is the highest peak in Bulgaria and also home to one of Bulgaria’s largest lakes, Smradlivoto.
The countries bordering Bulgaria include Greece, Turkey and Romania.

CLIMATE

The Bulgarian climate can generally be classed as temperate.
Cold, damp winters, and hot, dry summers are the norm across Bulgaria.
The Black Sea coast enjoys a Mediterranean-style climate.

ECONOMY

The Bulgarian currency is the Lev.
The total GDP for 2005 was an estimated $71.235 billion, with a per capita figure of $9,600, placing Bulgaria 66th in the world.
Annual GDP has been growing at a steady rate of between 4-5% since lack of international economic support and an unstable banking system caused a crash during 1996.
The Bulgarian administration has long pledged to maintain fundamental economic stability, accelerate privatisation, and pursue structural reforms.
Unemployment for 2006 is around 10%.
Agriculture is a main industry, with wheat, sunflower, maize, grapes and tobacco being among the biggest crops.
Services account for 65.9% of GDP, with industry coming in at 26.1% and agriculture at 8%.
Bulgaria is a major producer and exporter of electricity.