Bulgaria

Made by : Vanesa Mateeva

 The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in
Southeast Europe. It is located in the
eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula and
occupies 23% of its territory. It borders
Romania to the north; to the west with
Serbia and Northern Macedonia; to the
south with Greece and to the southeast
with Turkey. To the east, along the coast,
the country is washed by the waters of the
Black Sea. With its almost 111 thousand
km² area and 7,000 039 people (as of
December 31, 2018), Bulgaria ranks 11th
and 16th respectively in area and
population in the European Union.
 Short History
 In 681 the First Bulgarian State was founded, which flourished in its development
at the beginning of the 10th century and had a great influence on the peoples of
Eastern Europe through its literary schools and literature. It lasted until 1018, when
it came under Byzantine rule. It rejected it with an uprising in 1185. The second
Bulgarian state reached the peak of its power and territorial expansion in the first
half of the 13th century and existed between 1185 and 1396, when it was
conquered by the growing Ottoman Empire. The liberation of Bulgaria covers the
events related to the restoration of the Bulgarian statehood after almost five
hundred years of Ottoman rule. This happened as a result of the national Revival,
which led to the recognition of the Bulgarian Exarchate and to the organization of
the April Uprising. The uprising prompted Russia to start the Russo-Turkish War
(1877-1878). On September 15, 1946, the monarchy was replaced by a Soviet-style
people's republic and the state was renamed the People's Republic of Bulgaria, led
by the Bulgarian Communist Party. The socialist system existed until 1990, after
which Bulgaria took the path of liberal democracy and market economy. The
country joined NATO on March 29, 2004, and the European Union on January 1,
2007.
 Polity
 Symbols and institutions
According to the 1991 Constitution, Bulgaria is a parliamentary
republic, with a clear division of powers - legislative, executive,
judicial. The national symbols of the Bulgarian state are the flag,
the anthem and the coat of arms of the Republic.
 The Bulgarian Parliament
The National Assembly is a unicameral parliament and consists of
240 members elected for a term of 4 years. The powers, work and
tasks of the parliament are described in Chapter Three of the
Constitution (Articles 62 - 91). These include passing laws,
controlling the executive, approving the budget, scheduling
presidential elections, electing and recalling the prime minister
and other ministers, declaring war, deploying troops outside
Bulgaria and ratifying international treaties and agreements. Since
2006, the National Assembly has elected an ombudsman who
advocates for the rights and freedoms of citizens.
 The President of the Republic
The president is directly elected for a 5-year term with the right to
one re-election. He is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the
Armed Forces and chairman of the National Security Advisory
Council. Although he has no legislative power or initiative, the
president can return a bill for revision, exercising his right of veto.
The president has a vice president elected with him in direct
elections.
 Council of Ministers
The Council of Ministers is the main body of the executive
power in the Republic of Bulgaria. It is composed of the Prime
Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and line ministers. The
Council of Ministers manages and implements the domestic and
foreign policy of the country, ensures public order and national
security, implements the management of the state administration
through the ministries, agencies and commissions established by
it.
 Administrative partition
Since 1999, the Republic of Bulgaria is administratively divided
into 28 districts: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo,
Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kardzhali, Kyustendil,
Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad,
Ruse , Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, District Sofia-capital, district
Sofia, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shoumen, Yambol.
All of them are named after their regional center, and the capital
itself forms a separate district. Prior to that, until 1987 the
country was divided into 28 districts, and from 1987 to 1999 -
into 9 districts. The districts are divided into municipalities and
the municipalities into mayoralties. All 28 districts have a total
of 265 municipalities as of July 25, 2014.
 Population
 The population of Bulgaria is 6,951,482
people according to NSI data as of
December 31, 2019. [52] 73.7% of the total
population live in the cities, as 24.2%, or
1,242,568 people, are concentrated in the
capital Sofia. Other large cities are Plovdiv
(347,851) and Varna (336,216), as well as
Burgas (201,779), Ruse (141,231) and Stara
Zagora (134,726). Bulgarians are the state-
forming ethnic group and make up 84.8% of
the population.
 Culture
 Literature
Bulgarian literature means all literature created and written in
Bulgarian. Although there is no exact classification of the
periods of development, Bulgarian literature can be divided
into Old Bulgarian, Revival, post-liberation, literature
between the two wars, literature after the Second World War -
a period of socialist realism and modern literature (after
1989). ). The first works appear around the 8th century and
are ideologically and aesthetically connected with
Christianity. In the First Bulgarian State the names of St.
Kliment Ohridski (founder of the Ohrid Literary School, the
first Slavic university), Konstantin Preslavski (Teaching
Gospel) and Chernorizets Hrabar (For the letters, around 893)
stand out. During the Byzantine and Turkish rule, Bulgarian
literature was in a period of decline and almost did not Ivan Vazov - the patriarch of
develop. Bulgarian literature.
 Music
At the end of the 19th century, after the liberation of Bulgaria, the so-called Bulgarian classical music.
Maestro Georgi Atanasov, Dobri Hristov and Emanuil Manolov are part of the first generation of
Bulgarian composers. Emanuil Manolov is the author of the first Bulgarian opera - Poor Woman. Panayot
Pipkov is famous for his operettas, but mostly for the anthem of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius,
known as Go, people revived. Bulgaria is also famous for a number of talented singers such as Boris
Hristov, Gena Dimitrova, Anna Tomova-Sintova, Raina Kabaivanska and Nikolay Gyaurov. During
socialism, the so-called pop music, whose prominent representatives are Irina Chmihova, Georgi Kordov,
Margret Nikolova, Lili Ivanova, Emil Dimitrov, Boris Gudjunov, Pasha Hristova, Bogdana Karadocheva,
Vasil Naidenov, Orlin Goranov, Yordanka Hristova and Biser Kirov. Many of them enjoyed world fame in
the 60s, 70s and 80s, and some of them are very popular today in Bulgaria.

 Sport
Bulgaria has a long tradition in sports. He has successes in almost all European and world competitions.
The most famous sport is football, but undoubtedly volleyball immediately follows it. In 1994, the
Bulgarian national football team won fourth place at the World Cup in the United States. The football team
also won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne and a silver medal at the 1968
Olympic Games in Mexico. Bulgaria also has world achievements in volleyball, basketball, wrestling,
tennis, handball, sport shooting, hammer throwing as well as the improved in September 2012 record of
high jump of Stefka Kostadinova, athletics, rhythmic gymnastics and many others.
 Customs
 Bulgarians have many rites and customs resulting from the combination of pagan and Christian
understandings of the world and the universe. They are usually arranged in a calendar sequence.
The most famous are survakane - a typical New Year's custom known throughout the country; the
humming - is performed on Sirni zagovezni, when everyone in the family tries to catch only a
boiled mouth, peeled egg, halva or charcoal, tied to the end of a thread hanging on the ceiling,
which revolves around the table.
 Martenitsas are tied for health on the first of March, when the end of winter begins.
 Lazarus is the most important tradition in the ritual system of maiden spring customs. Then the
whole village gathers and the potential mothers-in-law and bachelors look around the decorated
maidens to choose their future daughters-in-law and wives.
 Easter, the Resurrection of Christ is the most important religious holiday. The date of Easter
depends on the first full moon after the day of the vernal equinox. Red Easter eggs are painted on
Holy Thursday.
 Mummer's rites are performed by men disguised as beasts or typical characters (grandmother,
grandfather, king, tax collector), always with masks on their heads, often with vats on their belts
and with fur coats on the outside. They dance in the streets to scare away evil spirits and drive
away the cold and perform rituals such as plowing, sowing and others for fertility and health.
A small part of the sights of Bulgaria

 The Rocks of Belogradchik

 Krushuna waterfalls

 The Devil's Bridge  Panoramic site "Eagle's Eye"

  The Seven Rila Lakes

Varna

Nesebar  Rila Monastery