BulgariaThe Republic of Bulgaria is a small republic in the southeast of Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the east, Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north along the river Danube.
Geography\nMain article: Geography of Bulgaria
Bulgaria is comprised of the classical regions of Thrace, Moesia and Macedonia. \nThe southwest of the country is mountainous, containing the highest point of the Balkan Peninsula, the Musala at 2,925 m, and the range of the Balkan mountains runs west-east through the middle of the country, north of the famous Rose Valley. \nHill country and plains are found in the southeast, along the Black Sea coast in the east, and along Bulgaria's main river, the Danube in the north. Other major rivers include the Struma and the Marica in the south.
The Bulgarian climate is temperate, with cold, damp winters and hot, dry Mediterranean summers.
The Balkan peninsula derives its name from the Balkan or Stara Planina mountain range which runs through the center of Bulgaria into eastern Serbia.
See also:\n* List of cities in Bulgaria\n* Rivers of Bulgaria\n* Reservoirs and dams in Bulgaria
Economy\nMain article: Economy of Bulgaria Bulgaria's economy contracted dramatically after 1989 with the loss of the Soviet market, to which the Bulgarian economy had been closely tied. \nThe standard of living fell by about 40%, but is expected to reach the pre-1990 levels by the end of 2003. \nIn addition, UN sanctions against Yugoslavia and Iraq took a heavy toll on the Bulgarian economy. \nThe first signs of recovery emerged in 1994 when the GDP grew and inflation fell. \nDuring 1996, however, the economy collapsed due to poor economic reforms and an unstable banking system. \nSince 1997 the country has been on the path to recovery, with GDP growing at a 4-5% rate, increasing FDI, macroeconomic stability and EU membership set for 2007. The current government, elected in 2001, has pledged to maintain the fundamental economic policy objectives adopted by its predecessor in 1997, i.e., retaining the Currency Board, practicing sound financial policies, accelerating privatisation, and pursuing structural reforms. \nWhile economic forecasts for 2002 and 2003 predict continued growth in the Bulgarian economy, the government still faces high unemployment and low standards of living. \nBulgaria is holding accession talks with the European Union, hoping to join in 2007.Demographics\nMain article: Demographics of Bulgaria According to the 2001 census, Bulgaria's population is mainly ethnic Bulgarian (83.9%), with two sizable minorities in the form of Turks (9.4%) and Roma (4.7%). \nThe remaining 2% consist of several smaller minorities including Armenians, Russians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Greeks, and Jews. 84.8% of the Bulgarian population speak Bulgarian, a member of the Slavic languages, which is the only official language, but other languages are spoken, corresponding closely to their respective ethnic minorities. Most Bulgarians (83.9%) are at least nominally a member of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the national Eastern Orthodox church. \nOther religious denominations include Islam (12.1%), Roman Catholicism (1.7%), Judaism (0.8%), with Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other faiths numbering 1.6%.Culture\nMain article: Culture of BulgariaMiscellaneous topics\n* Communications in Bulgaria\n* Transportation in Bulgaria\n* Military of Bulgaria\n* Foreign relations of Bulgaria\n* Tourism in Bulgaria Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.External links\nOfficial\n* Council of Ministers - Official governmental site\n* President.bg - Official presidential site\n* Narodno Sabranie - Official parliamentary siteOther\n* World-wide press freedom index - Rank 38 out of 139 countries\n*Banknotes of Bulgaria\n*Pictures of Bulgaria \n\nBulgaria is also a historic state that existed in 10-14th centuries around the confluence of Volga and Kama. Category:European countries\nCategory:Balkans \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nnds:Bulgarien\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCategory:Bulgaria |
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"I heard someone tried the monkeys-on-typewriters bit trying for the plays of W. Shakespeare, but all they got was the collected works of Francis Bacon." - Bill Hirst |
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