The Slavs and Bulgars the first Bulgarians
Motto: Unity makes strength
Anthem: "Dear Motherland"
Bulgaria officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 14th-largest country. Its location has made it a historical crossroad for various civilisations and as such it is the home of some of the earliest metalworking, religious and other cultural artifacts in the world.
The population of 7.36 million people is predominantly urban and mainly concentrated in the administrative centres of its 28 provinces. Most commercial and cultural activities are concentrated in the capital Sofia. The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy industry, power engineering and agriculture, all relying on local natural resources.
The current political structure dates to the adoption of a democratic constitution in 1991. Bulgaria is a unitary parliamentary republic with a high degree of political, administrative and economic centralisation. It is a member of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe, a founding state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and has taken a seat at the UN Security Council three times.
Bulgaria has been traditionally a Christian state since the adoption of Christianity as state religion in 865.
History
Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history saw the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian state dates back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 AD, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 created the Third Bulgarian State, which became independent in 1908. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a Socialist state with a single-party system. In 1989 the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections, following which Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and a market-based economy.
The Thracians in Bulgaria
Image carved in stone of a Thracian horseman hunting with a spear. The Thracians lived in Bulgaria from 1000BC.
Bulgarian history really starts with the Thracians. The Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes that lived throughout the Balkan Peninsula from about 1000 BC. They lived simply in small-fortified hilltop villages, but had an advanced cultural life. Many elaborate gold and silver treasures have been found in Bulgaria, and you can still admire some of their burial tombs today.
Warrior-kings that also had a priestly role ruled Thracian tribes. Some of the ancient rituals still performed in Strandja today trace back to the Thracian kings. An example is the Nestinarka or fire dancing ritual.
Their neighbours saw Thracians as warlike, ferocious and bloodthirsty. They especially feared the tribes that inhabited the remote mountains. Today, we think that Thracian religion was based around fertility, death and birth, and that they performed ecstatic religious rituals.
The Thracians were never united. Instead, they consisted of a bunch of loose tribes that fought among each other. They were in close contact with the Greeks, who settled in the area, started colonies on the Black Sea coast, such as Sozopol (Apollonia), and traded with the Thracians.
The Slavs and Bulgars the first Bulgarians
Victorious Bulgar warrior with captive. The Bulgar warrior rides a horse and holds a person by its head. The Bulgars were a war-like tribe from central Asia.
From 200 BC, the Romans became the main power in Europe. By 50 AD, all the Thracian tribes were obliterated and the Romans had created the provinces of Thrace in the South and Moesia in the North.
During Roman rule, the Slavs started to migrate south and east. The Slavs were a large tribe that came from east Ukraine. Because of their interest in Christianity, the Romans allowed these peaceful farming people to settle. The Slavs became the most powerful people in the Balkans, until the arrival of the Bulgars in the second half of the 6th century.
The Bulgars came from central Asia and were a war-like tribe. Under their leader, Khan (king) Asparuh, they gradually extended their rule over the Slavs already settled in the region.
The ruling Bulgars extended their empire at the cost of the Romans, and adopted the language and culture of the Slavs. The two communities merged to form the first 'Bulgarians'.
A time of relative prosperity followed, and the Bulgarian Kingdom became the biggest on the continent. At its peak, it stretched from Greece in the South to the Ukraine in the North and from the Black Sea in the East to the Adriatic in the West.
However, by 1400 the Ottoman Turks had become a disciplined war machine with superior numbers, and were unstoppable. By the middle of the 15th century, Southeastern Europe was part of the Ottoman Empire, a situation that would last for 500 years.
The Ottoman Yoke
Map showing the extent of the Ottoman empire's rule at its height. Large parts of south east Europe, including Bulgaria, and north east Africa were under Ottoman rule. The Ottoman empire once ruled the whole of Bulgaria, as well as South East Europe and North Africa . The 'Ottoman Yoke' was a difficult time for the Bulgarians. During the first 50 years, almost half of the population was killed or left to starve. People had to pay very high taxes, even for occasions such as birth and death, and many people were forced to convert to Islam.
There were some uprisings during the 500-year period that the Ottomans ruled, but the Ottomans quickly crushed these and no real change followed.
However, in spite of the oppression, the Bulgarians managed to keep their culture, traditions and language alive. This was especially the case in remote and mountainous areas such as Strandja, which has always been a stronghold of Bulgarian culture.
By the end of the 18th century, Turkish rule became more tolerant, and a group of wealthy Bulgarian merchants got more and more freedom. In 1792, a book written about the history of the Bulgarian people was the start of a period called the Bulgarian Renaissance or National Revival, in which architecture and art flourished. Today you can still see many beautiful examples of National Revival architecture in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria's liberation
Statue of Vasil Levski. He holds one arm in the air with fingers spread out. A lion stands behind him. Vasil Levski became a martyr for the liberation of Bulgaria after his execution by the Ottomans.
The National Revival period and the increasing tolerance of the Ottomans sparked ideas of liberation. Bulgarian Nationalists grouped under one leader, Vasil Levski, a gifted poet. When the Turks executed Vasil, he became a martyr for the liberation cause.
In April 1876, the April uprising started in a small mountain village in the Balkan Mountains. But the Turks quickly crushed the uprising and killed over 30,000 rebels, both during the uprising and in revenge attacks.However, the rebels' fate was not in vain, because Russia, shocked by the atrocities, attacked the Turkish Empire and freed Bulgaria in 1877.
For a very brief period in history, Bulgaria became a large independent country that included Macedonia and East Greece. This however was too dangerous to Western Europe. They divided Bulgaria again and even gave parts back to the Ottomans.
Strandja became part of an Ottoman province named Eastern Rumelia. In 1885, there was an uprising in Rumelia and it became part of Bulgaria once more. However, Macedonia and Strandja only regained their freedom in 1903 and 1913 respectively.
A period of great unrest
Artist working on a stone statue of a Bulgarian Jewish soldier holding a laurel. Bulgaria refused to hand over its large Jewish population during World War 2.
From 1913 until the Second World War, there was great political unrest in the area, with many wars and economic stagnation.
The Balkan wars were followed by World War I, in which Bulgaria sided with Germany. After the war, Bulgaria had to pay lots of war reparations. Both the Agrarian and Communist party appeared, but the Agrarian leader was assassinated and the Communist party banned. Its leaders fled to Russia.
During World War II, Germany penetrated into the Balkans. In spite of Bulgaria's declared neutrality, the Germans occupied the country. However, Bulgaria refused to declare war to Russia or to hand over its large Jewish population. Russia attacked in 1944 and, with assistance from within, liberated Bulgaria. (September 9, Liberation Day).
Bulgaria under communism
Bulgarian Russian stamp showing a Bulgarian and Russian hand together holding a torch. Bulgaria was a Communist country from 1946 to 1989.
After the liberation by Russia, the Bulgarian Communist Party (BKP) emerged as the leading political force. At first they hid their radicalism behind a moderate coalition government. But a staged referendum on the monarchy resulted in its abolishment and the People's Republic of Bulgaria was proclaimed in 1946.
Many enterprises were nationalized. The communists quickly turned to any opposition, whether from within or outside the party. They got rid of over 100,000 people and transformed Bulgaria into a modern industrialist state with heavy industry and many factories. Agricultural production stayed behind though, partly because of the many smallholdings in private ownership.
After Stalin's death, Russia started favouring more moderate policies. By then, however, Todor Zhivkov was the Communist party leader in Bulgaria and he had other ideas. Zhivkov came up with the Big Leap Forward, inspired by the Chinese. He pooled most private smallholdings into large collective farms, while their former owners only got to keep small private plots.
Under Zhivkov Bulgaria almost became like a slave to Russia. The economy stagnated, and there was complete control of public life. But promises and delivery of adequate food, guaranteed work, schooling and medical care kept most people in line. The feared social security police quickly dealt with anyone who still had different ideas.
Perestroika and Glasnost
Photo of Todor Zhivkov. Todor Zhivkov (right) was leader of the Bulgarian Communist Party until 1989.
At the same time, in Russia, Gorbachov started to toy with ideas of widespread reform and new policies, Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness). Hardliners like Zhivkov increasingly became an embarrassment to Russia.
Within the Bulgarian Communist Party, people started to prepare for the day they could throw out their leader, and ask for Perestroika as well. In 1987, Zhivkov came with ideas of reform, including decentralization of state-run businesses and more democracy, but practical examples of this were hard to find.
Under Zhivkov nationalism became fiercer and fiercer, and Bulgaria's minorities, in particular the ethnic Turks and Bulgarian Muslims were the victims. They had to change their names, and were denied work, housing and schooling. All this led to mass exodus of Turks and Bulgarian Muslims in 1989 to Turkey, which in turn caused outrage from international human rights organizations.
The day after the Berlin wall fell, Zhivkov was arrested on the basis of fraud and inciting racial hatred.
Bulgaria's recent political past
People in a semi-circle dance the Horo dance. Several women are in traditional bulgarian costumes. A man at the far end holds the Bulgarian flag. Bulgaria has kept many of its traditions. Horo dancing is one of them.
After the fall of the Berlin wall, a new party leader was appointed. Other political parties also started to appear. By 1990 state and party were separated, hardliners removed and the name changed to the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).
The first elections brought the BSP back to power, partly because it had financial resources for campaigning, but also because the other parties hardly had the time to get themselves organized. Some people are convinced the outcome was fixed.
The following period was a time of many protests, discontent and economic crises. There were many power switches in the government, but no government delivers promises of better living conditions for the ordinary Bulgarians. Crime and corruption became common and many former party members were able to buy state businesses at cheap prices.
The Bulgarians were hoping for a public figure that could be an example to sort out the mess. Then the former king Simeon the second appeared and formed a political party. He won the elections and set out to turn Bulgaria around. But because no real change appeared in the lives of the average Bulgarian, most people quickly lost their hopes.
Today, all hopes are on a new political party again: GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria). GERB has won the elections in 2009. They state their priorities as fighting crime and corruption, while preserving family as the cornerstone of Bulgarian society and achieving energy independence.Time will tell whether GERB will be able to help Bulgaria towards better living conditions, while respecting Bulgaria's beautiful natural environment.
Geography
Bulgaria occupies a portion of the eastern Balkan peninsula, bordering five countries—Greece and Turkey to the south, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, and Romania to the north. The land borders have a total length of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi), and the coastline has a length of 354 kilometres (220 mi). Its total area of 110,994 kilometres (68,968 mi) ranks it as the world's 105th-largest country. Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are 43° N 25° E.
The most notable topographical features are the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains. The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while the Danube defines the border with Romania. The Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches the Black Sea coast.
The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of the country. The mountainous southwest of the country has two alpine ranges—Rila and Pirin, which border the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east.Bulgaria is home to the highest point of the Balkan peninsula, Musala, at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft) and its lowest point is sea level. Plains occupy about one-third of the territory, while plateaus and hills occupy 41 per cent. The country has a dense network of about 540 rivers, most of which are relatively small and with low water levels. The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of 368 kilometres (229 mi). Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south.
Bulgaria has a dynamic climate, which results from its being positioned at the meeting point of Mediterranean and continental air masses and the barrier effect of its mountains. Northern Bulgaria averages 1 °C (34 °F) cooler and registers 200 millimetres (7.9 in) more annually 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). Precipitation averages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per year, and varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) in Dobrudja to more than 2,500 millimetres (98.4 in) in the mountains. Continental air masses bring significant amounts of snowfall during winter.
Environment and wildlife
Bulgaria adopted the Kyoto Protocol and achieved the protocol's objectives by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2009 by 30 percent. However, pollution from factories and metallurgy works and severe deforestation continue to cause major problems to the health and welfare of the population. Urban areas are particularly affected by energy production from coal-based powerplants and automobile traffic, while pesticide usage in the agriculture and antiquated industrial sewage systems produce extensive soil and water pollution with chemicals and detergents. Bulgaria is the only EU member which does not recycle municipal waste, although an electronic waste recycling plant opened in June 2010. The situation has improved in recent years, and several government-funded programmes have been put into place in an attempt to reduce pollution levels. According to Yale University's 2012 Environmental Performance Index, Bulgaria is a "modest performer" in protecting the environment.
Bulgaria's biodiversity is conserved in three national parks, 11 nature parks and 17 biosphere reserves. Nearly 35 per cent of its land area consists of forests, where some of the oldest trees in the world, such as Baikushev's Pine and the Granit oak, grow. Its flora encompass more than 3,800 species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered. The fauna is represented prominently by the brown bear and the jackal, while the Eurasian lynx and the Eastern imperial eagle have small, but growing populations.
Politics
Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy in which the most powerful executive position is that of prime minister. The political system has three branches—legislative, executive and judicial, with universal suffrage for citizens at least 18 years old. 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.
Political parties gather in the National Assembly, which consists 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. The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has the authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override the presidential veto by a simple majority vote of all members of parliament. Boyko Borisov of the centre-right party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) became prime minister on 27 July 2009, while GERB-backed Rosen Plevneliev was elected president in 2011, after receiving 52.5 per cent of the votes on the second round against 47.5 per cent for his Socialist Party opponent Ivaylo Kalfin. As of 2012, GERB has 117 seats in the National Assembly and no permanent political allies, thus ruling as a minority government.
Bulgaria has a typical civil law legal system. The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and 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. Bulgaria's judiciary, along with other institutions, remains one of Europe's most corrupt and inefficient.
Law enforcement is carried out by organisations mainly subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The National Police Service (NPS) combats general crime, maintains public order and supports the operations of other law enforcement agencies. NPS fields 27,000 police officers in its local and national sections. The Ministry of Interior also heads the Border Police Service and the National 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, established in 2008.
KB (left-wing, 40) DPS (centrist, 35) GERB (centre-right, 117) SK (centre-right, 14) Ataka (far right, 10) Independent (24)
Economy
Bulgaria has an industrialised market economy in the upper middle income range, where the private sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of GDP. 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 as its top priorities in terms of budget expenditures. The loss of COMECON markets in 1990 and the subsequent "shock therapy" of the planned system caused a sharp drop in industrial and agricultural production, ultimately followed by an economic collapse in 1997. After 2000, Bulgaria experienced rapid economic growth, even though its income level remained one of the lowest within the EU with a gross average monthly wage of 768 leva (393 euro) in September 2012. Wages, however, account for only half of the total household income. Bulgarian PPS GDP per capita stood at 45 per cent of the EU average in 2011 according to Eurostat data, while the cost of living was 51 per cent of the average. The currency is the lev, which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 levа for one euro. Bulgaria is not part of the eurozone and the financial crisis has pushed the accession date beyond 2015 according to some economic analysts.
Unemployment rate stood at 12.4 per cent in September 2012 and GDP growth contracted from 6.2 (2008) to −5.5 per cent (2009) amid the late-2000s financial crisis. The crisis had a negative impact mostly on industry, causing a 10 per cent decline in the national industrial production index, a 31 per cent drop in mining, and a 60 per cent drop in "ferrous and metal production". Positive growth was restored in 2010, reaching 0.2 per cent. However, by the end of 2011, investments were diminishing and consumption was dropping steadily due to rising unemployment. In 2010, intercompany debt exceeded 51 billion euro, and about 60% of all Bulgarian companies were indebted, excluding subcontractors, suppliers and producers. It is, along with very low wages, a significant obstacle to sustained economic growth. Despite positive fiscal policies and a flexible labour market, IMF and EU-encouraged austerity measures during the crisis have resulted in "catastrophic" social consequences according to the International Trade Union Confederation.
Corruption remains a serious problem. Bulgaria ranks 86th in the Corruption Perceptions Index and its results are gradually worsening. Economic activities are eased by the lowest personal and corporate income tax rates in the European Union, and the second-lowest public debt of all member states at 16.3 per cent of GDP in 2011.In 2011, GDP (PPP) was estimated at $101 billion, with a per capita value of $13,789. Sofia and the surrounding Yugozapaden planning area are the most developed region of the country with a per capita PPS GDP of $24,647 in 2009. The service sector accounts for 64.6 per cent of GDP, followed by industry with 30.1 per cent and agriculture with 5.3 per cent. The labour force is about 2.5 million people. Bulgaria is a net receiver of funds from the EU. The absolute amount of received funds was 589 million euro in 2009.
Local iron, copper, coal and lead deposits are vital for the domestic manufacturing sector. Major industries include extraction of metals and minerals, production of chemicals, machinery and vehicle components, petroleum refinement and steel. The mining sector and its related industries employ a total of 120,000 people and generate about five per cent of the country's GDP. The country is Europe's fourth-largest gold producer and sixth-largest coal producer. Almost all top export items of Bulgaria are industrial commodities such as oil products ($2.24 billion), copper products ($1.59 billion), medicaments ($493 million) and military equipment ($358 million).
In contrast with the industrial sector, agriculture has declined for the past decade. Production in 2008 amounted to only 66 per cent of that between 1999 and 2001, while cereal and vegetable yields dropped by nearly 40 per cent after 1990. Bulgaria, however, remains a net agricultural and food exporter, and two-thirds of its exports are to OECD countries. The country is the largest global producer of perfumery essential oils such as lavender and rose oil. A five-year modernisation and development programme was launched by the government in 2007, aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector with a total investment of 3.2 billion euro.
In recent years Bulgaria has emerged as an attractive tourist destination with some of Europe's least expensive resorts and the last remaining beaches outside the reach of the tourist industry. Lonely Planet ranked Bulgaria among its top 10 travel destinations for 2011. More than 40 per cent of its 9,000,000 annual visitors were Greeks, Romanians and Germans. Main destinations include the capital Sofia, the medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo coastal resorts Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, the population of Bulgaria was 7,364,570 people, down from a peak of nine million in 1989. Bulgaria has had negative population growth since the early 1990s, when the collapse of the economy caused some 937,000 people—mostly young adults—to emigrate by 2005. The population continues to decrease and the current growth rate is one of the lowest in the world.
Bulgarians are the main ethnic group and comprise 84.8 per cent of the population. Turkish and Roma minorities comprise 8.8 and 4.9 per cent, respectively; some 40 smaller minorities comprise 0.7 per cent, and 0.8 per cent do not self-identify with an ethnic group. Romani people are considered second-class citizens by some Bulgarians and approximately 70,000 of them are engaged in criminal activities. Trafficking among Romani people is also widespread due to their bride market traditions. Roma integration programmes funded by the European Union have so far been unsuccessful. All ethnic groups speak Bulgarian, the only language with official status, and a native language for 85.2 per cent of the population. The oldest Slavic written language, Bulgarian is distinguishable from the other languages in this group through certain grammatical peculiarities such as the lack of noun cases and infinitives, and a suffixed definite article.
Bulgaria regards itself officially as a secular state. The Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but designates Orthodoxy as a "traditional" religion. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church gained autocephalous status in 927 AD, and currently has 12 dioceses and over 2,000 priests. Other religious denominations include Islam (10%), Roman Catholicism (0.8%) and Protestantism (1.1%); 0.2% practice other beliefs; and 11.8% do not self-identify with a religion; 21.8% of those taking part in the survey chose not to state any belief.
Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98.6 per cent, with no significant difference between the sexes. Bulgaria has traditionally had high educational standards. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science funds all public educational establishments, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process. The State provides free education in government schools, except for higher education. The educational process spans through 12 grades, where grades one through eight are primary and nine through twelve are secondary level. High schools can be technical, vocational, general or specialised in a certain discipline, while higher education consists of a 4-year bachelor degree and a 1-year Master's degree.
Average life expectancy is 73.6 years, below the European Union average. The primary causes of death are similar to those in other industrialised countries, mainly cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and respiratory diseases. Bulgaria has a universal healthcare system financed by taxes and contributions. The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) pays a gradually increasing portion of the costs of primary healthcare. Healthcare expenditures in the national budget increased to 4.3 per cent between 2002 and 2004, and the NHIF accounted for more than 60 per cent of annual expenditures. The healthcare budget amounted to 4.2 per cent of GDP in 2010, or about 1.3 billion euro. The number of doctors is above the EU average with 181 physicians per 100,000 people, although there is a severe shortage of nurses and other medical personnel, and the quality of most medical facilities is poor.
Most Bulgarians (72.5 per cent) reside in urban areas. About 97 per cent of the population live in privately owned and owner-occupied homes. There is also a high rate of household appliance ownership, such as television sets (97.9 per cent of all households), refrigerators (93.3) and telephones (90.6), and relatively high rates for computers (42.9) and automobiles (41.9 per cent). The average rates in all categories are substantially higher in Sofia, the 12th-largest city in the European Union with a population of more than 1,200,000 people.
Attractions
The Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)
The Balkan Mountains, cutting their way through Bulgaria, stretch 600 km and the highest peak reaches over 2000 meters above sea level. The mountains are fit for longer excursions and can offer cultural experiences widely different from the touristy coast of the Black Sea.
The Rila Convent (Bulgaria)
-The famous convent of Bulgaria At 1147 metres above sea level, squeezed in between the mighty Rila Mountains you will find one of the most important tourist attractions of Bulgaria: the Rila Convent. For many years the enormous convent was the centre of religion and culture, and even today it is a unique experience. What first draws your attention is a huge fortification built to protect the treasures of the convent from the bandits of the area. But once you have entered the convent it is a totally different sight. The stone and wooden buildings are not nearly as heavy as the fortification, and a great court yard with a magnificent view of the surrounding peaks in addition to the peace and quiet of the place will surely make a visit to the convent hard to forget. Trips to the Rila Convent are arranged from most tourist centres.
The seaside cities, Sunny Beach and Golden Sands (Bulgaria)
-sun, sand, beach and sea the two seaside cities Zlátni pjásâci (Golden Sands) and Slâncev Brjag (Sunny Beach) are lands of milk and honey if you want a successful vacation at the beach in the company of the hot sun and a cold drink. The two cities attract lot of tourists which is obvious from the fact that the cities have English names.
A theatre from Antiquity (Plovdiv)
The amphitheatre of Plovdiv is the biggest ancient monument of Bulgaria. The theatre was built approximately in the fourth century and can hold an audience of 3000 people.
The historical towns gate of Sofia (Plovdiv)
Sofia's ancient town's gate dates back to the sixth century. The area around the town's gate is also worth a visit as you will nearby find the area of arts and crafts where several craftsmen put their crafts on display in their work shops.
The Aleksandâr Nevski Cathedral (Sofia)
-The sparkling symbol of Sofia. The magnificent Aleksandâr Nevski Cathedral with the golden domes is the symbol of Sofia. The cathedral is named after a Russian general and is the greatest of its kind at the Balkan. The huge building was finished in the mid 1920's and looks amazing both from the inside and the outside.
The Dimitrov Mausoleum (Sofia)
-a relic of the past The Dimitrov Mausoleum was built in six days and six nights directly after the death of the country's former party leader Georgi Dimitrov in 1949.The Mausoleum housed the embalmed body of Dimitrov until 1989, and even though the Mausoleum is not any longer used it is worth a visit for tourists who are interested in history.
The Palace of culture in Sofia (Sofia)
Sofia's huge Palace of Culture, built during the communism, was an attempt to create a place where the inhabitants could meet and engage in culture. And in contrast to many of the things created by communism this actually worked. The huge palace houses cafés, book shops bingo halls and much more.
The city of Varna (Varna)
Varna is the biggest city but two of Bulgaria and holds a lot of history. Among others, here one of the oldest gold treasures of Europe was dug up. These years the city experiences a huge increase in population, therefore, modern blocks of flats are built everywhere in the old city. The biggest asset and source of income is without doubt the advantageous location at the Black Sea.
Culture
Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Celtic influences. Nine historical and natural objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of Nesebar. Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin, is included in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Fire is an essential element of Bulgarian folklore, used to banish evil spirits and diseases. Bulgarian folklore personifies illnesses as witches and has a wide range of creatures, including lamya, samodiva (veela) and karakondzhul. Some of the customs and rituals against these spirits have survived and are still practiced, most notably the kukeri and survakari. Martenitsa is also widely celebrated.
Along with traditional culture, much heritage from other civilisations has been accumulated since Antiquity. Local researchers claim that the number of archaeological sites is the third-largest in Europe after Italy and Greece. The first book written in a Germanic language—the 4th century Wulfila Bible, was created in Nicopolis ad Istrum in a small Gothic community in present-day northern Bulgaria. The first Christian monastery in Europe was established around the same time. Plovdiv is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities, and the oldest golden treasure in the world, consisting of coins, weapons and jewellery dating to 4,600 BC, was discovered near Varna in 1972. The site revealed evidence of the first European civilisation.
Slavic culture was centered in both the First and Second Bulgarian Empires during much of the Middle Ages. The Preslav, Ohrid and Tarnovo literary schools exerted considerable cultural influence over the Eastern Orthodox world. Many languages in Eastern Europe and Asia use Cyrillic script, which originated in the Preslav Literary School around the 9th century. The medieval advancement in the arts and letters ended with the Ottoman conquest when many masterpieces were destroyed, and artistic activities did not re-emerge until the National Revival in the 19th century. After the Liberation, Bulgarian literature quickly adopted European literary styles such as Romanticism and Symbolism. Since the beginning of the 20th century, several Bulgarian authors, such as Ivan Vazov, Pencho Slaveykov, Peyo Yavorov, Yordan Radichkov and Tzvetan Todorov have gained prominence. In 1981 Bulgarian-born writer Elias Canetti was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Bulgarian folk music is by far the most extensive traditional art and has slowly developed throughout the ages as a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. It contains Far Eastern, Oriental, medieval Eastern Orthodox and standard Western European tonalities and modes. The music has a distinctive sound and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such as gadulka, gaida (bagpipe), kaval and tupan. One of its most distinguishing features is extended rhythmical time, which has no equivalent in the rest of European music. The State Television Female Vocal Choir is the most famous performing folk ensemble, and received a Grammy Award in 1990. Bulgaria's written musical composition can be traced back to the early Middle Ages and the works of Yoan Kukuzel Classical music, opera and ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladigerov and Georgi Atanasov and singers Ghena Dimitrova and Boris Hristov. Bulgarian performers have gained popularity in several other genres like progressive rock (FSB), electropop (Mira Aroyo) and jazz (Milcho Leviev).
The religious visual arts heritage includes frescoes, murals and icons, many produced by the medieval Tarnovo Artistic School. Vladimir Dimitrov, Nikolay Diulgheroff and Christo are some of the most famous modern Bulgarian artists. Film industry remains weak: in 2010, Bulgaria produced three feature films and two documentaries with public funding. Cultural events are advertised in the largest media outlets, including the Bulgarian National Radio, and daily newspapers Dneven Trud and 24 Chasa.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Provinces of Bulgaria and Municipalities of Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a unitary 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, singular oblast). 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-Grad). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The provinces subdivide into 264 municipalities.
Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected municipal councils. Bulgaria is a highly centralised state, where the national Council of Ministers directly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily dependent on it for funding.
Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Rousse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia Province
Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna,Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
