Coastline: 354km
Terrain: Mostly mountains with lowlands in the North and Southeast
Elevation extremes: Low – Black Sea 0m. High – Musala 2925m.
Demographic Overview
Population: 7.7m
Population growth: -0.3%
Life expectancy: 72.55 years
Ethnic groups: 83.9% Bulgarian, 9.4% Turks, 4.7% Roma
Religions: 82.6% Orthodox Christian, 12.2% Muslim, 1.7% Roman Catholic
Literacy: 98.6%
Economic
Real GDP growth: 5.5% (est. 2005)
GNI per capita: $3450 (est. 2004)
Population below poverty line: 6.4% (est. 2005).
Unemployment: 13.7% (2005)
Currency
The official monetary unit in the Republic of Bulgaria is called the LEV. As since 1997 the country has been in the conditions of
a currency board, the Lev was attached to the German Mark (at a fixed exchange Lev for 1 DM) and since 1st January 2002
the Lev is attached to the Euro.
Political
Government type: Parliamentary Democracy
Capital: Sofia
Independence: 22 September 1908 from Ottoman Empire
Legal system: Civil and criminal law based on Roman law
Airports & Roads
Air, rail, road and water transport connects Bulgaria to Europe and the world. Railways cross all of Bulgaria’s land borders.
The first big European railway transport artery- Orient Express also cuts through the country.
Airports
Sofia (Bulgaria’s capital) serves Western Bulgaria, City, ski and mountain regions.
Varna airport and Bourgas airport. Serves Eastern Bulgaria and the Black Sea Coast Beach region.
Reasons to invest in Bulgaria
Bulgaria has a stable economy
Bulgaria has huge potential for growth and has already demonstrated growth in its tourism industry and increasing property
values
EU accession in January 2007 should boost Bulgaria’s economy, provide increased industry and increasing property values
An environment that offers 220km of sandy beaches on the Black Sea coast and over 1700 hours of Sunshine from May to
October. In the mountainous ski regions of Pamporovo and Bansko you can expect a ski season from mid December to mid
April
Increasing numbers of direct flights between the UK and Bulgaria improving accessibility and offering competitively priced
flights
The Culture and Country
Bulgaria, rich in natural resources with beautiful beaches, stunning mountain ranges, breathtaking rivers and lakes and over
200 mineral water springs. Steeped in thousands of years of history, the people are warm and welcoming, offering tempting
cuisine and wine, charming music, culture and folklore.
Bordering the Black Sea, Bulgaria neighbours Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, Serbia and Romania. The coastline offers plentiful
beaches, golden sand popular with tourists as well as smaller, more private natural beaches.
The scenic mountainous regions to the west, offer excellent skiing and snowboarding in the winter months and off-road biking
and treks in the summertime.
Golf is also becoming increasingly popular with the development of numerous new courses, including a championship course,
luring golfers to experience Bulgaria.
The bustling capital, Sofia has a history that goes back thousands of years with many archaeological sites that display its
diverse past. The city is thriving since the downfall of the communist regime and this is evident in both its ongoing
development and regeneration and the attraction of business from multinational companies.
Climate and average temperatures
Bulgaria benefits from a temperate climate with cold winters, particularly in mountainous regions and long hot summers.
Beach Climate
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