Bulgaria

I

Introduction

Bulgaria, republic in south-eastern Europe, known from 1946 to 1990 as the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and now known as the Republic of Bulgaria. Situated in the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria is bordered on the north by Romania, on the east by the Black Sea, on the south by Turkey and Greece, and on the west by Serbia (part of Serbia and Montenegro) and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Once an independent kingdom, Bulgaria was dominated by the Communist Party from 1946 until 1990, when a multi-party system was adopted. The area of Bulgaria is 110,994 sq km (42,855 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Sofia.

II

Land and Resources

More than half of Bulgaria is hilly or mountainous; the average elevation is about 480 m (1,575 ft). The Balkan Mountains cross the country from the north-western corner to the Black Sea and form the watershed between the River Danube and the Aegean Sea. The northern side of the Balkan Mountains slopes gradually to form the northern Bulgarian plateau, which ends at the River Danube. The central portion of the southern side of the range is fringed by a series of narrow plains, notably the Thracian Plain. In the southern part of the country are the broad and irregular Rhodope Mountains, which delineate the boundary with Greece. At the western end of these mountains, in south-western Bulgaria, are the Rila Mountains, which culminate in Musala Peak (2,925 m/9,597 ft), the highest point in the Balkans. Several smaller ranges lie along the western boundaries.

A

Rivers and Lakes

The principal river draining Bulgaria is the Danube, which has among its Bulgarian tributaries the Iskŭr (about 370 km/230 mi long) and the Yantra (about 290 km/180 mi long). Other important rivers are the Kamchiya (about 180 km/110 mi long), which empties into the Black Sea, and in the south-west, the Struma and Mesta, which flow south to the Aegean Sea.

B

Climate

Most of Bulgaria has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers. The climate in general is more severe than in other European areas of the same latitudes, and the average annual temperature range is greater than that of neighbouring countries. Severe droughts, frosts, wind, and hail frequently damage crops. A Mediterranean climate, with dry summers and mild, humid winters, prevails in the valley of the south-western Rhodope Mountains; the northern limit of the climatic zone is the Balkan Mountains.

The average annual temperature is about 12.8° C (55° F). The average rainfall is about 635 mm (25 in) per year, ranging from a low of around 200 mm (8 in) in the north-east, to a high of 1,905 mm (75 in) in the Rila Mountains. The wettest period is early summer in most of the country and autumn or winter in the southern valleys.