Bulgaria Map: What You Need to Know About Bulgaria

Located in Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria is a Balkan country. In regulatory terms, it is called the Republic of Bulgaria. Bulgaria’s neighbors are the Black Sea, Greece, Turkey, the Danube, Romania, Serbia, and North Macedonia.

Bulgaria is a Parliamentary State with a president elected by universal suffrage. The country’s borders are approximately 1,808 km, with 608 km, 494 km, 318 km, 240 km, and 148 km respectively with: Romania, Greece, Serbia, Turkey, and North Macedonia. Its capital Sofia is also the largest city in the country. Its current population is 6,966,899 inhabitants occupying an area of 110,944 km2.

Consequently, the population density is 63 inhabitants per square kilometer. The official language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian and its currency is the New Lev (BGN). The telephone code in Bulgaria is 359 or 00359 or +359.

The Best Cities in Bulgaria

The Most Important Attractions in Bulgaria

• Sofia

The capital of Bulgaria offers dream destinations and great places to visit. Among them are the national museum, the Borisova Gradina park, and the Saint Alexander basilica. Travelers can also go there to ski before enjoying some downtime in the cafes to recharge. You can also stay in one of the many hotels to explore the city for a few days.

• Plovdiv

It is the second most popular Bulgarian city after the capital. This city is itself a museum as the alleys are located between ancient buildings dating back more than 10 centuries. Among these architectures, you will see the ethnographic museum and the Balabanov house. Tourists can also stroll through the streets to get acquainted with the country’s history.

• Pleven

Pleven is a rural cultural city, its charm mainly lies in its unique history and natural landscapes. It also has nature reserves such as waterfalls and various lakes. You can also visit museums dedicated to wine production as well as the cascading fountain.

• Veliko Tarnovo

It is a Bulgarian city famous especially for its fortress called Tsarevets. The city of Tarnovo was once a medieval night city adorned with lights. Thus, visitors from around the world came to admire its beauty. Today, we recommend going there to learn about ancient Bulgarian history and enjoy the three entrances to the fort: Asenova Gate, Baldwin, and the main gate.

• Golden Sands

In general translation, it is a city of golden sands. Indeed, this city brings together seaside resorts and breathtaking beaches. The beaches are accessible by car in just a few minutes and the surrounding landscapes are unique. The climate is favorable: sunshine is frequent but the wind alleviates the stifling heat.

Where the Cities Are Located on the Map

• Sofia

It is a city located inland in the Bulgarian territory in the eastern half of the country. Geographic coordinates: 42°41’50’’ North 23°19’00’’ East

• Plovdiv

It is a city located in the southern quarter of the map of Bulgaria. It is an inland city, its geographic coordinates are: 42°08’48’’ north 24°45’03’’ east.

• Pleven

Pleven is a city located in the northern quarter of the map of Bulgaria. It is an inland city with geographic coordinates: 43°25’00’’ north 24°37’00 east

• Veliko Tarnovo

Located right in the center of the Bulgarian map, the city of Veliko Tarnovo is an inland city. Geographic coordinates: 43°05’00’’ north 25°39’00’’ east.

• Golden sands

Golden Sands is a city located on the Bulgarian coast and close to Varna, only 17 km away. Geographic coordinates: 43°17’06 north 28°02’30’’ east.

Climate Map of Bulgaria

The climate of Bulgaria is rather dry as rainfall is rare due to 500 mm of precipitation per year. The heaviest rains occur in summer and especially in the afternoon, they can form thunderstorms or snow in the mountains.

Winter in Bulgaria is mainly marked by a persistent cold breeze over the country’s surface. This results in snow cover and low sunshine. Sometimes, warm winds from the south disrupt this climate and temperatures suddenly rise up to 15°C. The winter period is from December to February.

Spring in Bulgaria is marked by inconsistent temperature variations. This is due to an alternation of breezes between cold northern winds and warm southern winds. Spring may therefore be marked by snow cover at the end of the season and heavy rains in the middle of the season. The spring period is between March and May.

Summer in Bulgaria is characterized by intense heat and low ambient humidity (dry climate). Temperatures during the season could reach 40°C but areas near the sea will benefit from coastal breezes that will moderate the heat.

Autumn is divided into two parts: the first marked by fairly low but not very cold temperatures. The second part is marked by persistent but increasing rainfall in terms of precipitation.

• Plovdiv

The city experiences consistent sunshine during the summer periods. However, thunderstorms occur in the mid-afternoon and clouds alternate with sunshine over the city. Precipitation in Plovdiv ranges from 450 to 550 mm per year. Winters are mild but there could be moderate snow cover or frost that will easily dissipate.

• Sofia

The capital is the city that experiences the most extreme temperature conditions in all of Bulgaria. Indeed, winter is marked by extreme low-altitude temperatures with an average of -1.5°C. Summer is also hot and temperatures can rise or fall abruptly. The average in summer is 27°C, yet it can reach 32°C in the shade.

Financial Map of Bulgaria

Drawing its sources from the service sector and industrialization, Bulgaria has seen its economy rank among the most efficient in Europe. The system the country has adopted is the liberal market, which is a facilitating pedagogy for commercial and service exchanges between countries.

Bulgaria is a member country of the European Union but uses the Bulgarian lev as its official currency. The country’s strong sectors are tourism, industries, and mining. According to gathered information, it is an industrialized country that carries out large-scale operations to increase its GDP.

On the other hand, the minimum wage is quite low, at only 286.33 euros. This reduces company expenses, allowing them to allocate more working capital to creating added value. Thus, the country’s nominal GDP currently amounts to 65.13 million dollars. The gross domestic product per capita is 9,272.64 dollars. The unemployment rate is quite low at 4.1% of the active population, and the annual GDP growth rate is 3.1% of its value.

Some additional information:

• Exports 26.9 billion dollars
• Public debt 23.4% of gross domestic product
• Public revenues 18.80 billion dollars

Administrative and Demographic Map of Bulgaria

Demographics in Bulgaria

Recent United Nations estimates state that the Bulgarian population currently numbers 6,922,819 inhabitants. This figure currently represents 0.09% of the global population. These data have placed Bulgaria as the 107^th country in terms of population dependencies.

The country’s area is 109,560 km² or 41,915 square miles, which translates to a density of 166 inhabitants per km². Moreover, ¾ of the Bulgarian population live in large urban areas, that is 75.6%, representing more than 5 million inhabitants.

The population is mainly composed of Bulgarians at 84.8%, but there are also other ethnicities such as Turks, Roma, and uncounted ethnic groups. Their respective percentages are: 8.8%, 4.9%, and 1.5%.

Unfortunately, the Bulgarian growth rate has recently declined by -0.71%. This could be the result of an increase in the mortality rate (1.54%) against a decrease in the birth rate (0.89%). Additionally, the male-to-female ratio is 1.05 men to 1 woman, and life expectancy at birth has also decreased to 74.8 years.

Administration in Bulgaria

The latest changes to the country’s administrative zones were established in 1999. Currently, the country is divided into 28 administratively autonomous provinces. They are called Oblasts, which means regions. These regions are then divided into districts also called Okrags, which manage their municipalities within the regions.

There are a total of 265 municipalities that make up the 28 provinces, and they are distributed across several levels.

Here are the 28 provinces

Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia city, Sofia province, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol.

Demolinguistic Data

The Bulgarian dialect splits into three groups: Eastern Bulgarian, Western Bulgarian, and the North Macedonian dialect:

The Eastern Bulgarian dialect:

It is divided into the Mesean dialect, the Balkan dialect, and the Rup dialects.

• The Mesean dialect includes the Shumen dialect,
• The Balkan dialects are: Central Balkan dialect, Kotel-Elena-Dryanovo dialect, Panagyurishte dialect, Pirdop dialect, Teteven dialect, Erkech dialect, Subbalkan dialect, Balkan transitional dialects.
• The Rup dialects include: Strandzha dialect, Thrace dialect, Hvoyna dialect, Chepino dialect, Paulician dialect, Zlatograd dialect, Smolyan dialect, Pomak dialect, Babyak dialect, Razlog dialect, Serres-Nevrokop dialect, Solun dialect.

The Western Bulgarian dialect

It consists of the Northwestern Bulgarian dialects, the Southwestern Bulgarian dialects, the Pirin-Malashevo dialects, and the Bulgarian transitional dialects.

• The Northwestern Bulgarian dialects are: the Byala Slatina-Pleven dialect and the Vidin-Lom dialect.
• The Southwestern Bulgarian dialects are: the Botevgrad dialect, the Vratsa dialect, the Ihtiman dialect, the Elin Pelin dialect, the Sofia dialect, the Samokov dialect, the Dupnitsa dialect, and the Kyustendil dialect.
• The Pirin-Malashevo dialects are: the Blagoevgrad dialect, the Petrich dialect, the Pianec-Kamenitsa-Kraishte dialect, and the Malashevo dialect.
• The Bulgarian transitional dialects are: the Tran dialect, the Breznik dialect, the Belogradchik dialect, the Bosilegrad dialect, and the Tsaribrod dialect.

The North Macedonian dialects

• They consist of: Northern dialects, Tetovo dialect, Veles dialect, Prilep-Mariovo dialect, Bitola dialect, Debar dialect, Ohrid-Struga dialect, Prespa dialect, Korca dialect, Aegean Macedonian dialects, Kostur dialect, Doyran dialect, Lerin dialect, and the Kukush-Voden dialect.
• There are also diaspora dialects which are: Banat Bulgarian dialect, Vlach Bulgarian dialects, Transylvanian Bulgarian dialects, Bulgarian dialects in the former Soviet Union, and the Anatolian dialect.