General information about Bulgaria

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Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and is situated in the South-Eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The country borders Greece and Turkey to the South, Macedonia and Serbia to the West, the Danube River and Romania to the North and the Black Sea to the East.

The country's population is 7.6 million people and its territory spans 110,912 sq. km.

Bulgaria Guide for adoptive parents

1.  Geographic location

Bulgaria is situated in the South-Eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The country borders Greece and Turkey to the South, Macedonia and Serbia -to the West, the Danube River and Romania to the North and the Black Sea to the East. The country's population is 7.6 million people and its territory spans 110,912 sq. km.

The capital of Bulgaria is Sofia: a modern European city with a population of approximately 1.5 million people.

2.  Climate and weather

The climate of Bulgaria is continental and varies depending on the altitude. Winter is usually snowy with frequent snowfalls in the mountains until April. It is much harsh in northern Bulgaria with temperatures reaching minus ten oC rather than in southern part of the country where the Mediterranean influence is felt and the eastern part along the Black sea coast. Summers are usually hot with occasional thunderstorms in the evening. Rainfalls are concentrated in spring and autumn.

Before traveling to Bulgaria, you may check the weather at our real-time Weather Report page.

3.  Time zone: East European time (UTC+2); in summer (UTC+3)

4.  Official language and alphabet: Bulgarian; Cyrillic alphabet

5.  Religions: Eastern Orthodox (85%), Muslims (8%)

6.  Form of government: Parliamentary republic

7.  EU member state: Within the European Union, citizens of the EU member states may travel just with an ID card.

8.  Currency: Bulgarian Lev pegged to Euro at an exchange rate of  EUR 1 = BGN 1.95583

9.  Gross monthly wage: about EUR 350

10. Taxation:

Corporate income tax: 10%
Personal income tax: 10%
VAT: 20%