Portal:Bulgaria

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Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, and Romania across the Danube river to the north. It covers a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), making it the tenth largest within the European Union and the sixteenth-largest country in Europe by area. Sofia is the nation's capital and largest city; other major cities include Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas.

Since adopting a democratic constitution in 1991, Bulgaria has been a parliamentary republic composed of 28 provinces, with a high degree of political, administrative, and economic centralisation. A developed country, its advanced, high-income economy is part of the European single market and is largely based on services, followed by manufacturing, mining, and agriculture. Bulgaria has been influenced by its role as a transit country for natural gas and oil pipelines, as well as its strategic location on the Black Sea. Bulgaria is a member state of the European Union, including the Schengen Area and the eurozone, NATO, and various regional suborganizations such as the Bucharest Nine. (Full article...)

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The Second Bulgarian Empire (Middle Bulgarian: Ц(а)рьство бл(ъ)гарское; Modern Bulgarian: Второ българско царство, romanized: Vtoro Balgarsko Tsarstvo) was a medieval Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th century.

Until 1256, the Second Bulgarian Empire was the dominant power in the Balkans, defeating the Byzantine Empire in several major battles. In 1205, Emperor Kaloyan defeated the newly established Latin Empire in the Battle of Adrianople. His nephew Ivan Asen II defeated the Despotate of Epiros and made Bulgaria a regional power again. During his reign, Bulgaria spread from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and the economy flourished. In the late 13th century, however, the Empire declined under constant invasions by Mongols, Byzantines, Hungarians, and Serbs, as well as internal unrest and revolts. The 14th century saw a temporary recovery and stability, but also the peak of Balkan feudalism as central authorities gradually lost power in many regions. Bulgaria was divided into three parts on the eve of the Ottoman invasion. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that Swiss national Charles Champaud represented Bulgaria at the 1896 Summer Olympics?
... that Tsvetana Jermanova survived imprisonment in two forced labour camps in communist Bulgaria?
... that around 850,000 ethnic Turks were forcibly renamed by the People's Republic of Bulgaria in the 1980s?
... that basketball player Charel Allen was a five-time Bulgarian Cup champion despite knowing only a few words of Bulgarian?
... that Will Wood conducted a Bulgarian choir via Zoom for "White Noise"?
... that the combination of Bulgarian choral music and Tuvan throat singing on Fly, Fly My Sadness was inspired by multiple albums being played at the same time?

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Gallery

Image 1Rila is a mountain in West Bulgaria
Image 2Varna lake is a salt lake near Black sea.
Image 3Danube river in Bulgaria
Image 4Sofia is the biggest city in Bulgaria.
Image 5Maritsa is a river in South Bulgaria.
Image 6Razgrad is a city in East Bulgaria.
Image 7A beach in Bulgaria.

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Credit: sali_gyovren

The village of Gyovren in the municipality of Devin, Bulgaria. The population of Gyovren is mainly ethnic Turks, as well as a few Romani families. Devin is a popular tourist attraction, with many hot springs and spa resorts.

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More did You Know?

...that the National Art Gallery of Bulgaria (pictured) occupies the Neo-Baroque 19th-century edifice of the former royal palace?

... that Petar Zhekov, a European Golden Boot winner, is the highest Bulgarian football division's top overall goalscorer?

... that Bulgaria became the country to introduce the Cyrillic alphabet in the European Union when it acceded to that organization on 1 January 2007?