Bulgaria is a country situated in southeast Europe, which is also a member of EU and NATO. With this article, get to know some fun and interesting facts about Bulgaria.

Facts About Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a country situated in southeast Europe, which forms a part of the Balkan Peninsula. It stands bordered by Romania in the north (mostly along the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia in the west and Greece and Turkey in the south. The eastern boundary of the country is mainly formed by the Black Sea, which is also the lowest point of its terrain. Bulgaria comprises of the classical regions of Moesia, Thrace, and Macedonia. The First Bulgarian Empire, which covered majority of the Balkan at some point of time, can still be seen to have an influence over the culture and traditions of the modern Bulgaria. In case you want to know more about the city, make use of the information provided in the lines below.
Image: By http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletaylor/ Kyle Taylor [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
 
Fun & Interesting Facts about Bulgaria
 
  • The official name of Bulgaria is the ‘Republic of Bulgaria’.
  • The official language of Bulgariais Bulgarian. Turkish and Roma are also spoken there.
  • Majority of the population in Bulgaria comprises of. Bulgarian Orthodox, followed by Muslims, Jews, Roman Catholics and Protestants.
  • The currency of Bulgariais Lev.
  • The capital of Bulgariais Sofia, which is also its largest city.
  • Bulgariafollows the system of Parliamentary Democracy, under a Unitary Constitutional Republic.
  • Bulgariaisthe oldest nation-state in Europe.
  • Bulgariabecame a member ofEuropean Union in January 2007 and has been a part of NATO since 2004.
  • In the mid fourteenth century, Bulgaria came under Ottoman rule, which lasted till the Russo-Turkish War. In 1878, Bulgaria was re-established as a constitutional monarchy.
  • After World War II, Bulgaria became a communist state and part of the Eastern Bloc.
  • In 1990, the Communist party of Bulgaria gave up its monopoly on power, making way for democracy and free-market capitalism.
  • Bulgaria forms a part of the Balkan Peninsula, an area in South East Europe.
  • Mount Musala (2,925 m), a part of Rila Mountains, is the highest peak in Bulgaria.
  • Iskar is the longest river in Bulgaria, while Varna Lake its largest coastal lake.
  • Raiskoto Praskalo Waterfall, known as the Heaven Spray, is the highest waterfall in Bulgaria.
  • The hottest mineral water spring in Bulgaria is in the town of Sapareva Banya.
  • There are around four thousand mapped caves in Bulgaria.
  • Varna, on the Black Sea, used to serve as a trading centre in ancient times.
  • Plovdiv city of Bulgaria was founded in the fourth century BC, by Philip of Macedon.
  • The name Bulgaria has been kept after Bulgar people, who arrived here in the late seventh century.
  • The patron saint of Bulgaria is John of Rila, who remained dedicated towards meditation throughout his life.
  • Bulgaria was earlier a member of COMECON, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance and the Warsaw Treaty Organization.
  • John Vincent Atanassoff, the inventor of the first electronic computer, belongs to Bulgaria.
  • Bulgaria introduced the Cyrillic alphabet in the European Union, when it became a member in January 2007.
  • Bulgarian Air Force developed the first air-dropped bomb in military history, during the First Balkan War.
  • Peter Petroff, a Bulgarian, developed the first digital wristwatch of the world.
  • On 1st March, every year, Bulgarians give each other 'martenitsas' - small figures made of white and red threads. These figures are believed to be a symbol of the awakening - of spring, health and happiness.
  • Soccer is the most popular sport in Bulgaria.
  • When Bulgarians waggle their heads Indian-style, it means yes and when they nod, it means no.
  • Lactobacillus Bulgaricus is a bacterium that can be found only in Bulgarian air.
  • There is only one volcano in Bulgaria - Kozhukh, which has been extinct since long.
  • Boris Christov and Nickolai Guaurov, the famous Opera singers, are Bulgarian.

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