Bulgaria is located in south-eastern Europe and occupies the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. To the north, it borders Romania, to the west – Macedonia and Serbia, to the east – the Black Sea, and to the south – Greece and Turkey. The area of Bulgaria is 110,912 sq.m. Its length from north to south is 330 km, and from east to west – 500 km. The territory is very diverse. The average altitude above sea level is 470 m. Thus, 31.5% of the country is taken up by plains (up to 200 m above sea level), 41% are hilly regions (from 200 to 600 m above
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sea level), and 27.5% – forests (from 600 to 2,900 m above sea level). From the viewpoint of geographical location, Bulgaria deserves being called a Balkan country more than its neighbouring countries, as the Balkan Mountains, after which the entire peninsula was named, run eastward namely through its territory. The highest peak in the country and on the Balkan Peninsula is Mount Musala (2,925 m), which is situated in the Rila Mountain complex Climate: temperate-continental, with 4 distinct seasons of the year. The average air temperature in January is 2°C, and in July – 26°C. In the southern regions and at the Black Sea coast the climate is transitional between the temperate continental and the Mediterranean one. Water resources: rivers – Danube, Maritsa, Mesta, Struma, Iskar, Tundzha; hot and cold mineral springs (more than 600); lakes, water bodies, and glacial lakes in the mountains Rila and Pirin. |
Water in the water main is entirely suitable for drinking purposes; nevertheless, you are advised to consume only bottled mineral water. Bulgarian mineral water is known to be one of the best in the world. In the territory of the country there are more than 600 mineral springs – this indicator ranks Bulgaria second in the world to Iceland. Population: according to data from the Bulgarian National Statistics Institute, the population in the country is 7,153,784 people (31.12.2015, www.nsi.bg). This indicator ranks the country 98th in the world. The ethnic composition of the population is dominated by Bulgarians (about 84%). Of the other ethnic groups, the most numerous are the Turks (9.5%) and Roma (4.6%). The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia. It is also the largest city, with population of about 1.2 million people. Other large cities: Plovdiv – 383 000 people, Varna – 366,000 people, Burgas – 226 000 people (15.09.2016 г., www.grao.bg
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