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 from the Ottoman Empire 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. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Area Comparative
Almost identical in size to Virginia; 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
Population Distribution
A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations
Natural Hazards
Earthquakes; landslides
Geography Note
Strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
