General Information
[Geography
] [History] [Practical
Information]
Geography
Bulgaria is situated in Southeastern Europe in a crossroad between Europe, Asia and
Africa. It borders the Black Sea to the east, Turkey and Greece to the south, Serbia and
the F.Y.R.O.M. to the west and Romania to the north. The country occupies a total area of
110 910 sq km. The climate is temperate continental, tending to Mediterranean in the
southern region, with 4 seasons - cold damp winters and hot dry summers, mild autumns and
short rainy springs. This enables you to travel all-the-year round.
The relief of Bulgaria varies. The mountaineous areas
predominate, occupying almost one quarter of the country's territory. The Balkan Range or
Stara Planina cross the country from west to east dividing Bulgaria into 2 almost equal
parts. The southern part is mostly occupied by the mountains Pirin, Rila (with Mussala,
the highest peak of the Balkan Pensinsula - 2925 m) and Rhodopi which form a large massif.
To the north lies the biggest Bulgarian lowlands area, the
Danubean plate. Small and fertile valleys are spread between the Balkan Range and its
lower sub-mountains. The most famous of the them is the Rose Valley where the rose oil is
produced.
Inspite Bulgaria is reach in waters, the only navegable
river is the Danube. Other important rivers are Iskar, Maritza, Tundja, Kamchia and
Yantra. The lakes are typical for the high-mountain areas in Rila and Pirin and for the
Black Sea coast. Bulgaria was famous during the times of the Roman and Byzantine empires
for its spas and nowadays there are more than 700 mineral springs all over the country.
The flora and fauna are characterized by a large number of
species. The forests - one of the best preserved in Europe - occupy one third of the
country. The deciduous forests in plane and plateau-like regions predominate over the
coniferous in the high-mountain areas. Typical for the country are the riverside forests.
The animal world in Bulgaria represents almost all European species, including more than
200 species of nesting birds. There are more than 90 game and forest preserves in
Bulgaria.
