GeoFroggy

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Background

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004.

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Area Comparative

Slightly larger than Tennessee

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Natural Hazards

Earthquakes, landslides

Environment Current Issues

Air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

Environment International Agreements

Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

Geography Note

Strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Year	2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Map Reference

Europe

Irrigated Land 1998

8,000 sq km

Area 2004

Total

110,910 sq km
Land

110,550 sq km
Water

360 sq km

Coastline

354 km

Geographical Coordinates

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Land use 2004

Arable Land
40.02%
Permanent Crops
1.92%
Other
58.06%

Terrain

Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Elevation

Lowest Point: Black Sea 0 m
Highest Point: Musala 2,925 m

Land Boundaries

Total
1,808 km
Greece
494 km
Macedonia
148 km
Romania
608 km
Serbia And Montenegro
318 km
Turkey
240 km

Natural Resources

Bauxite
Copper
Lead
Zinc

Coal
Timber
Arable land

Bulgaria