Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic located in Southeastern Europe, with a population of 7.64 million people living within its 110,910 square kilometer area. Key facts about Bulgaria include its capital and largest city Sofia, highest mountain peaks in the Rila Mountains including Musala at 2,925 meters, over 200 lakes, and transition to a market economy in the late 1980s after being a socialist republic since 1946. Some top tourist destinations highlighted are the Rila Monastery, Madara Horseman rock relief, the Thracian tomb at Kazanlak, and historic cities like Veliki Preslav and Shipka.

4. Population: 7 640 000 Area: 110 910 square km

5. Parliamentary republic

6. PRESIDENT Georgi Purvanov

7. RILA

8. MUSALA 2925 m

9. over 200 lakes

12. HISTORY

13. KUBRAT - 632 GREAT BULGARIA

14. ASPARUH - 681

15. TERVEL 700-721

16. KRUM 803-814

17. BORIS I MIHAIL 852-889

18. St. Cyril and Metodius

20. SIMEON I THE GREAT 893-927 Златен век на българската култура

21. Bulgaria on 3 seas

22. Ottoman slavery 1396-1878

23. Russo-Turkish War 1877-1878

24. World War I 1914 - 1918

25. World War II 1939 - 1945

26. PEOPLE'S REBUBLIC OF BULGARIA - 1946

27. 10 November 1989 Transition from socialism to market economy

28. NATO 2004

29. EU 2007

30. SIGHTSEEINGS

31. RILA MONASTERY

33. MADARA HORSEMAN

34. PERPERIKON 5 000 BC

35. THRACIAN TOMB AT KAZANLYK ІV BC

36. VELIKI PRESLAV

38. SHIPKA

39. PANAGIURISHTE GOLDEN TREASURE ІІІ BC

40. Roman theatre - Plovdiv

41. OLD BULGARIAN HOUSES

45. BULGARIAN FOLK DANCES

48. Sofia

50. HOLIDAYS

51. 3rd March National Holiday

52. St. George's Day

54. Kukeri

55. NESTINARI

56. FAMOUS BULGARIANS

57. Hristo Botev poet and revolutionary 1848 - 1876

58. Vasil Levski Apostle of Liberty 1837 - 1873

59. JOHN ATANASOV The inventor of the first digital electronic computer 1903 - 1995

60. VALYA BALKANSKA Her folk song was included in the Golden record and sent into outer space on Voyager spaceship in 1977

61. HRISTO STOYCHKOV

62. DIMITAR BERBATOV

63. STEFKA KOSTADINOVA High Jump – 209 cm 30.08.1987 – Rome

64. VESELIN TOPALOV World Champion 2005-2006

65. ANTOANETA STEFANOVA World Champion 2004

66. Kaloyan Mahlyanov - Kotooshu 2008 – Emperor’s Cup Winner

67. MARIYA GROZDEVA Olympic Champion – 2000, 2004 European Champion – 7 times

68. RUMYANA NEYKOVA Olympic Champion 2008

69. VOLLEYBALL World Cup 4 th place – 1994, 2004, 2006 5 th place – 1995, 2003, 2005, 2007