Bulgaria By Caitlin Kell Y General Information Bulgaria

Bulgaria By Caitlin Kell. Y

General Information • Bulgaria has a population of 7. 265 million • It is located in southeastern europe, between Romania and Turkey • It is 100, 994 km squared • It’s national motto is Съединението прави силата, meaning ”Unity makes strength” • It’s capital is Sofia • It joined the EU in 2007 • The national language is Bulgarian, and it uses the Cyrillic alphabet

Climate • Bulgarias climate is a combination of oceanic and Mediterranean influences • • This means that it has cold, damp winters with hot, dry summers The lowest temperature ever recorded was -38◦ Celsius The highest temperature ever recorded was 43◦ Celsius It has a high annual average precipitation, and this mainly falls in the form of sleet or snow during the winter • Because Bulgaria has a very mixed terrain, with mountains and plains, the forecasts in localised areas are often split into high and low altitude projections

Economy • • • Bulgaria is an industrialised country with developed Heavy and Light industry It’s main sector is Secondary Economic Activities It is one of Europe’s largest producers of lead, zinc and copper It produces 10% of the world’s hydraulic machinery The first factory in Bulgaria was set up in 1833, and was the first textile mill in the Ottoman Empire • It also has an established Tertiary sector, with the majority of income provided by tourism • Although Industry is a more profitable sector, the majority of the workforce are emplyed in the Tertiary Sector

Bulgarian Workforce 60 57% 50 40 35. 5% 30 20 10 0 7. 5% Primary Secondary Tertiary

History • • • From around 400 BC what is now Bulgaria was inhabited by a tribe called the Thracians In 100 AD Bulgaria was conquered by the Romans They founded the city Serdica in modern-day Sofia Following the split of the Roman Empire, the Bulgars invaded and founded the state of Bulgaria In the late 8 th Century the Roman Emperor Constantine tried to destroy Bulgaria, but without success Bulgaria became a Christian country in 846 under Boris I In 1018 Bulgaria became part of the Byzantine Empire In the 14 th Century the Turks were a rising power, and in 1393 conquered Bulgaria was under Turkish rule for nearly 500 years, until 1877 when Russia declared war on Turkey The treaty of Stefano created an Independent Bulgaria at the end of the war However, the Treaty of Berlin later split the country in two Bulgaria would not accept this, and in 1908 King Ferdinand proclaimed Bulgaria a fully independent state

Politics • • In 1920 Bulgaria joined the League of Nations • • The Minister of Justice was communist, which allowed all supporters of the old regime to be tried for ‘collaboration’ and ‘social crime’ • The communists nationalised industry and collectivised farms After several attempts at reformed governments, Bulgaria wanted to remain neutral during the second world war Russia declared war on Bulgaria in 1944, and invaded Bulgaria in September that year In 1942 the Fatherland Front was formed It consisted of Communists and Social Democrats In 1944 the FF staged a coup and formed the new government The communist takeover was gradual , it began with censorship of the media , and eventually the communists began to remove their opponents one by one These people were imprisoned or executed in labour camps They also removed all ‘unreliable’ army officers, thus eliminating all right-wing parties and making themselves even more powerful In 1947 the leader of the anti-communist party was executed, and the Dimitrov Constitution was introduced, bringing in a fully communist regime

The Fall of Communism • Finally in the 1980 s Communism began to crumble • In April 1989 the Communist Party renamed themselves the Bulgarian Socialist party • The totalitarian system was dismantled, collective farms were dissolved and a new constitution was introduced in 1991 • Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 • It suffered badly from the recession of 2009 but is recovering quickly, and although it is a relatively poor country in comparison to other EU member states, it’s economy continues to expand flourish rapidly

Food • Bulgarian Cuisine is heavily influenced by that of the South and Middle East • For breakfast, it is common to eat a Banitsa, a pastry with eggs, cheese and yogurt between layers of filo • Soups such a Gyuvech, a spicy vegetable stew, are popular • Vegetables are incorporated into almost every meal • Halva is a traditional dessert, which is a dense confectionery that can be gelatinous or crumby and often contain nut butters and sunflower seeds • Bulgarian tradition says that the more dishes there are on the table the richer the next harvest will be • On Christmas Eve, it is required that an odd number of dishes are served

Christmas Dinner Ireland • • Turkey Ham Carrots Brussel Sprouts Potatoes Mushy Peas Stuffing Bulgaria • Pita bread ~ Luck • Bean or Lentil soup ~ Wealth • Honey ~ Sweet • Fruits ~ Fruitful • Oshav ~ Abundance

Music • Bulgarian music uses a wide variety of instruments : Ø The Gaida : A goatskin bagpipe Ø The Kaval : A type of wind instrument similar to a flute Ø The Gadulka : A bowed string instrument that resembles a small cello Ø The Tupan : A large drum worn over the shoulder • Folk music is very popular, and largely revolves around holidays like New Years and Christmas • Singing at parties called Sedenka is traditional for women in search of a husband

Traditional Dance • Bulgarian dance is closely linked to Folk Music • The majority of dances are line dances • Originally these were gender-segregated, and the first man and last woman even held handkerchiefs when dancing in a single line to avoid contact • Nowadays men and women dance together • The word ‘horo’ means dance and is often seen incorporated into the name of a dance • Some popular folk dances include Paydushkohoro, or ‘limping dance’ , and Shopskohoro , a men’s dance accompanied by bagpipes

Unique FActs • Bulgaria is the only country in Europe that has not changed it’s name since it’s establishment • • Bulgarians shake their heads for ‘yes’ and nod for ‘no’ One third of Bulgaria is covered in forests Bulgaria produces 80% of the world’s roses The ancient Bulgarian calendar was declared the most accurate in the world