Bulgaria situated in Southeastern Europe and occupies the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It has a 378 km borderline with the Black Sea to the east.

Bulgaria possesses a varied relief, in the altitude range from 0 to 2,925 m. Its territory includes part of the lower Danube Plain,

The Balkan Range - part of the Alpine-and-Himalayan chain, part of the Thracian lowland and to the south - the mountain structures of the Macedonian - Thracian massif. The predominant climate in Bulgaria is moderate and transitional continental with plenty of sunlight days per year. There are four seasons, with warm summer and snowy winter. The average yearly temperature is 10.5 °C.

The Bulgarian mountains which occupy half of the country's territory, are easily accessible, and are prime destinations for both winter and summer tourist activities, including skiing, hiking, fishing, canoeing. The major mountain ranges are Rila, Pirin, Rhodope and Stara Planina. Mussala peak in the Rila mountain range is the highest point on the Balkan Peninsula.

Much of the Black sea coast is covered by long beaches with fine white sand. The sea itself is non-tidal, less salty and warmer than the Mediterranean. The tourism sector has flourished in recent years and holds a firm lead in the Bulgarian economy.

Varied Landscape

The country offers a mixture of quiet rural scenery and villages that have preserved their unique spirit of old times, and modern cities pulsating with the rhythm of growing business activity and ever changing fashions. Regardless of your mood and interests, you will always find something intriguing and fascinating in this small piece of land.

Hot Mineral Spas

Bulgaria is famous for its natural hot mineral water springs - 1600 of them altogether. They present excellent opportunities for health tourism. The country is very rich in ancient monuments and artifacts from different epochs in its 1300 year old history and beyond. Thracians, Romans, Slavs, Greeks and Turks have left their mark and heritage to be appreciated by locals and tourists alike. The country has 9 UNESCO World Culture Heritage sites. Numerous monasteries, churches and mosques, some having hundreds of years of history, present a compelling attraction to every tourist.

Politics

Bulgaria's political system is a parliamentary republic. After the fall of communism in 1989 the country has started on the road to democratic reforms and has achieved significant progress in recent years. It has a sustained GDP growth of 4.8%, a stable political system and highly trained workforce. As of March 2004 the country is member of NATO and is invited to join the European Union in 2007.