Introduction To Beautiful Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a recently discovered country for investers and many foreigners are now making this country their home. It has massive investment potential and an added bonus is its moderate climate. However, how much is actually known about this country and its people? This article aims to inform everyone about Bulgaria and the ever important details that make it easier to understand this country and the way of life!

Bulgaria is located in southeast Europe, it is situated in the Balkan Peninsula. The countries surrounding it are: Romania- to the north, Turkey and Greece- to the south, Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia- to the west. On the east it is bound by the Black Sea.

Bulgarian People

Around about 85% of the Bulgarian population is classified as ethnic Bulgarian. There are also other smaller groups of people such as Turks, Roma (known as Gypsies), Armenians, Greeks, Macedonian Slavs and of course there are now a growing population of expats from abroad such as Brits and Germans etc.

All young Bulgarians find it important to have a very neat appearance, western and european fashions are very popular. In the towns and villages a very strange clash appears- one of old and new together. There are old baba's and dyado's (grandmother's and grandpa's) walking the street with their goats in tow and then a very fashionable young couple walks along in their designer jeans! In Rural Bulgaria most families share a big house, for example if there is a 3 storey house then the grandparents stay at the bottom, their grown children stay on the second floor and then their children will stay at the top! In urban areas most people stay in small flats.

Under Communism Bulgarians became accustomed to free health services and a wide range of other benefits, however when Communism came to an end Bulgaria's post-Communist governments didn't have the financial resources to maintain these services. Furthermore, the transition to a market economy resulted in food and water shortages, high inflation and increased unemployment. Residents of Bulgaria's large cities are burdened by housing shortages and rising rents. Things were made increasingly bad when the Lev (national currency) collapsed in late 1996 and early 1997, only 10 years ago Bulgarians still had to stand in a queue for about 6 hours waiting for one loaf of bread!

Now that food is easily available there are many popular traditional dishes favoured by all here, these include things such as "Shopska Salad," which is a salad unique to Bulgaria normally featuring tomato, cucumber, peppers and white goats cheese (sirene). Another summer favourite is "Tarator ," this is a cold yogurt and cucumber soup which can be served as a starter instead of salad, often it is even served up in a glass. In Sofia the capital you are likely to find many stalls selling something called "banitsa," which is a flaky sort of pastry which can have any filling, one of the more popluar is yellow cheese (kashkaval).

The Bulgarian literacy rate is hitting 98%, as education is free and compulsary. Students firstly attend Primary School when they are 7 years old for 4 years, they then progress to Middle School for 3 years and then Secondary School can range up to 5 years depending on personal choice, compulsory education ends at the age of 18. Most students continue their education past secondary school and attend various universities. There are many institutions for higher learning in Bulgaria, most are located in the larger cities such as Sofia (the capital), Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas.

The Language

Okay, lets face it Bulgarian is a difficult language to learn, but when you get the hang of the cyrillic alphabet then it is no more difficult than any other! Bulgarian is spoken by 90 % of Bulgaria, so it could be pretty useful to learn it, even if you try, it is appreciated!
The history of the Bulgarian language is divided into three periods. Firstly, The Old Bulgarian Period- this lasted from the 9th century throught to the 11th, and the text that was created during this period is what makes up most of the Old Church Slavonic Church. Secondly, The Middle Bulgarian Period which lasted from the 12th through to the 14th century and last, The Modern Bulgarian Period started in the 15th but only became fully formed during the 19th century. Modern Bulgarian has two major dialect groups which are eastern and western.
So while learning the lingo be careful about picking up words which are only used in that area!

The Culture

A long time ago, back in the Middle Ages Bulgaria was at the centre of Slavic culture, between then and now Bulgaria has been greatly influenced by others such as Byzantine, Greek, Russian and Western cultures.

All over Bulgaria there are plenty examples of the fine art and architecture that has been produced over the centuries for example, the Boyana Church near Sofia shows some fine examples of the painting from the 13th century. The country has over 200 museums, some of which show the beautiful handcrafts that used to be produced here including embroideries and wood carvings. The oldest building that can be found is the 4th century Church Of Saint George in the very centre of Sofia, this has recently been restored and is quite a strange mix of old and new! Other important buildings include the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia, The Rila Monastery in the Rila Mountains and The Bachkovo Monastery to the south of Plovdiv.

Recently there was a gathering of Bulgarian people in our village singing traditional Bulgarian folk songs and dancing, it was quite incredible! The main native instruments from here are called the gaida (this is a kind of bagpipe) and also the kaval (a wooden flute) The most popular folk dance is called the Hora, which is a sort of round chain dance, in which everyone can join in!

Economy

Bulgaria used to be mainly agricultural and there was almost no heavy industry. However, after World War II, all the industrial enterprises were nationalised and heavy industry was the governments top priority, at that point Bulgaria had one of the most prosperous economies. There downfall came when they started to convert to a market economy, this was made worse when the countrie's voters elected former Communists into power in1994. Instead of transferring the expensive state owned enterprises to private ownership, they continued to sustain them and they acted as huge money drainers. In 1996, the Lev plummented in value and the banking system nearly completely collapsed, at this time many declared bankruptcy and ceased business, all of this caused a serious economic crisis! In 1997 a new government was elected and they took some major steps in order to stabilise the ever shaky economy!

Agriculture used to be a huge part of Bulgaria's economy, but since the Second World War it has declined in a big way! One of the most important crops here is tobacco, it contributes to about 20% of the total value of all agricultural goods. Every year Bulgaria produces surplus food but agriculture is facing an economic downturn due to the fact that the price of agricultural produce is not rising at the same rate as that of inflation.

A really huge industry in Bulgaria is wood, almost everyone in the rural areas burn wood throughout the winter. The forestry police keep tight reins on the people- they must have documentation in order to either cut down the wood, or if they buy it the seller supplies the document. If you don't have it you can be fined instantly! The principal timber areas are the Rila, Rhodope and Balkan mountains. Some people also burn coal which furnishes the bulk of Bulgaria's mineral production. Another big industry is located on the Black Sea Coast-Petrol- it was discovered there in 1951. Another is fishing, there is a large variety of fish such as mackerel, whiting and carp to be found in the coastal waters. The processing and canning plants are found in the main towns in that area i.e Varna and Bourgas.

The Environment

The biggest percentage of Bulgarias terraine is mountainous. The major mountain ranges are called: The Balan Mountains- these cross the country from the northwest to the Black Sea. The Rhodope Mountains- broad and irregular mountains found in the south of Bulgaria. The Rila Mountains- are located in the southwestern part of the country, most of the countries wildlife is confined to here, you can find all sorts- bears, wolves, foxes and wildcats to name a few! In all of these mountains you can find a variety of trees such as conifer, beech and oak. Many areas have been deforested and there has been a gradual deterioration of several fertile areas, however there are still some lands that have highly fertile black and grey soils!

There are five main rivers that flow at various locations thoughout the country, the biggest and most well-known is called the Danube. Then there is the Maritsa which flows towards Greece and Turkey. The three smaller rivers are called the Kamchiya, The Struma and The Mesta.

Bulgaria can appear to have quite a severe climate, in the winter it is freezing cold with frosts, winds and hail storms and in the summer it can be absolutely scorching which can lead to droughts. The change in climate in Bulgaria can be somewhat dramatic almost appearing as if it is moving through the seasons overnight..

The environmental health of the country has been suffering because of the huge industrial economy. Almost all of the rivers are polluted and water treatment facilities for wastes are mostly inadequate. The European Union has given the country money in order to greatly improve these problems, so time should see an improvement!

History

Bulgaria was formerly included in the Roman Empire as part of the province of Thrace and Moesia. However, during the 9th century Bulgarians had gained a considerable amount of territory and they laid foundations for a strong state, under the power of Khan Krum. By the late 9th and 10th century, Bulgaria was the strongest nation in Eastern Europe. Tsar Simeon became the most powerful monarch and his reign was marked by great cultural advances, for example the Cyrillic alphabet was adopted. Bulgaria's power declined during the following century and when the Russians invaded and seized the capital and the royal family, it could have been the end for Bulgaria but Emperor John I Tzamiseces intervened and the Russians withdrew. So, Samuel, the son of Bulgarian provincial governor became the ruler of Western Bulgaria, his armies were later destroyed by Emperoro Basil II and the state was incorporated into his empire.

So was all lost, was there no more Bulgaria!? No, noble brothers Asen and Peter led the Bulgarians to revolt in 1185 and again Bulgaria was established! By the early 13th century it included extensive territories such as Serbia and all of western Macedonia. Sadly, this was short lived as the Bulgarian armies were defeated in 1330 by the Serbs. During the next five centuries the existence of Bulgaria was almost completely and utterly destroyed. In 1876 the Bulgarians decided to revolt against Ottomans rule, bur were unsuccessful and in reprisal about 30,000 Bulgarian people including children were murdered! In 1877, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire and swiftly defeated them! After this a part of Bulgaria came into being again! In 1879 the first prince of Bulgaria was elected- Alexander of Battenberg, but in 1886 a group of conspirators abducted him and established a Russian-dominated government. This wasn't on! Within a few days the government was overthrown and a new ruler chosen- Prince Ferdinand. In 1908 Ferdinand declared Bulgaria as independent and assumed the title of Tsar!

During the Second World War Bulgaria signed the Anti-Comitern Pact and declared war on the USA and Great Britain. Even though they were allied with Nazi Germany, Tsar Boris refused to persecute Bulgarian Jews, so most of them survived the Holocaust. When the tide turned against the Germans, Adolf Hitler tried to make Bulgaria declare war on he USSR, they refused but the USSR declared war on them! However no fighting occured! Furthermore Bulgaria declared war on Germany. Bulgaria then asked for an armistice which was agreed to. The armistice also made provision that the Bulgarians evacuate all territories that they had taken!
So in 1946, the Bulgarians rid themselves of Tsar Simeon and the monarchy came to an end, a week after this Bulgaria was made a "Peoples Republic."Bulgaria has been dominated since 1946 by The Communist Party. However in 1990 a multi-party system was adopted and the political system has expanded and improved since that time.

So now you know all about Bulgaria and how much it has struggled to be what it is today! Over the past 10 years or so the changes in this country have been massive and amazing to all who live here. The country now hopes to join the European Union and its target date for joining is January 1st 2007!Prior to its joining the EU it has many targets which it has to meet so the people of Bulgaria will have to wait and see if they will indeed enter on this date.

This is a beautiful country with some truly amazing scenery and friendly people.So, regardless of what links you have to Bulgaria you may find it very different from most other countries. Remember differences are what also makes a country new and exciting and if we did not want change why consider moving here in the first place. Its just a new way of life thats a little more relaxed! ENJOY!

Comes from our free online PDF magazine all about Bulgaria

BulgariaInfo-Online

[http://www.bulgariainfo-online.com]

Debbie Lockhart

Journalist and Photographer