Bulgaria - download georeferenced map set

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Bulgaria is a country in South-Eastern Europe, in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It occupies 22% of the Balkan Peninsula. To the east, Bulgaria is washed by the Black Sea. Bulgaria has common borders with Greece and Turkey in the south, Serbia and Macedonia in the west and Romania in the north. The area of Bulgaria is 111,000 sq km. The coastline is 380 km long.

Relief. Most of the territory of Bulgaria is covered by mountains (28%) and hills (41%). Forests cover about a third (29%) of the territory. Major mountains include Rila, Pirin and Rhodope. Musala (2925m) is the highest peak in Bulgaria. The country is cut almost in half by the Stara Planina Range. The mountains divide the territory of Bulgaria into two parts: the northern, which is largely occupied by the nearly woodless and severely tilled Danube Plain, and the southern, more mountainous part, in which the Upper Thracian Lowland is wedged.

Mountains. Mountains occupy about one-third of the country. The most important mountains, Rila, Pirin and Rhodope, are located in the south-west and south. The Stara Planina mountain range extends for 420 km and is known for its famous Shipkin Pass. Mount Musala is the highest point of the country (2,925 m). To the east, there are several valleys, including the Thracian valley. In the south-east, important peaks include Mount Strandja and Mount Vitosha, not far from Sofia. It is part of the Balkan Mountains. The main peak of the Balkans is Mt Botev (2,376 m).

Rivers. The main Bulgarian river is the Danube with such tributaries as the Iskyr, the Yantra, the Hangar, the Lom, the Tsibritsa, the Ogosta, the Skyt, the Whyte, the Osym, the Bili-lm, the Baniski-Lom, the Cherin-Lom and the Suha.

Other rivers flowing through the country include the Maritza with its tributaries Vyrbitsa, Ovgaritsa, Stryama, Topolnitsa, Harmanliyska, Tundzha and Arda; the Struma and the Kamchia with tributaries Golyama-Kamchia, Tiga and Luda-Kamchia; the Provadiyska; the Fakiyska; the Sredetska.

Lakes. The lakes of Bulgaria include Lakes Mikhailovgrad, Dospat, Antonivanovtsi, Trakiets, Studen-Kladenets, Kamchia, Beli-Lom, Batak, Kardzhali as well as such lakes as Dimitrov and Stamboliyski.

National parks and Reserves. Bulgaria has 10 national parks (a total area of about 73,000 ha), 97 nature reserves (60,000 ha) and 472 natural attractions (22,000 ha). Especially beautiful are such parks as Rila, the Srebyrna Reserve, the Pirin National Park (Vihren), the Vpachano-Balkan National Park with the Vpatsa Karst Nature Reserve (over 200 karst caves), the Central Balkan Park with the highest waterfall in Bulgaria, Praskalo (125 m high), the Sinite Kamyni Park and the Rusenski National Park.

Sightseeing.

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe, in which there are a lot of wonderful examples of churches and historic architecture.

Veliko Tarnovo is a museum-like city, whose attractions include the royal palace, the picturesque Patriarshaya and Baldwin towers in the Tsarevets Fortress, the picturesque Varusha quarter, St. Peter and Paul’s Monastery (13th cent.), Martyr St. Dimitri Solunski’s Church (11th cent., the oldest in the city) and Martyr St. Soroka’s Church (1230).

Gabrovo is an interesting city, the world’s capital of laughter with its unique traditions.

Shumen is a big city lying between Varna and Veliko Tarnovo and is one of the medieval centers of Bulgaria. Here you simply must visit the city’s famous brewery, the Shumen Castle (12 - 14th cent., currently in the museum), the Regional History Museum and the Tombul mosque, which is considered to be the largest and most beautiful mosque in Bulgaria, (1744), behind which a Turkish outdoor market is found.

Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria, whose sights include Trimontsium, a theater with 3,000 seats, the Hisar Kapija Gate (2nd cent. BC), the Juma mosque (15th cent.), the Imaret mosque (1445), Constantine and Helen’s Cathedral (1832) with a beautiful gallery of icons, the ruins of Evmolpias, a Thracian city (2nd century BC), the amphitheatre of Philip II of Macedonia as well as such unique churches as the Holy Week Church and St. Dimitr and St. Marina’s Church (1854).

Bansko is a nice little town, the administrative centre of the Pirin province. The town is known for his perfectly preserved architecture of the era of Bulgarian Revival of the 18-19th centuries.

Varna is the third largest city in the country, an important industrial and cultural centre of Bulgaria.

Nessebar is a town that is included in the list of the world’s cultural heritage. The old part of the town has been declared an architectural and archaeological reserve.

Biala is a town with white cliffs, which form a natural museum.

Tourism.

In Bulgaria, beach recreation is very popular at the seaside in the areas of Varna and Burgas, in Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Albena, Kranevo, Balchik and Nessebar.

The main resorts of Bulgaria include: Albena, Riviera, Sunny Day, St. Constantine and Helen, Kamchia, Obzor, Elena, St. Vlas, Sunny Beach, Nessebar, Pomorie, Sozopol, Dunes, Primorsko, Kiten, Lozenets and Sandanski.

Alpine skiing at such ski resorts as Bansko, Borovets, Pamporovo, Vitosha, Panichishte and Chepelare.

Climate. The climate in most of Bulgaria is moderately continental. The summer temperature is +23°C, while the winter temperature is -2°C. During the year, the country receives 450-600 mm of rainfall. Along the Black Sea coastline, June is the rainiest month. Autumn is the driest season.