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| Bulgaria is a small eastern European country at the crossroads between Orient and Occident, neighboring Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. Its natural borders are the Black Sea to the east, the Danube river to the north and the Rhodopi mountains to the south. Bulgaria's most important cities are Sofia, the capital, Plovdiv, located in the center of the country, Varna and Burgas on the Black Sea coast and Ruse on the banks of the Danube.
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| Geographically it offers a wide variety of landscapes, from sand beaches to alpine mountain ranges with fertile plains and rolling hills in between. The principal mountain ranges are the Balkan mountains (Stara Planina) and the associated Sredna Gora mountains that disect the country roughly in the middle from west to east and that represent a geographical barrier between the northern and southern parts of Bulgaria, the Rila and Pirin mountains in the south-west that are a popular area for hiking and skiing and the slightly lower Rhodopi mountains to the south with their renowned caves and lakes that cross over into Greece.
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Bulgaria as a nation appeared in the 7th century as an ethnic mixture of Thracians, Slavs and Proto-Bulgarians. Bulgarians were powerful warriors and skilled craftsmen. They managed to establish a prospering state that imposed itself as a big cultural center in the heart of the Balkanic peninsula and this in spite of the incessant attacs of the neighboring Byzantine Empire. The country was a part of the Byzantine Empire from the 11th to the 12th century and occupied by Ottomans from the 14th to the 19th century. Throughout this period the orthodox church was the safeguard of national identity and the breeding ground for liberation movements.
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After gaining independence in 1878, Bulgaria experienced a period of economical growth and cultural development. At the end of World War II, it came under communist rule and became one of the Warsaw pact countries. Since 1989 Bulgaria is a so-called “democracy”, confronted with the economical and political legacy of its former communist leaders and mired in nepotism and corruption at all levels of society.
The country is currently being overrun by virulent neoliberalism. The daily problem of the average Bulgarian is to make ends meet with an average monthly income of 110 Euros and ever rising prices. |
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Bulgarians are generally highly educated and attached to traditions. They are very patriotic and proud of their cultural heritage, their songs and folk dances. Hospitality is an important Bulgarian trait of character. They are not hurried and like to share their daily joys and worries over a cup of coffee. Bulgarian food is varied and very tasty.
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