Bulgaria

Bulgaria,officially theRepublic of Bulgaria,is a country inSoutheast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of theBalkansdirectly south of theDanuberiver and west of theBlack Sea. Bulgaria is bordered byGreeceandTurkeyto the south,SerbiaandNorth Macedoniato the west, andRomaniato the north. It covers a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi) and is thesixteenth-largest countryin Europe.Sofiais the nation's capital andlargest city; other major cities includeBurgas,Plovdiv, andVarna.
One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was theKaranovo culture(6,500 BC). In the 6th to 3rd century BC, the region was a battleground for ancientThracians,Persians,CeltsandMacedonians; stability came when theRoman Empireconquered the region in AD 45. After the Roman state splintered, tribal invasions in the region resumed. Around the 6th century, these territories were settled by theearly Slavs. TheBulgars, led byAsparuh, attacked from the lands ofOld Great Bulgariaand permanently invaded the Balkans in the late 7th century. They established theFirst Bulgarian Empire, victoriously recognised by treaty in 681 AD by theByzantine Empire. It dominated most of theBalkansand significantly influencedSlaviccultures by developing theCyrillic script. The First Bulgarian Empire lasted until the early 11th century, when Byzantine emperorBasil IIconquered and dismantled it. Asuccessful Bulgarian revoltin 1185 established aSecond Bulgarian Empire, which reached its apex underIvan Asen II(1218–1241). After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife, the empire disintegrated and in 1396 fell underOttomanrule for nearly five centuries.
TheRusso-Turkish War of 1877–78resulted in the formation of the third and current Bulgarian state, which declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Many ethnic Bulgarians were left outside the new nation's borders, which stokedirredentistsentiments that led to several conflicts with its neighbours and alliances withGermanyin both world wars. In 1946, Bulgaria came under the Soviet-ledEastern Blocand became asocialist state. The rulingCommunist Partygave up its monopoly on power after therevolutions of 1989and allowedmultipartyelections. Bulgaria then transitioned into ademocracy.
Since adoptinga democratic constitutionin 1991, Bulgaria has been aunitaryparliamentary republiccomposed of 28 provinces, with a high degree ofpolitical, administrative, and economic centralisation. Bulgaria has ahigh-income economywith amarket economythat is part of theEuropean Single Marketand is largely based on services, followed bymanufacturingandmining—andagriculture. The country has been influenced by its role as a transit country fornatural gas and oil pipelines, as well as its strategiclocation on the Black Sea.Bulgaria's foreign relationshave been shaped by its geographical location and its modern membership in theEuropean UnionandNATO.
The nameBulgariais derived from theBulgars, a tribe ofTurkicorigin that founded the First Bulgarian Empire. Their name is not completely understood and is difficult to trace it back earlier than the 4th century AD,but it is possibly derived from theProto-Turkicwordbulģha("to mix", "shake", "stir") and its derivativebulgak("revolt", "disorder").The meaning may be further extended to "rebel", "incite" or "produce a state of disorder", and so, in the derivative, the "disturbers".Tribal groups inInner Asiawith phonologically close names were frequently described in similar terms, as theBuluoji, a component of the "Five Barbarian" groups, which during the 4th century were portrayed as both: a "mixed race" and "troublemakers".
Neanderthalremains dating to around 150,000 years ago, or theMiddle Paleolithic, are some of the earliest traces of human activity in the lands of modern Bulgaria.Remains fromHomo sapiensfound there are datedc.47,000years BP. This result represents the earliest arrival of modern humans in Europe.TheKaranovo culturearosec.6,500 BCand was one of severalNeolithicsocieties in the region that thrived onagriculture.TheCopper AgeVarna culture(fifth millennium BC) is credited with inventinggold metallurgy.The associatedVarna Necropolistreasure contains the oldest golden jewellery in the world with an approximate age of over 6,000 years.The treasure has been valuable for understanding social hierarchy and stratification in the earliest European societies.
TheThracians, one of the three primary ancestral groups of modernBulgarians, appeared on theBalkan Peninsulasome time before the 12th century BC.The Thracians excelled inmetallurgyand gave theGreekstheOrpheanandDionysiancults, but remained tribal and stateless.The PersianAchaemenid Empireconquered parts of present-day Bulgaria (in particular eastern Bulgaria) in the 6th century BC and retained control over the region until479 BC.The invasion became a catalyst for Thracian unity, and the bulk of their tribes united under kingTeresto form theOdrysian kingdomin the 470s BC.It was weakened and vassalised byPhilip II of Macedonin 341 BC,attackedby Celtsin the 3rd century,and finallybecame a provinceof theRoman Empirein AD 45.
By the end of the 1st century AD, Roman governance was established over the entire Balkan Peninsula andChristianitybegan spreading in the region around the 4th century.TheGothic Bible—the firstGermanic languagebook—was created byGothicbishopUlfilasin what is today northern Bulgaria around 381.The region came underByzantinecontrol after thefall of Romein 476. The Byzantines were engaged in prolonged warfare against Persia and could not defend their Balkan territories from barbarian incursions.This enabled theSlavsto enter the Balkan Peninsula as marauders, primarily through an area between the Danube River and the Balkan Mountains known asMoesia.Gradually, the interior of the peninsula became a country of theSouth Slavs, who lived under ademocracy.The Slavs assimilated the partiallyHellenised,Romanised, andGothicisedThracians in the rural areas.
Not long after the Slavic incursion,Moesiawas once again invaded, this time by theBulgarsunderKhanAsparukh.Their horde was a remnant ofOld Great Bulgaria, an extinct tribal confederacy situated north of the Black Sea in what is now Ukraine and southern Russia. Asparukh attacked Byzantine territories in Moesia and conquered the Slavic tribes there in 680.A peace treaty with theByzantine Empirewas signed in 681, marking the foundation of theFirst Bulgarian Empire. The minority Bulgars formed a close-knit ruling caste.
Succeeding rulers strengthened the Bulgarian state throughout the 8th and 9th centuries.Krumintroduced a written code of lawand checked a major Byzantine incursion at theBattle of Pliska, in which Byzantine emperorNicephorus Iwas killed.Boris Iabolished paganism in favour ofEastern Orthodox Christianityin 864. Theconversionwas followed by a Byzantine recognition of theBulgarian churchand the adoption of theCyrillic alphabet, developed in the capital,Preslav.The common language, religion and script strengthened central authority and gradually fused the Slavs and Bulgars into a unified people speaking a singleSlavic language.A golden age began during the 34-year rule ofSimeon the Great, who oversaw the largest territorial expansion of the state.The literature produced in Old Bulgarian soon spread north from Bulgaria and became thelingua francaof the Balkans and Eastern Europe.The political, cultural, and spiritual power of the Bulgarian Empire during theKrum dynastyturned Bulgaria into one of thethree superpowersin Europe at that time, alongside the Byzantine Empire and theCarolingian Empireof theFranks, which would later become theHoly Roman Empire.
After Simeon's death, Bulgaria was weakened by wars withMagyarsandPechenegsand the spread ofBogomilism.Preslavwas seized by the Byzantine army in 971 after consecutiveRus'and Byzantine invasions.The empire briefly recovered from the attacks underSamuil,but this ended when Byzantine emperorBasil IIdefeated the Bulgarian army atKlyuchin 1014. Samuil died shortly after the battle,and by 1018 the Byzantineshad conquered the First Bulgarian Empire.After the conquest, Basil II prevented revolts by retaining the rule of local nobility, integrating them inByzantine bureaucracy and aristocracy, and relieving their lands of the obligation to pay taxes in gold, allowingtax in kindinstead.TheBulgarian Patriarchatewas reduced to anarchbishopric, but retained itsautocephalous statusand itsdioceses.
Byzantine domestic policies changed after Basil's death and a series of unsuccessful rebellions broke out,the largestbeing led byPeter Delyan. The empire's authority declined after a catastrophic militarydefeat at ManzikertagainstSeljukinvaders, and was further disturbed by theCrusades. This prevented Byzantine attempts atHellenisationand created fertile ground for further revolt. In 1185,Asen dynastynoblesIvan Asen IandPeter IVorganised amajor uprisingand succeeded in re-establishing the Bulgarian state. Ivan Asen and Peter laid the foundations of the Second Bulgarian Empire with its capital atTarnovo.
Kaloyan, the third of the Asen monarchs, extended his dominion toBelgradeandOhrid. He acknowledged the spiritual supremacy ofthe popeand received a royal crown from apapal legate.The empire reached its zenith underIvan Asen II(1218–1241), when its borders expanded as far as the coast ofAlbania, Serbia andEpirus, while commerce and culture flourished.Ivan Asen's rule was also marked by a shift away from Rome in religious matters.
The Asen dynasty became extinct in 1257. Internal conflicts and incessant Byzantine and Hungarian attacks followed, enabling theMongolstoestablish suzeraintyover the weakened Bulgarian state.In 1277, swineherdIvayloled agreat peasant revoltthat expelled the Mongols from Bulgaria and briefly made him emperor.He was overthrown in 1280 bythe feudal landlords,whose factional conflicts caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to disintegrate into small feudal dominions by the 14th century.These fragmentedrump states—two tsardoms atVidinandTarnovoand theDespotate of Dobrudzha—became easy prey for a new threat arriving from the Southeast: theOttoman Turks.During emperor Ivan Alexander's rule, the Bulgarian Empire entered a period of cultural renaissance, which is sometimes referred to as the "Second Golden Age of Bulgarian culture".
The Ottomans were employed as mercenaries by the Byzantines in the 1340s, but later became invaders in their own right.SultanMurad ItookAdrianoplefrom the Byzantines in 1362;Sofiafell in 1382, followed byShumenin 1388.The Ottomans completed their conquest of Bulgarian lands in 1393 when Tarnovo was sacked after a three-month siege and theBattle of Nicopoliswhich brought about the fall of theVidin Tsardomin 1396.Sozopolwas the last Bulgarian settlement to fall, in 1453.The Bulgarian nobility was subsequently eliminated and the peasantry wasenserfedto Ottoman masters,while much of the educated clergy fled to other countries.
Bulgarians were subjected to heavy taxes (includingDevshirme, orblood tax), their culture was suppressed,and they experienced partialIslamisation.Ottoman authorities established a religious administrative community called theRum Millet, which governed all Orthodox Christians regardless of their ethnicity.Most of the local population then gradually lost its distinct national consciousness, identifying only by its faith.The clergy remaining in some isolated monasteries kept their ethnic identity alive, enabling its survival in remote rural areas,and in the militantCatholic communityin the northwest of the country.
As Ottoman power began to wane,Habsburg Austriaand Russia saw Bulgarian Christians as potential allies. TheAustriansfirst backed anuprising in Tarnovo in 1598, thena second one in 1686, theChiprovtsi Uprisingin 1688 and finallyKarposh's rebellionin 1689.TheRussian Empirealso asserted itself as a protector of Christians in Ottoman lands with theTreaty of Küçük Kaynarcain 1774.
The Western EuropeanEnlightenmentin the 18th century influenced the initiation of anational awakening of Bulgaria.It restored national consciousness and provided an ideological basis for the liberation struggle, resulting in theApril Uprising of 1876. Up to 30,000 Bulgarians were killed as Ottoman authorities put down the rebellion. The massacres prompted theGreat Powersto take action.They convened theConstantinople Conferencein 1876, but their decisions were rejected by the Ottomans. This allowed theRussian Empireto seek a military solution without risking confrontation with other Great Powers, as had happened in theCrimean War.In 1877,Russia declared waron the Ottomans and defeated them with the help ofBulgarian rebels, particularly during the crucialBattle of Shipka Passwhich secured Russian control over the main road toConstantinople.
TheTreaty of San Stefanowas signed on 3 March 1878 byRussiaand theOttoman Empire. It was to set up an autonomous Bulgarian principality spanningMoesia,MacedoniaandThrace, roughly on the territories of theSecond Bulgarian Empire,and this day is nowa public holidaycalledNational Liberation Day.The otherGreat Powersimmediately rejected the treaty out of fear that such a large country in theBalkansmight threaten their interests. It was superseded by theTreaty of Berlin, signed on 13 July. It provided for a much smaller state, thePrincipality of Bulgaria, only comprising Moesia and the region ofSofia, and leaving large populations of ethnic Bulgarians outside the new country.This significantly contributed to Bulgaria's militaristic foreign affairs approach during the first half of the 20th century.
The Bulgarian principality wona war against Serbiaand incorporated the semi-autonomous Ottoman territory ofEastern Rumeliain 1885, proclaiming itself an independent state on 5 October 1908.In the years following independence, Bulgaria increasingly militarised and was often referred to as "the BalkanPrussia".It became involved in three consecutive conflicts between 1912 and 1918—twoBalkan WarsandWorld War I. After a disastrous defeat in theSecond Balkan War, Bulgaria again found itself fighting on the losing side as a result of its alliance with theCentral Powersin World War I. Despite fielding more than a quarter of its population in a 1,200,000-strong armyand achieving several decisive victories atDoiranandMonastir, the country capitulated in 1918. The war resulted in significant territorial losses and a total of 87,500 soldiers killed.More than 253,000 refugees from the lost territoriesimmigratedto Bulgaria from 1912 to 1929,placing additional strain on the already ruined national economy.
Between 19 October 1925 and 29 October 1925, theIncident at Petrich, nicknamed "the War of the Stray Dog" occurred, which was a minor armed conflict. Greece invaded Bulgaria, after the killing of a Greek captain and sentry by Bulgarian soldiers. The conflict was settled by theLeague of Nations, and resulted in a Bulgarian diplomatic victory. The League ordered a ceasefire, Greek troops to withdraw from Bulgaria and Greece to pay £45,000 to Bulgaria.
The resulting political unrest led to the establishment of a royalauthoritarian dictatorshipby TsarBoris III(1918–1943). Bulgaria entered World War II in 1941 as a member ofthe Axisbut declined to participate inOperation Barbarossaandsaved its Jewish populationfrom deportation toconcentration camps.The sudden death of Boris III in mid-1943 pushed the country into political turmoil as the war turned against Germany, and the communist guerrilla movement gained momentum. The government ofBogdan Filovsubsequently failed to achieve peace with the Allies. Bulgaria did not comply with Soviet demands to expel German forces from its territory, resulting in a declaration of war and an invasion by the USSR in September 1944.The communist-dominatedFatherland Fronttook power, ended participation in the Axis and joined the Allied side until the war ended.Bulgaria suffered little war damage and the Soviet Union demanded no reparations. But all wartime territorial gains, with the notable exception ofSouthern Dobrudzha, were lost.
Theleft-wing coup d'étatof 9 September 1944 led to the abolition of the monarchy andthe executionsof some 1,000–3,000 dissidents, war criminals, and members of the former royal elite.But it was not until 1946 that aone-partypeople's republicwas instituted following a referendum.It fell into the Soviet sphere of influence under the leadership ofGeorgi Dimitrov(1946–1949), who established a repressive, rapidly industrialisingStaliniststate.By the mid-1950s, standards of living rose significantly and political repression eased.The Soviet-styleplanned economysaw some experimental market-oriented policies emerging underTodor Zhivkov(1954–1989).Compared to wartime levels, nationalGDPincreased five-fold and per capita GDP quadrupled by the 1980s,although severe debt spikes took place in 1960, 1977 and 1980.Zhivkov's daughterLyudmilabolstered national pride by promoting Bulgarian heritage, culture and arts worldwide.Facing declining birth rates among the ethnic Bulgarian majority, Zhivkov's government in 1984 forced the minority ethnicTurksto adopt Slavic names in an attempt to erase their identity and assimilate them.These policies resulted in the emigration of some 300,000 ethnic Turks to Turkey.
The Communist Party was forced to give up its political monopoly on 10 November 1989 under the influence of theRevolutions of 1989. Zhivkov resigned and Bulgaria embarked on a transition to aparliamentary democracy.The first free elections in June 1990 were won by the Communist Party, now rebranded as theBulgarian Socialist Party.Anew constitutionthat provided for a relatively weak elected president and for a prime minister accountable to the legislature was adopted in July 1991.The new system initially failed to improve living standards or create economic growth—the average quality of life and economic performance remained lower than under communism well into the early 2000s.After 2001, economic, political and geopolitical conditions improved greatly,and Bulgaria achieved high Human Development status in 2003.It became a member ofNATOin 2004and participated in theWar in Afghanistan. After several years of reforms, it joined theEuropean Unionand thesingle marketin 2007, despite EU concerns over government corruption.Bulgaria hosted the 2018Presidency of the Council of the European Unionat the National Palace of Culture inSofia.
Bulgaria is a middle-sized country situated in Southeastern Europe, in the east of the Balkans. Its territory covers an area of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), while land borders with its five neighbouring countries run a total length of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi), and its coastline is 354 kilometres (220 mi) long.Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are43° N25° E.The most notabletopographicalfeatures of the country are theDanubian Plain, theBalkan Mountains, theThracian Plain, and theRila-Rhodopemassif.The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while theDanubedefines the border with Romania. TheThracianPlain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast ofSofiaand broadening as it reaches theBlack Sea coast.
The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of the country from west to east. The mountainous southwest has two distinctalpine typeranges—RilaandPirin, which border the lower but more extensiveRhodope Mountainsto the east, and various medium altitude mountains to west, northwest and south, likeVitosha,OsogovoandBelasitsa.Musala, at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft), is the highest point in both Bulgaria and the Balkans. The Black Sea coast is the country's lowest point.Plains occupy about one third of the territory, while plateaux and hills occupy 41%.Most rivers are short and with low water levels. The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, theIskar, has a length of 368 kilometres (229 mi). TheStrumaand theMaritsaare two major rivers in the south.
Bulgaria has a varied and changeable climate, which results from being positioned at the meeting point of theMediterranean,OceanicandContinentalair masses combined with the barrier effect of its mountains.Northern Bulgaria averages 1 °C (1.8 °F) cooler, and registers 200 millimetres (7.9 in) more precipitation, than the regions south of the Balkan mountains. Temperature amplitudes vary significantly in different areas. The lowest recorded temperature is −38.3 °C (−36.9 °F), while the highest is 45.2 °C (113.4 °F).Precipitationaverages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per year, and varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) inDobrudjato more than 2,500 millimetres (98.4 in) in the mountains. Continental air masses bring significant amounts of snowfall during winter.
Considering its relatively small area, Bulgaria has variable and complex climate. The country occupies the southernmost part of thecontinental climatic zone, with small areas in the south falling within theMediterranean climatic zone.The continental zone is predominant, because continental air masses flow easily into the unobstructedDanubian Plain. The continental influence, stronger during the winter, produces abundant snowfall; the Mediterranean influence increases during the second half of summer and produces hot and dry weather. Bulgaria is subdivided into five climatic zones: continental zone (Danubian Plain, Pre-Balkan and the higher valleys of the Transitional geomorphological region); transitional zone (Upper Thracian Plain, most of the Struma and Mesta valleys, the lower Sub-Balkan valleys); continental-Mediterranean zone (the southernmost areas of the Struma and Mesta valleys, the eastern Rhodope Mountains, Sakar and Strandzha); Black Sea zone along the coastline with an average length of 30–40 km inland; and alpine zone in the mountains above 1000 m altitude (central Balkan Mountains, Rila, Pirin, Vitosha, western Rhodope Mountains, etc.).
The interaction of climatic, hydrological, geological and topographical conditions has produced a relatively wide variety of plant and animal species.Bulgaria'sbiodiversity, one of the richest in Europe,is conservedin three national parks, 11 nature parks, 10biosphere reservesand 565 protected areas.Ninety-three of the 233mammalspecies of Europe are found in Bulgaria, along with 49% ofbutterflyand 30% ofvascular plantspecies.Overall, 41,493 plant and animal species are present.Larger mammals with sizable populations includedeer(106,323 individuals),wild boar(88,948),golden jackal(47,293) andred fox(32,326).Partridgesnumber some 328,000 individuals, making them the most widespreadgamebird.A third of all nesting birds in Bulgaria can be found inRila National Park, which also hosts Arctic and alpine species at high altitudes.Flora includes more than 3,800 vascular plant species of which 170 areendemicand 150 are considered endangered.A checklist of largerfungiin Bulgaria by the Institute of Botany identifies more than 1,500 species.In Bulgariaforest coveris around 36% of the total land area, equivalent to 3,893,000 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 3,327,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 3,116,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 777,000 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 18% was reported to beprimary forest(consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 18% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 88% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownershipand 12%private ownership.
In 1998, the Bulgarian government adopted the National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy, a comprehensive programme seeking the preservation of local ecosystems, protection of endangered species and conservation of genetic resources.Bulgaria has some of the largestNatura 2000areas in Europe covering 33.8% of its territory.It also achieved itsKyoto Protocolobjective of reducingcarbon dioxide emissionsby 30% from 1990 to 2009.
Bulgaria ranks 37th in the 2024Environmental Performance Index, but scores low on air quality.Particulatelevels are the highest in Europe,especially in urban areas affected by automobile traffic and coal-based power stations.One of these, thelignite-firedMaritsa Iztok-2station, is causing the highest damage to health and the environment in the European Union.Pesticide use in agriculture and antiquated industrial sewage systems produce extensive soil and water pollution.Water quality began to improve in 1998 and has maintained a trend of moderate improvement. Over 75% of surface rivers meet European standards for good quality.
Bulgaria is aparliamentary democracywhere theprime ministeris thehead of governmentand the most powerful executive position.The political system has three branches—legislative, executive and judicial, withuniversal suffrageforcitizensat least 18 years old. TheConstitutionalso provides possibilities of direct democracy, namely petitions and nationalreferendums.Elections are supervised by an independent Central Election Commission that includes members from all major political parties. Parties must register with the commission prior to participating in a national election.Normally, the prime minister-elect is the leader of the party receiving the most votes in parliamentary elections, although this is not always the case.
Unlike the prime minister, presidential domestic power is more limited. The directly electedpresidentserves ashead of stateandcommander-in-chiefof the armed forces, and has the authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override thepresidential vetoby a simple majority vote.Political parties gather in theNational Assembly, a body of 240 deputies elected to four-year terms by direct popular vote. The National Assembly has the power to enact laws, approve the budget, schedule presidential elections, select and dismiss the prime minister and other ministers, declare war, deploy troops abroad, and ratify international treaties and agreements.
Overall, Bulgaria displays a pattern of unstable governments.Boyko Borisov, the leader of the centre-right, pro-EU partyGERB, served three terms as prime minister between 2009 and 2021.
It wonthe 2009 general electionand formed aminority government,which resigned in February 2013 afternationwide protestsover the low living standards, corruptionand the perceived failure of the democratic system.The subsequentsnap elections in Mayresulted in a narrow win for GERB,but theBulgarian Socialist Partyeventually formed a government led byPlamen Oresharskiafter Borisov failed to secure parliamentary support.The Oresharski government resigned in July 2014 amid continuinglarge-scale protests.TheOctober 2014 electionsresulted in a third GERB victory.Borisovformed a coalitionwith several right-wing parties, but resigned again after the candidate backed by his party failed to win the2016 Presidential election. TheMarch 2017 snap electionwas again won by GERB, but with 95 seats in Parliament. They formed a coalition with the far-rightUnited Patriots, who held 27 seats.
Borisov's last cabinet saw a dramatic decrease in freedom of the press, and a number of corruption revelations that triggeredyet another wave of mass protests in 2020.GERB came out first in the regularApril 2021election, but with its weakest result so far.All other parties refused to form a government,and after a brief deadlock, another election was calledfor July 2021. It too failed to break the stalemate, as no political party was able to form a coalition government.
In April 2023, because of the political deadlock, Bulgaria held its fifth parliamentaryelectionsince April 2021. GERB was the biggest, winning 69 seats. The bloc led byWe Continue the Changewon 64 seats in the 240-seat parliament. In June 2023, Prime MinisterNikolai Denkovformed a new coalition between We Continue The Change and GERB. According to the coalition agreement, Denkov will lead the government for the first nine months. He will be succeeded by former European Commissioner,Mariya Gabriel, of the GERB party. She will take over as prime minister after nine months.
Freedom Househas reported a continuing deterioration of democratic governance after 2009, citing reduced media independence, stalled reforms, abuse of authority at the highest level and increased dependence of local administrations on the central government.Bulgaria is stilllisted as "Free", with a political system designated as a semi-consolidated democracy, albeit with deteriorating scores.TheDemocracy Indexdefines it as a "Flawed democracy".A 2018 survey by theInstitute for Economics and Peacereported that less than 15% of respondents considered elections to be fair.
Bulgaria has acivil lawlegal system.The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and the Supreme Court of Cassation are the highest courts of appeal and oversee the application of laws in subordinate courts.The Supreme Judicial Council manages the system and appoints judges. The legal system is regarded by both domestic and international observers as one of Europe's most inefficient due to a pervasive lack of transparency and corruption.Law enforcement is carried out by organisations mainly subordinate to theMinistry of the Interior.TheGeneral Directorate of National Police(GDNP) combats general crime and maintains public order.GDNP fields 26,578 police officers in its local and national sections.The bulk of criminal cases are transport-related, followed bytheftand drug-related crime;homicide rates are low.The Ministry of the Interior also heads the Border Police Service and theNational Gendarmerie—a specialised branch for anti-terrorist activity, crisis management and riot control. Counterintelligence and national security are the responsibility of the State Agency for National Security.
Bulgaria is aunitary state.Since the 1880s, the number of territorial management units has varied from seven to 26.Between 1987 and 1999, the administrative structure consisted of nine provinces (oblasti, singularoblast). A new administrative structure was adopted in parallel with the decentralisation of the economic system.It includes 27 provinces and a metropolitan capital province (Sofia City). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The provinces are subdivided into 265municipalities. Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected municipal councils. Bulgaria is a highlycentralisedstate where theCouncil of Ministersdirectly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily dependent on it for funding.
Bulgaria became a member of theUnited Nationsin 1955. Since 1966, it has been a non-permanent member of theSecurity Councilthree times, most recently from 2002 to 2003.It was also among the founding nations of theOrganisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe(OSCE) in 1975. Euro-Atlantic integration has been a priority since the fall of communism, although the communist leadership also had aspirations of leaving theWarsaw Pactand joining theEuropean Communitiesby 1987.Bulgaria signed the European UnionTreaty of Accessionon 25 April 2005,and became a full member of the European Union on 1 January 2007.In addition, it has a tripartite economic and diplomatic collaboration with Romania and Greece,good ties with ChinaandVietnamand a historical relationship withRussia.
Bulgaria deployed significant numbers of both civilian and military advisors in Soviet-allied countries likeNicaraguaandLibyaduring theCold War.The first deployment of foreign troops on Bulgarian soil since World War II occurred in 2001, when the country hosted sixKC-135 Stratotankeraircraft and 200 support personnel for the war effort in Afghanistan.International military relations were further expanded with accession toNATOin March 2004and the US-Bulgarian Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in April 2006.BezmerandGraf Ignatievoair bases, theNovo Selotraining range, and a logistics centre inAytossubsequently becamejoint military training facilitiescooperatively used by the United States and Bulgarian militaries.Despite its active international defence collaborations, Bulgaria ranks as among the most peaceful countries globally, tying 6th alongside Iceland regarding domestic and international conflicts, and 26th on average in theGlobal Peace Index.
Following the 2022Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bulgaria decided to assist Ukraine;in 2023, after Gazprom illegally stopped exporting gas to Bulgaria, the country in turn stopped importing Russian oil and gas.
TheBulgarian Armed Forcesare the military of Bulgaria and are composed ofland forces,navyand anair force. The Armed Forces have 36,950 active troops, supplemented by 3,000reservists.The land forces consist of twomechanisedbrigadesand eight independentregimentsandbattalions; the air force operates 106 aircraft andair defencesystems across six air bases, and the navy operates various ships, helicopters and coastal defence weapons.Military inventory mainly consists of Soviet equipment likeMikoyan MiG-29andSukhoi Su-25jets,S-300PTair defence systemsandSS-21 Scarabshort-rangeballistic missiles.The Armed Forces are modernising withF-16 Block 70fighter jets, new multi-purpose corvettes and other modernNATO-standard equipment. Bulgaria is in the process of buying new US-builtStrykervehicles, new155 mmself-propelled howitzers, new3D early-warning radars, newsurface-to-air missilesand more.
Bulgaria has an open,high-incomerangemarket economywhere the private sector accounts for more than 70% ofGDP.From a largely agricultural country with a predominantly rural population in 1948, by the 1980s Bulgaria had transformed into an industrial economy, with scientific and technological research at the top of its budgetary expenditure priorities.The loss ofCOMECONmarkets in 1990 and the subsequent "shock therapy" of theplanned systemcaused a steep decline in industrial and agricultural production, ultimately followed by an economic collapse in 1997.The economy largely recovered during a period of rapid growth several years later,but the average salary of 2,072 leva ($1,142) per month remains the lowest in the EU.
Abalanced budgetwas achieved in 2003 and the country began running asurplusthe following year.Expenditures amounted to $21.15 billion and revenues were $21.67 billion in 2017.Most government spending on institutions is earmarked for security. The ministries of defence, the interior and justice are allocated the largest share of the annual government budget, whereas those responsible for the environment, tourism and energy receive the least funding.Taxes form the bulk of government revenueat 30% of GDP.Bulgaria has some of the lowest corporate incometax rates in the EUat a flat 10% rate.The tax system is two-tier.Value added tax,excise duties, corporate and personal income tax are national, whereas real estate, inheritance, and vehicle taxes are levied by local authorities.Strong economic performance in the early 2000s reducedgovernment debtfrom 79.6% in 1998 to 14.1% in 2008.It has since increased to 22.6% of GDP by 2022, but remains the second lowest in the EU.
TheYugozapadenplanning areais the most developed region with aper capitagross domestic product (PPP) of $29,816 in 2018.It includes the capital city and the surroundingSofia Province, which alone generate 42% of national gross domestic product despite hosting only 22% of the population.GDPper capita (in PPS) and the cost of living in 2019 stood at 53 and 52.8% of the EU average (100%), respectively.National PPP GDP was estimated at $143.1 billion in 2016, with a per capita value of $20,116.Economic growth statistics take into account illegal transactions from theinformal economy, which is the largest in the EU as a percentage of economic output.TheBulgarian National Bankissues the national currency,lev, which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 levа per euro.
After several consecutive years of high growth, repercussions of thefinancial crisis of 2007–2008resulted in a 3.6% contraction of GDP in 2009 and increased unemployment.Positive growth was restored in 2010 but intercompany debt exceeded $59 billion, meaning that 60% of all Bulgarian companies were mutually indebted.By 2012, it had increased to $97 billion, or 227% of GDP.The government implemented strict austerity measures with IMF and EU encouragement to some positive fiscal results, but the social consequences of these measures, such as increasedincome inequalityand accelerated outward migration, have been "catastrophic" according to theInternational Trade Union Confederation.
Siphoning of public funds to the families and relatives of politicians from incumbent parties has resulted in fiscal and welfare losses to society.Bulgaria ranks 71st in theCorruption Perceptions Indexand experiences the worst levels ofcorruptionin the European Union, a phenomenon that remains a source of profound public discontent.Along with organised crime, corruption has resulted in a rejection of the country'sSchengen Areaapplication and withdrawal of foreign investment,though the country officially became a full member of the zone in January 2025.Government officials reportedly engage in embezzlement, influence trading, government procurement violations and bribery with impunity.Government procurement in particular is a critical area in corruption risk. An estimated 10 billion leva ($5.99 billion) of state budget andEuropean cohesionfunds are spent on public tenders each year;nearly 14 billion ($8.38 billion) were spent on public contracts in 2017 alone.A large share of these contracts are awarded to a few politically connectedcompanies amid widespread irregularities, procedure violations and tailor-made award criteria.Despite repeated criticism from theEuropean Commission,EU institutions refrain from taking measures against Bulgaria because it supports Brussels on a number of issues, unlikePolandorHungary.
The labour force is 3.36 million people,of whom 6.8% are employed in agriculture, 26.6% in industry and 66.6% in the services sector.Extraction of metals and minerals, production ofchemicals,machine building, steel, biotechnology, tobacco, food processing andpetroleum refiningare among the major industrial activities.Mining alone employs 24,000 people and generates about 5% of the country's GDP; the number of employed in all mining-related industries is 120,000.Bulgaria is Europe's fifth-largest coal producer.Local deposits of coal, iron, copper and lead are vital for the manufacturing and energy sectors.The main destinations of Bulgarian exports outside the EU are Turkey, China and Serbia, while Russia, Turkey and China are by far the largest import partners. Most of the exports are manufactured goods, machinery, chemicals, fuel products and food.Two-thirds of food and agricultural exports go toOECDcountries.
Although cereal and vegetable output dropped by 40% between 1990 and 2008,output in grains has since increased, and the 2016–2017 season registered the biggest grain output in a decade.Maize,barley,oatsandriceare also grown. QualityOriental tobaccois a significant industrial crop.Bulgaria is also the largest producer globally oflavenderandrose oil, both widely used in fragrances.Within the services sector,tourismis a significant contributor to economic growth.Sofia,Plovdiv,Veliko Tarnovo, coastal resortsAlbena,Golden SandsandSunny Beachand winter resortsBansko,PamporovoandBorovetsare some of the locations most visited by tourists.Most visitors are Romanian, Turkish, Greek and German.Tourism is additionally encouraged through the100 Tourist Sitessystem.
Spending onresearch and developmentamounts to 0.78% of GDP,and the bulk of public R&D funding goes to theBulgarian Academy of Sciences(BAS).Private businesses accounted for more than 73% of R&D expenditures and employed 42% of Bulgaria's 22,000 researchers in 2015.The same year, Bulgaria ranked 39th out of 50 countries in theBloomberg Innovation Index, the highest score being in education (24th) and the lowest in value-added manufacturing (48th).Bulgaria was ranked 38th in theGlobal Innovation Indexin 2024.Chronic government underinvestment in research since 1990 has forced many professionals in science and engineering to leave Bulgaria.
Despite the lack of funding, research in chemistry,materials scienceandphysicsremains strong.Antarctic research is actively carried out through theSt. Kliment Ohridski BaseonLivingston IslandinWestern Antarctica.Theinformation and communication technologies(ICT) sector generates three per cent of economic output and employs 40,000to 51,000 software engineers.Bulgaria was known as a "CommunistSilicon Valley" during the Soviet era due to its key role inCOMECONcomputing technology production.A concerted effort by the communist government to teach computing and IT skills in schools also indirectly made Bulgaria a major source ofcomputer virusesin the 1980s and 90s.The country is a regional leader inhigh performance computing: it operatesAvitohol, the most powerful supercomputer in Southeast Europe, and will host one of the eightpetascaleEuroHPCsupercomputers.
Bulgaria has made numerous contributions tospace exploration.These include two scientific satellites, more than 200 payloads and 300 experiments in Earth orbit, as well astwo cosmonautssince 1971.Bulgaria was the first country to growwheatin spacewith itsSvetgreenhouseson theMir space station.It was involved in the development of theGranatgamma-ray observatoryand theVega programme, particularly in modelling trajectories and guidancealgorithmsfor both Vega probes.Bulgarian instruments have been used in theexploration of Mars, including a spectrometer that took the first high qualityspectroscopicimages of Martian moonPhoboswith thePhobos 2probe.Cosmic radiationen route to and around the planet has been mapped byLiulin-MLdosimeters on theExoMars TGO.Variantsof these instruments have also been fitted on theInternational Space Stationand theChandrayaan-1lunar probe.Another lunar mission,SpaceIL'sBeresheet, was also equipped with a Bulgarian-manufactured imaging payload.Bulgaria's firstgeostationary communications satellite—BulgariaSat-1—was launched bySpaceXin 2017.
Telephone services are widely available, and a central digital trunk line connects most regions.Vivacom(BTC) serves more than 90% of fixed lines and is one of the three operators providing mobile services, along withA1andTelenor.Internetpenetration stood at 69.2% of the population aged 16–74 and 78.9% of households in 2020.
Bulgaria's strategic geographic location and well-developed energy sector make it a key European energy centre despite its lack of significant fossil fuel deposits.Thermal power plants generate 48.9% of electricity, followed bynuclear powerfrom theKozloduy reactors(34.8%) andrenewable sources(16.3%).Equipment for a second nuclear power station atBelenehas been acquired, but the fate of the project remains uncertain.Installed capacity amounts to 12,668 MW, allowing Bulgaria to exceed domestic demand and export energy.
The national road network has a total length of 19,512 kilometres (12,124 mi),of which 19,235 kilometres (11,952 mi) are paved. Railroads are a major mode of freight transportation, although highways carry a progressively larger share of freight. Bulgaria has 6,238 kilometres (3,876 mi) of railway track,with rail links available to Romania, Turkey, Greece, and Serbia, and express trains serving direct routes toKyiv,Minsk,MoscowandSaint Petersburg.Sofia is the country's air travel hub, while Varna and Burgas are the principal maritime trade ports.
According to the government's official 2022 estimate, the population of Bulgaria consists of 6,447,710 people, down from 6,519,789 according to the last official census in 2021.The majority of the population, 72.5%, reside in urban areas.As of 2019, Sofia is the most populated urban centre with 1,241,675 people, followed byPlovdiv(346,893),Varna(336,505),Burgas(202,434) andRuse(142,902).Bulgariansare the main ethnic group and constitute 84.6% of the population.TurkishandRomaminorities account for 8.4 and 4.4%, respectively; some 40 smaller minorities account for 1.3%, and 1.3% do not self-identify with an ethnic group.The Roma minority is usually underestimated in census data and may represent up to 11% of the population.Population density is 55–60 per square kilometre (ultimo 2023), almost half the European Union average.
Bulgaria is in a state of demographic crisis.It has had negative population growth since 1989, when the post-Cold War economic collapse caused a long-lastingemigrationwave.Some 937,000 to 1,200,000 people—mostly young adults—had left the country by 2005.The majority of children are born to unmarried women.In 2024, the averagetotal fertility rate(TFR) in Bulgaria was 1.59 children per woman,a slight increase from 1.56 in 2018,and well above the all-time low of 1.1 in 1997, but still below the replacement rate of 2.1 and considerably below the historical high of 5.83 children per woman in 1905.Bulgaria thus has one of the oldest populations in the world, with an average age of 43 years.Furthermore, a third of all households consist of only one person and 75.5% of families do not have children under the age of 16.The resulting birth rates are among the lowest in the worldwhiledeath ratesare among the highest.
Bulgaria scores high ingender equality, ranking 18th in the 2018Global Gender Gap Report.Althoughwomen's suffragewas enabled relatively late, in 1937, women today have equal political rights, high workforce participation and legally mandatedequal pay.In 2021, market research agencyReboot Onlineranked Bulgaria as the best European country for women to work.Bulgaria has the highest ratio of femaleICTresearchers in the EU,as well as the second-highest ratio of females in the technology sector at 44.6% of the workforce. High levels of female participation are alegacy of the Socialist era.
High death rates result from a combination of an ageing population, high numbers of people at risk of poverty, and a weakhealthcare system.Over 80% of deaths are due tocancerandcardiovascular conditions; nearly a fifth of those are avoidable.Althoughhealthcare in Bulgariais nominally universal,out-of-pocket expensesaccount for nearly half of all healthcare spending, significantly limiting access to medical care.Other problems disrupting care provision are the emigration of doctors due to low wages, understaffed and under-equipped regional hospitals, supply shortages and frequent changes to the basic service package for those insured.The 2018 Bloomberg Health Care Efficiency Index ranked Bulgaria last out of 56 countries.Averagelife expectancyis 74.8 years, compared with an EU average of 80.99 and a world average of 72.38.
Public expenditures for education are far below the European Union average as well.Educational standardswere once high,but have declined significantly since the early 2000s.Bulgarian students were among the highest-scoring in the world in terms of reading in 2001, performing better than their Canadian and German counterparts; by 2006, scores in reading, math and science had dropped. By 2018,Programme for International Student Assessmentstudies found 47% of pupils in the 9th grade to befunctionally illiteratein reading and natural sciences.Average basicliteracystands high at 98.4% with no significant difference between sexes.TheMinistry of Education and Sciencepartially funds public schools, colleges and universities, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process. Education in primary and secondary public schools is free and compulsory.The process spans 12 grades, in which grades one through eight are primary and nine through twelve are secondary level. Higher education consists of a 4-yearbachelordegree and a 1-yearmaster'sdegree.Bulgaria's highest-ranked higher education institution isSofia University.
Bulgarianis the only language with official status.It belongs to theSlavic group of languagesbut has a number of grammatical peculiarities that set it apart from other Slavic languages: these include a complex verbal morphology (which also codes for distinctions inevidentiality), the absence ofnoun casesandinfinitives, and the use of a suffixeddefinite article.
Bulgaria is asecular statewith guaranteedfreedom of religionby constitution, butEastern Orthodox Christianityis designated as the traditional religion of the country.Approximately two-thirds of Bulgarians identify as Eastern Orthodox Christians.TheBulgarian Orthodox Churchwas the first church apart from theFour Ancient Patriarchates of the Eastern Orthodox Church—inConstantinople,Alexandria,AntiochandJerusalem—and the first national church to gainautocephalousstatus in 927 AD.The Bulgarian Patriarchate has 12diocesesand over 2,000 priests.
Muslimsare the second-largest religious community and constitute approx. 10% of Bulgaria's overall religious makeup. A 2011 survey of 850 Muslims in Bulgaria found 30% self-professing as deeply religious and 50% as just religious. According to the study, some religious teachings, likeIslamic funeral, have been traditionally incorporated and are widely practiced while other major ones are less observed, such as theMuslim prayeror abstaining fromdrinking alcohol,eating pork, andcohabitation.
Other important religions includeRoman CatholicismandJudaism, whose history in Bulgaria dates back to the earlyMiddle Ages, theArmenian Apostolic Church, as well as various Protestant denominations, all of which stand for around 2% of Bulgaria's population. An ever increasing number of Bulgarians are eitherirreligiousor unaffiliated with any religion, a percentage that has been growing rapidly over the past 20 years, from 3.9% in 2001, through 9.3% in 2011 and all the way to 15.9% in 2021.
According to the most recent census of 2021 the religious denominations of the population are, as follows:Christian(71.5%),Islam(10.8%), other religions (0.1%). Further 12.4% were unaffiliated or did not respond.
Contemporary Bulgarian culture blends the formal culture that helped forge a national consciousness towards the end of Ottoman rule with millennia-old folk traditions.An essential element of Bulgarian folklore is fire, used to banish evil spirits and illnesses. Many of these are personified as witches, whereas other creatures likezmeyandsamodiva(veela) are either benevolent guardians or ambivalent tricksters.Some rituals against evil spirits have survived and are still practised, most notablykukeriandsurvakari.Martenitsais also widely celebrated.Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin, is included in the list ofUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.Nine historical and natural objectsareUNESCO World Heritage Sites:Pirin National Park,Sreburna Nature Reserve, theMadara Rider, the Thracian tombs inSveshtariandKazanlak, theRila Monastery, theBoyana Church, theRock-hewn Churches of Ivanovoand the ancient city ofNesebar.The Rila Monastery was established by SaintJohn of Rila, Bulgaria'spatron saint, whose life has been the subject of numerous literary accounts since Medieval times.
The establishment of thePreslavandOhridliterary schools in the 10th century is associated with a golden period in Bulgarian literature during theMiddle Ages.The schools' emphasis on Christianscripturesmade the Bulgarian Empire a centre of Slavic culture, bringing Slavs under the influence of Christianity and providing them witha written language.Its alphabet,Cyrillicscript, was developed by the Preslav Literary School.TheTarnovo Literary School, on the other hand, is associated with a Silver age of literature defined by high-quality manuscripts on historical or mystical themes under theAsenandShishmandynasties.Many literary and artistic masterpieces were destroyed by the Ottoman conquerors, and artistic activities did not re-emerge until theNational Revivalin the 19th century.The enormous body of work ofIvan Vazov(1850–1921) covered every genre and touched upon every facet of Bulgarian society, bridging pre-Liberation works with literature of the newly established state.Notable later works areBay GanyobyAleko Konstantinov, theNietzscheanpoetry ofPencho Slaveykov, theSymbolistpoetry ofPeyo YavorovandDimcho Debelyanov, theMarxist-inspired works ofGeo MilevandNikola Vaptsarov, and theSocialist realismnovels ofDimitar DimovandDimitar Talev.Tzvetan Todorovis a notable contemporary author,while Bulgarian-bornElias Canettiwas awarded theNobel Prize in Literaturein 1981.
А religious visual arts heritage includesfrescoes,muralsandicons, many produced by the medievalTarnovo Artistic School.Like literature, it was not until the National Revival when Bulgarian visual arts began to reemerge.Zahari Zografwas a pioneer of the visual arts in the pre-Liberation era.After the Liberation,Ivan Mrkvička,Anton Mitov,Vladimir Dimitrov,Tsanko LavrenovandZlatyu Boyadzhievintroduced newer styles and substance, depicting scenery from Bulgarian villages, old towns and historical subjects.Christois the most famous Bulgarian artist of the 21st century, known for his outdoor installations.
Folk music is by far the most extensive traditional art and has slowly developed throughout the ages as a fusion of Far Eastern, Oriental, medieval Eastern Orthodox and standard Western European tonalities and modes.Bulgarian folk music has a distinctive sound and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such asgadulka,gaida,kavalandtupan. A distinguishing feature isextended rhythmical time, which has no equivalent in the rest of European music.TheState Television Female Vocal Choirwon aGrammy Awardin 1990 for its performances of Bulgarian folk music.Written musical composition can be traced back to the works ofYoan Kukuzel(c.1280–1360),but modern classical music began withEmanuil Manolov, who composed the first Bulgarianoperain 1890.Pancho VladigerovandPetko Staynovfurther enrichedsymphony, ballet and opera, which singersGhena Dimitrova,Boris Christoff,Ljuba WelitschandNicolai Ghiaurovelevated to a world-class level.Bulgarian performers have gained acclaim in other genres likeelectropop(Mira Aroyo),jazz(Milcho Leviev) and blends of jazz and folk (Ivo Papazov).
TheBulgarian National Radio,bTVand daily newspapersTrud,Dnevnikand24 Chasaare some of the largest national media outlets.Bulgarian mediawere described as generally unbiased in their reporting in the early 2000s and print media had no legal restrictions.Since then,freedom of the presshas deteriorated to the point where Bulgaria scores 111th globally in the World Press Freedom Index, lower than all European Union members and membership candidate states. The government has diverted EU funds to sympathetic media outlets and bribed others to be less critical on problematic topics, while attacks against individual journalists have increased.Collusion between politicians, oligarchs and the media is widespread.
Bulgarian cuisineis similar to that of other Balkan countries and demonstrates strong Turkish and Greek influences.Yogurt,lukanka,banitsa,shopska salad,lyutenitsaandkozunakare among the best-known local foods. Meat consumption is lower than the European average, given a cultural preference for a large variety of salads.Bulgaria was the world's second-largest wine exporter until 1989, but has since lost that position.The 2016 harvest yielded 128 million litres of wine, of which 62 million was exported mainly to Romania, Poland and Russia.Mavrud, Rubin,Shiroka melnishka,DimiatandCherven Misketare the typical grapes used inBulgarian wine.Rakiais a traditional fruitbrandythat was consumed in Bulgaria as early as the 14th century.
Bulgaria appeared at thefirst modern Olympic gamesin 1896, when it was represented bygymnastCharles Champaud.Since then, Bulgarian athletes have won 55 gold, 90 silver, and 85 bronze medals,ranking 25th in theall-time medal table.Weight-liftingis a signature sport of Bulgaria. CoachIvan Abadzhievdeveloped innovative training practices that have produced many Bulgarian world and Olympic champions in weight-lifting since the 1980s.Bulgarian athletes have also excelled inwrestling,boxing, gymnastics,volleyballandtennis.Stefka Kostadinovais the reigningworld recordholder in the women'shigh jumpat 2.09 metres (6 feet 10 inches), achieved during the1987 World Championships.Grigor Dimitrovis the first Bulgarian tennis player in the Top 3ATP rankings.
Footballis the most popular sport in the country by a substantial margin. Thenational football team's best performance was a semi-final at the1994 FIFA World Cup, when the squad was spearheaded by forwardHristo Stoichkov.Stoichkov is the most successful Bulgarian player of all time; he was awarded theGolden Bootand theGolden Balland was considered one of the best in the world while playing forFC Barcelonain the 1990s.CSKAandLevski, both based in Sofia,are the most successful clubs domestically andlong-standing rivals.Ludogoretsis remarkable for having advanced from the local fourth division to the2014–15 UEFA Champions Leaguegroup stage in a mere nine years.Placed 39th in 2018, it is Bulgaria's highest-ranked club inUEFA.
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