Bulgaria

• Location: South East Europe
• Capital City: Sofia
• Population: 7.9 million
• Currency: Bulgarian Lev
• Language: Bulgarian
• Member of European Union: Yes
• Time: GMT + 2
• Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz

Situated in the South Eastern part of Europe – heart of the Balkans – Bulgaria presents a highly diverse landscape: Black Sea in the East, lowlands of the Danube dominating in the North, and the highlands and plains in the South. Bulgaria borders Romania in the North, Greece and Turkey in the South, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia in the West, and Black Sea in the East.
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria.

POPULATION
Bulgaria is one of the oldest countries in Europe; it was founded in 681. The population in Bulgaria is almost 8 million. 1.1 million of the population live in the capital, Sofia. Approximately 3% are Roma and 10% of the population are Turks.
Religions

• Orthodox Christians (85 %)
• Muslims (13 %)

Major cities:

• Sofia (capital) (1,200,000 )
• Plovdiv (370,000)
• Varna (300,000)
• Bourgas (220,000)
• Rousse (170,000)
• Stara Zagora (150,000)
• Pleven (128,000)
• Dobritch (111,000)

TRAVEL
The main international airports in Bulgaria:

• Sofia (SOF)
• Bourgas
• Varna
• Plovdiv
• Gorna Oryahovitsa

The main airline operating in Bulgaria are Balkan Bulgarian airlines, Hemus Air (airline code FB), Air Via, Heli Air, and Air Sofia.
There are direct flights from Sofia to Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Munich, etc.
Other airlines operating to and from Bulgaria:

• Aeroflot (airline code SU) Hub: Moscow airport.
• Aerosvit (airline code AEW) Hub: Kiev airport.
• Air France (airline code AF) Hub: Paris airport.
• Alitalia (airline code AZ) Hub: Rome Fiumicino airport.
• Austrian Airlines (airline code OS) Hub: Vienna airport.
• British Airways (airline code BA) Hub: London Heathrow airport.
• Czech Airlines (airline code OK) Hub: Prague airport.
• EasyJet (airline code EZY) Hub: London Gatwick airport.
• LOT Polish Airlines (airline code LO) Hub: Warsaw airport.
• Lufthansa Airlines (airline code LH) Hub: Frankfurt airport.
• Malev-Hungarian Airlines (airline code MA) Hub: Budapest airport.
• Olympic Airlines (airline code OA) Hub: Athens airport.
• Turkish Airlines (airline code TK) Hub: Ankara airport.
• Wizz Air (airline code WZZ) Hub: Budapest airport.

Major tourist attractions:

• Rila Monastery
• Boyana Church
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
• Golden Sands
• The Pirin national park
• Sunny beach

Links:

Bulgarian Government
Introduction to Bulgaria
Discover Bulgaria