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Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic. The unicameral National Assembly, or Narodno Subranie, consists of 240 deputies who are elected for 4-year terms through a system of proportional representation in 31 electoral regions. Party or coalition lists, rather than individual candidate names, appear on the ballots. A party or coalition must garner a minimum...
Bulgaria's economy contracted dramatically after 1989 with the collapse of the COMECON system and the loss of the Soviet market, to which the Bulgarian economy had been closely tied. The standard of living fell by about 40%. In addition, UN sanctions against Yugoslavia and Iraq took a heavy toll on the Bulgarian economy. The first signs of recovery...
After five centuries of Turkish rule, Bulgarian culture reappeared in the 19th century as writers and artists strove to reawaken national consciousness. Zahari Zograf (1810-53) painted magnificent frescoes inspired by medieval Bulgarian art in monasteries. The carvings of highly contemplative monks appear in monastery museums throughout Bulgaria: saints...
The first Bulgarian state was recognized in 681 A.D. and was a mixture of Slavs and Bulgars. Several years later, the First Bulgarian Kingdom or the "Golden Age" emerged under Tsar Simeon I in 893-927. During this time, Bulgarian art and literature flourished. Also during the ninth century, Orthodox Christianity became the primary religion in Bulgaria...
Located on the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria extends from the western shore of the Black Sea to Yugoslavia in the west. In the north, the Danube River forms the greater part of Bulgaria's common boundary with Romania. Greece and European Turkey lie to the south and southeast of Bulgaria. The country is divided roughly into three parallel east-west zones:...
Partly due to its mountainous terrain, Bulgaria's population density is one of the lowest in Eastern Europe, about 81 persons per square kilometer (207/sq. mi.). About two-thirds of the people live in urban areas, compared to one-third in 1956. Sofia, the capital, is the largest city. Other major cities are Plovdiv-site of a major annual international...
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