# Bulgaria

Bulgaria

country, unitary state, sovereign state| Part of | European Economic Area  |
| Year dem found am | 13 July 1878  |
| Native label | България  |
| IPA transcription | bɐlˈɡarʲɪjə  |
| Dem name after | Bulgars  |
| Official language | Bulgarian  |
| Anthem | Mila Rodino  |
| Culture | culture of Bulgaria  |
| Motto | Unity makes strength  |
| Motto text | A discovery to share, Darganfyddiad i'w rannu  |
| Continent | Europe  |
| Country | Bulgaria  |
| Capital | Sofia  |
| Located in time zone | UTC+02:00  |
| Located in or next to body of water | Black Sea  |
| Located in/on physical feature | Balkans, Eastern Europe  |
| Coordinate location | 42°45′0″N 25°30′0″E  |
| Coordinates of easternmost point | 43°32′30″N 28°36′33″E  |
| Coordinates of northernmost point | 44°13′12″N 22°40′12″E  |
| Coordinates of southernmost point | 41°14′8″N 25°17′6″E  |
| Coordinates of westernmost point | 42°18′42″N 22°21′36″E  |
| Highest point | Musala  |
| Lowest point | Black Sea  |
| Government ein basic form | parliamentary republic  |
| Office held by head of state | President of Bulgaria  |
| State ein head | Iliana Iotova  |
| Office head of government hold | Prime Minister of Bulgaria  |
| Government ein head | Rumen Radev  |
| Has cabinet | Council of Ministers of Bulgaria  |
| Executive body | Council of Ministers of Bulgaria  |
| Legislative body | National Assembly of Bulgaria  |
| Central bank | Bulgarian National Bank  |
| Currency | euro  |
| Twinned administrative body | Toyoake  |
| Driving side | right  |
| Electrical plug type | Europlug, Schuko  |
| Dey replace | People's Republic of Bulgaria  |
| Language dem use | Bulgarian Sign Language, Bulgarian, Turkish, Romani  |
| Dema official website |   |
| Hashtag | Bulgaria  |
| Top-level Internet domain | .bg, .бг  |
| Flag | flag of Bulgaria  |
| Coat of arms | Coat of arms of Bulgaria  |
| Official symbol | lion  |
| Geography of topic | Geography of Bulgaria  |
| Get characteristic | free country  |
| History of topic | history of Bulgaria  |
| ‎most populous urban area | Sofia  |
| Railway traffic side | right  |
| Open data portal | Bulgarien Data portal  |
| Economy of topic | economy of Bulgaria  |
| Demographics of topic | demographics of Bulgaria  |
| Official observer status in organization | European Space Agency  |
| Mobile country code | 284  |
| Country calling code | +359  |
| Trunk prefix | 0  |
| Emergency phone number | 112  |
| GS1 country code | 380  |
| Licence plate code | BG  |
| Maritime identification digits | 207  |
| Unicode character | 🇧🇬  |
| Category for honorary citizens of entity | Q6609795  |
| Category for maps or plans | Category:Maps of Bulgaria  |

**Bulgaria**, wey dem dey officially call de **Republic of Bulgaria**, be country wey dey Southeast Europe. E dey for de eastern part of de Balkans, directly south of de Danube River den west of de Black Sea. Bulgaria get Greece den Turkey for de south, Serbia den North Macedonia for de west, den Romania for de north. De country ein land size be 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), wey make am de sixteenth-largest country for Europe. De capital den biggest city be Sofia, but some big cities be Burgas, Plovdiv, den Varna.

One of de earliest civilizations for de modern-day Bulgaria area be de Karanovo culture (6,500 BC). Between de 6th den 3rd century BC, Thracians, Persians, Celts, den Macedonians dey battle for de region inside. Stability come wey de Roman Empire conquer de area for AD 45. But after Rome collapse, plenty tribal invasions start again. Around de 6th century, early Slavs settle for de area inside. Later, de Bulgars under Asparuh invade de Balkans from Old Great Bulgaria, den by 681 AD, dem form de First Bulgarian Empire, wey Byzantine Empire recognize. Dis empire control most parts of de Balkans den e help spread Slavic culture, plus dem create de Cyrillic script. De First Bulgarian Empire last till de early 11th century, wey Byzantine emperor Basil II conquer am. But for 1185, Bulgarians rebel den form de Second Bulgarian Empire, wey reach ein peak under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241). However, plenty wars den internal problems make de empire collapse, den by 1396, Bulgaria fall under Ottoman rule for almost 500 years.

De Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 lead to de creation of de third Bulgarian state, wey officially gain independence from de Ottoman Empire for 1908. But plenty ethnic Bulgarians still dey outside de new country ein borders, wey cause irredentist feelings, making dem enter conflicts plus neighbours den later align plus Germany for both world wars. For 1946, Bulgaria join de Soviet-led Eastern Bloc den turn socialist state. De ruling Communist Party lose ein full control after de 1989 revolutions, wey bring multiparty elections den democracy.

Since dem adopt democratic constitution for 1991, Bulgaria turn unitary parliamentary republic with 28 provinces. De country get high-income market economy, wey dey depend on services, manufacturing, mining, den agriculture. Bulgaria ein economy plus foreign relations dey influenced by ein position as a transit route for natural gas den oil pipelines, plus ein strategic location for de Black Sea. E be EU den NATO member, wey e shape ein global relations.

e participation are a legacy of the Socialist era.

### Largest cities

[edit | edit source]

| Largest cities anaa towns insyd Bulgaria

2023 official estimates |
| --- |
| Rank | Name | Province | Pop. | Rank | Name | Province | Pop. |
| 1 | Sofia | Sofia-Capital | 1,196,806 | 11 | Pernik | Pernik | 66,261 |
| 2 | Plovdiv | Plovdiv | 325,485 | 12 | Haskovo | Haskovo | 63,776 |
| 3 | Varna | Varna | 314,607 | 13 | Blagoevgrad | Blagoevgrad | 62,346 |
| 4 | Burgas | Burgas | 188,114 | 14 | Yambol | Yambol | 59,755 |
| 5 | Ruse | Ruse | 122,116 | 15 | Veliko Tarnovo | Veliko Tarnovo | 59,331 |
| 6 | Stara Zagora | Stara Zagora | 121,207 | 16 | Pazardzhik | Pazardzhik | 54,652 |
| 7 | Pleven | Pleven | 89,030 | 17 | Vratsa | Vratsa | 48,406 |
| 8 | Sliven | Sliven | 78,627 | 18 | Asenovgrad | Plovdiv | 45,474 |
| 9 | Dobrich | Dobrich | 70,411 | 19 | Gabrovo | Gabrovo | 44,232 |
| 10 | Shumen | Shumen | 67,300 | 20 | Kazanlak | Stara Zagora | 41,768 |

* Население по области, общини, местоживеене и пол [Population by Province, Municipality, Address and Sex as of 31 December 2017] (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
* Преброяване 2011 (окончателни данни) [Final Results of the 2011 census] (PDF) (in Bulgarian). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
* "Bulgaria 2018" (PDF) (in Bulgarian and English). National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
* Curtis, Glenn (20 October 2006). Country Profile: Bulgaria (PDF) (Report). Federal Research Division. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024 – via Library of Congress.
* "State of Health in the EU. Country Health Profile: Bulgaria 2017" (PDF). European Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
* Bell, John (1998). *Bulgaria in Transition: Politics, Economics, Society, and Culture after Communism*. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-9010-9.
* Chen, Sanping (2012). *Multicultural China in the Early Middle Ages*. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-4370-3.
* Crampton, R. J. (1987). *A Short History of Modern Bulgaria*. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-25340-6.
* Crampton, R. J. (2005). *A Concise History of Bulgaria*. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-61637-9.
* Crampton, R. J. (2007). *Bulgaria*. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-954158-4.
	+ "Historical Setting". *Chapter 1*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "The First Golden Age". *Chapter 1*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
	+ "The Final Move to Independence". *The Bulgarian Independence Movement*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "San Stefano, Berlin, and Independence". *The Bulgarian Independence Movement*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Bulgaria in World War II: The Passive Alliance". *World War II*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Wartime Crisis". *World War II*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "The Soviet Occupation". *World War II*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
	+ "After Stalin". *Communist Consolidation*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
	+ "Domestic Policy and Its Results". *Communist Consolidation*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Foreign Affairs in the 1960s and 1970s". *The Zhivkov Era*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "The Political Atmosphere in the 1970s". *The Zhivkov Era*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Bulgaria in the 1980s". *The Zhivkov Era*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
	+ "Topography". *The Society and its Environment*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Climate". *The Society and its Environment*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "The Economy". *Chapter 3*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Resource Base". *The Economy*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Government and Politics". *Chapter 4*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Arms Sales". *National Security*. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
	+ "Military Personnel". *National Security*. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
* Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2011). *Lost in Transition: Ethnographies of Everyday Life After Communism*. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-5102-3.
* Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2009). *Muslim Lives in Eastern Europe: Gender, Ethnicity and the Transformation of Islam in Postsocialist Bulgaria*. Princeton University Press.
* Ghodsee, Kristen R. (2005). *The Red Riviera: Gender, Tourism and Postsocialism on the Black Sea*. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-3662-4.
* Golden, Peter Benjamin (1992). *An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples: Ethnogenesis and State Formation in Medieval and Early Modern Eurasia and the Middle East*. Otto Harrassowitz. ISBN 978-3-447-03274-2.
* MacDermott, Mercia (1998). *Bulgarian Folk Customs*. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 19, 64–70, 226. ISBN 978-1-85302-486-3.
* Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (2011). *A Companion to Ancient Macedonia*. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-1-4443-5163-7.
* Дончев (Donchev), Дончо (Doncho); Каракашев (Karakashev), Христо (Hristo) (2004). *Теми по физическа и социално-икономическа география на България (Topics on Physical and Social-Economic Geography of Bulgaria)* (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Ciela. ISBN 954-649-717-7.

* Bulgaria at *UCB Libraries GovPubs*.
* Geographic data related to Bulgaria at OpenStreetMap
* Bulgaria Profile from Balkan Insight
* President of The Republic of Bulgaria