Bulgaria; България; Βουλγαρια; Bulgaristan; Bulgarye; Балгарыя; Bulgarie; Бугарија; Bulgarien; Бугарска;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria
http://www.visittobulgaria.com/

Location

Republic of Bulgaria is a country situated in South-eastern Europe, in the North-eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Bulgaria borders to the north on Rumania, to the south - on Greece and Turkey, to the west - on Serbia and Republic of Macedonia and to the east - on the Black Sea.

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_MAP/1_map_europe_2001_enlarged.htm

Details

Population (2007) - 7 322 858 people

Official language - Bulgarian, alphabet – Cyrillic

Capital - Sofia (1.2 mil. inhabitants)

Currency - Lev (BGN), 1 Lev = 100 stotinki, 1 Euro = 1,955 lv., 1 $ ≈ 1,3 lv.

http://finances.need.bg/en/rates.php

Religion: Orthodox (85%), Muslim (8%), others (7%)

Time zone: GMT (London) + 2 hours, East-European time (Germany) + 1 hour

Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz

Credit cards: Most of the public places work with VISA, Master Card or American Express.

Area:

Total: 110,910 km²
Land: 110,550 km²
Water: 360 km²

Topography:

Mountains constitute a significant part of the country's area and are dominant in the Southwest and central parts. Bulgaria's highest mountains are Rila (highest peak Musala, 2925 m; the highest in the Balkans) and Pirin (highest peak Vihren, 2914 m). The large mountain chain of Stara planina (Balkan Mountains) runs West-east through the entire country, bisecting it into two and giving the name to the whole Balkan Peninsula. Other large mountains are the massifs Rhodopes and Strandzha in the South. The average altitude in Bulgaria is 470 m, and the seacoast is 354 km.

http://www.senseofbulgaria.org/index_real.php

Climate:

Considering its small area, Bulgaria has an unusually variable climate. The country lies between the strongly contrasting continental and Mediterranean climatic zones. Moderately continental climate, four seasons. Dry, hot summer: average temperature is 23°C. Cold winter with snowfalls: average temperature is 0°C. The average temperature for the year is 10.5°C. Average precipitation in Bulgaria is about 630 millimeters per year.

Nature:

The highly varied climatic, geological, topographical and hydrological conditions allow Bulgaria to support a really great biodiversity for the continent Europe.

The Flora and Fauna of Bulgaria includes 104 species of mammals, more than 400 birds, 36 reptiles, 16 amphibians, 207 Black Sea and freshwater fish, an estimated 27,000 insects and other invertebrate species, between 3,550 and 3,750 species of vascular plants, and more than 6,500 nonvascular plants and fungi. Bulgaria thus ranks among the most biologically diverse countries in Europe.

Endemic plant species constitute about 5 percent of the total flora, an 8.8 percent of all non-insect species and 4.3 percent of insect species which inhabit in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is maybe the richest country in the thermal and mineral waters. In all the country are discovered and exploited 550 sites with 1600 mineral sources. The temperature of the water varies from 8°С up to 101, 4°C.

There are 3 National parks, 10 Nature parks, 90 Natural reserves and 500 natural sites. Here is some interesting facts about Bulgarian nature and protected territories:

• 67% of all species of fishes, amphibians and reptiles are of high conservation significance.
• 90% of all bird species are of high conservation significance
• Bulgaria has more than 30 bat species (the second largest number in Europe); 60% of these are found within Bulgaria’s three National Parks and all are protected under Bulgarian and international law.
• 750 medicinal plant species can be found in Bulgaria.
• Bulgaria has three National Parks – Pirin, Rila and Central Balkan. They have a total area of 193,049 hectares and comprise more than one-third of all protected areas in Bulgaria
• 96% from the forest in the National Parks are natural - they’ve not been planted
• The protected areas provide about 85% of the water flow in the country
• The average age of the trees in the protected areas is 90 years; almost two-thirds are 100 years or older; More than 70% of all protected, rare or endemic species of plants in Bulgaria can be found in these high mountain environments
• The conservation areas preserve over 80% of the protected plants and over 60% of the endangered animal species in the country

www.rodope.org
www.bspb.org
www.moew.government.bg
www.bg-parks.net
www.parkstrandja.hit.bg
www.pirin-np.com
http://www.moew.government.bg/biodiversity/index_e.html

Forestry

• The total forest area in Bulgaria is 4,1million ha - 33 % of the coutnry
• Afforestate area 3, 7 million ha from all forest area.
• The average age of the forest is 49 years.
• Young forests – 55 %.
• Stands from 40 to 80 ages – 30 %.
• Over a 100 years stands – 9, 2 %.
• Domination of broadleaf stands – 68 %
• Conifers – 32 %
• The growing stock exceed 520 million m³
• Annual increment – 13 million m³
• 3500 – 3600 higher plant species incl.
• The woody plants of Bulgaria consist of about 370 species – trees, shrubs, and sub-shrubs

http://dag.bg/
http://bulprofor.org/
http://bulgarian-foresters.info
http://agrolesproject.com
http://www.proles.bg

Hunting and fishing

More than 50 years Bulgaria is a preferred tourist destination for many international hunters. Here in Bulgaria we have more than 610 000 ha. hunting territory presented in all 39 State Hunting Grounds with 110 hunting residencies, lodges and cabins, located in one of most beautiful places in Bulgaria. Also in the National Hunting and Fishing Organization there is 8 405 454 hа hunting grounds with 110 230 member gained in more than 150 societies. Every year Bulgaria welcomes over 3000 foreign hunters, most of who are permanent guests.

The beautiful nature of Bulgaria is inhabited by 16 000 red deer, 4 500 fallow deer, 75 000 row deer, 50 000 wild boars, 2 200 mouflons, 1 800 chamois, 2 700 capercaillies, 700 brown bears, thousands of pheasants, partridges, rock partridges, and passages of migratory birds-quails, geese and woodcocks.

Bulgaria already has 4 world records of red deer, as well as the present one, evaluated to 287,03 CIC points. The world record of wildcat (fur) – 82,99 CIC points, is also Bulgarian. The national record of wild boar – 158, 20 CIC points, was a world record for 18 years (until 2004).

With more than 1 500 dam and lakes, with thousands small or huge rivers spread all over the country, Bulgaria can give the chance to feel the pleasure of life if the meaning of it is fishing. There are around 210 species occur Bulgaria from which more than 80 are in a freshwater habitats.

http://huntingbg.com/
http://www.elen-hunting.com/
http://bghunt.hit.bg/
http://www.bultours.com/