FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question 1: What is the full name of the country?
Answer 1: Republic of Bulgaria

Question 2: What is the total area?
Answer 2: Bulgaria occupies an area of 110,993 sq.km
Water: 360 sq km
Land: 110,550 sq km

Question 3: Where is Bulgaria located?
Answer 3: Bulgaria is situated in Southeast Europe in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The country borders Romania to the North, the Black Sea to the East, Turkey and Greece to the South, Serbia and Montenegro to the West. The river Danube forms the country’s northern frontier and provides quick access to Central Europe. The average altitude is 470m.

Question 4: What languages are spoken in Bulgaria?
Answer 4: The official language is Bulgarian and uses only the Cyrillic alphabet. To facilitate tourists, road and direction signs in populated areas, resorts, railway stations, airports and along the main motorways are also spelled in Roman letters. English, German, French, Russian and other languages are spoken in the country.

Question 5: What is the population of Bulgaria?
Answer 5: The population is about 7,450,400 (July 2005 est.)

Question 6: What is the national currency in Bulgaria?
Answer 6: The unit of currency in Bulgaria is the lev, divided into 100 stotinki. The nominals are: Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50 stotinki & 1 Lev; Banknotes: 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 BGN

Question 7: What are the biggest religions in Bulgaria?
Answer 7: Predominantly religion is Eastern Orthodox. The Bulgarian Church is autonomous and headed by a Patriarch
allocation of religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.8%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 1.6% (1998)

Question 8: What’s are the public holidays in Bulgaria?
Answer 8: The official holidays are:
January 1 - New Year March 3 - National day of the Liberation from Ottoman Domination
Easter - Two days (Sunday and Monday) according to the Orthodox calendar
May 6 - St. George's Day
May 24 - the Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture and Slav Script
September 6 - National Day of Bulgaria's Reunion in the year of 1885
September 22 - Independence Day
November 1 - Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders
December 24-26 - Christmas Eve and Christmas
December 31 - New Year's Eve

Question 9: Is Bulgaria economically and politically stable country?
Answer 9: Bulgaria is an economically stable democratic country. The rate of inflation is low. Local currency is the Lev (1 Euro = 1.95 Lev). and is pegged to Euro. A very low crime rate makes it safe for holiday makers, especially families.

Question 10: What is the Electricity in Bulgaria?
Answer 10: Electricity is 220 Volts. An adapter or a transformer may be required.

Question 11: What are the people like?
Answer 11: Hot blooded and emotional. In big cities you will find many stressed and hard working people while outside the Matrix you can enjoy contacts with friendly and welcoming people.
After the post-socialism changes about 1 million (the population of Bulgaria is 8 million) mostly young and skillful people immigrated to western world and richer countries. Some remained but few returned bringing investments and ideas. Many of the people who remained (mostly middle age and older) were disappointed from the changes and big part of them still lives quite poor life. In order to survive many people returned back to nature and in countryside you can still see people using horses for pulling carts or digging the ground, picking up herbs and developing alternative and traditional medicine (because of the costly and not trusted medical treatment), distilling alcohol from the wine or fruits they produced... The wild spirit in mountain areas still resists the globalization.

Question 12: Is it expensive in Bulgaria?
Answer 12: Visitors from Western Europe and America find prices in Bulgaria 2-3 times cheaper. For example a beer is about 0.50 €, a bottle of excellent red wine is 3 €, a dinner in good restaurant is 6 € a person. Craft souvenirs, textile, shoes etc. are also good purchase.

Question 13: What is the capital city and what are the biggest Bulgarian cities?
Answer 13: Capital city is Sofia with population about 1.1 million. Other biggest cities are Varna, Plovdiv, Bourgas, Rousse, Stara Zagora.

Question 14: What is the government type of Bulgaria?
Answer 14: Parliamentary democracy.

Question 15: What are the main administrative divisions?
Answer 15: There are 28 provinces:  Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Rousse, Shoumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol.

Question 16: What is the Bulgarian Legal system?
Answer 16: civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Question 17: Bulgaria Flag?
Answer 17:  Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red.

Question 18: Where I can find map of Bulgaria?
Answer 18: www.bgmaps.com

Question 19: How is the political situation in Bulgaria?
Answer 19: Since 1996, Bulgaria has experienced macroeconomic stability and positive growth rates (due in part, to the introduction of a currency board in 1997) and it exists under what is now a stable parliamentary democracy, with a majority in parliament and public consensus on key social and economic priorities. Bulgaria demonstrates economic growth at 4.5% (one of the highest in Europe), annual inflation at 3.8% and strong growth figures in the tourism industry (up to10% for 2002 compared to 2001). It boasts low rates of taxation across the board and has one of the lowest cost centers in Europe, though the workforce is highly skilled and qualified. The currency is the Bulgarian Lev (1 Euro = 1.95 Lev).The country is a member of NATO in November 2003. The European Union is expected to be granted in 2007.

Question 20: What is International dialing code for Bulgaria?
Answer 20: International dialing code for call to Bulgaria is +359; the Sofia city code is 2, Plovdiv is 32 when dialed from abroad (if you already happen to be in Bulgaria, the city codes all acquire a 0 in front: Sofia 02, Plovdiv 032, etc).

Question 21: Who is the president of Bulgaria?
Answer 21: The current president is Georgi Parvanov.

Question 22: What is the weather in Bulgaria?
Answer 22: Marked by four distinct seasons, Bulgaria enjoys a generally favorable climate that is one of the country's best features. The average annual temperature is 10,50C, in winter about 00C (the lowest temperature - 38,30C - was measured in 1947). Average summer temperatures rarely exceed 30°C

Question 23: What Alphabet is used in Bulgaria?
Answer 23: Bulgarians use Cyrillic alphabet. Bulgarian Alphabet was created in 855 by Cyrill and Methodius before the Moravian Mission. The Bulgarian Alphabet was used by other Slavic Nations too. The day 24 May is celebrated as the Day of Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture and Slav Script.

Question 24: Bulgarian Economy - are there positive trends?
Answer 24: Yes - the trends are positive. The Bulgarian Economy is growing steadily. Strong growth in industrial production, employment and credit has resulted in high GDP growth over the last few years. The economy has grown at an average rate of 4.8 % over the last five years and despite this, inflation has been reduced to the low level of 2.3 % in 2003. Foreign direct investment (‘FDI’) into Bulgaria has increased on a year on year basis over the past three years. FDI reached US $ 7.4 billion in 2003 from US $ 5.7 billion in 2002 (a 30% increase).

Question 25: What is GMT Time difference for Bulgaria? Does Bulgaria observe Daylight saving / Summer Time?
Answer 25: Bulgaria is in the Eastern European Time Zone. Eastern European Standard Time (EET) is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2 or EST+7). Along with most of Europe, however, Bulgaria institutes its Summer Time (Daylight Saving). Summer Time is three hours ahead of GMT and is instituted from the last Sunday in May to the Saturday before the last Sunday in September.

Question 26: What are the mountains of Bulgaria?
Answer 26: The longest mountain range is Stara Planina - it crosses the middle of Bulgaria in East-West direction. The highest peak is Botev peak (2376m).
The highest peak is in Rila Mountain with its Musala peak(2925m).
The most beautiful is Pirin Mountain. Highest peak is Vihren(2914m).
The best for easy trekking is Rodopi Mountain. It is mainly forests.
Near the capital Sofia is Vitosha Mountain. Highest peak is Cherni Vrah (2290m)
There are a lot more mountains - Plana, Verila, Strandzha, Sakar, Osogowska...

Question 27: Is VAT charged on everything in Bulgaria?
Answer 27: All of goods and services made in Bulgaria are VAT charged. Exceptions - there are small group of VAT free articles that are specified by low like some services in social, health, education or culture and the donors of non excise goods for hospitals, schools, culture and other organizations. VAT is 20% in Bulgaria.

Question 28: How many people visit Bulgaria in a year?
Answer 28: The numbers of tourists that visit Bulgaria grow up in last 10 years. The official statistics for number of tourists for last 4 years is:

Year/kind of visit	Total	Tourism	Guest	Business	Transit	Other
2002	5 562 917	2 992 590	23 998	180 138	2 129 641	236 550
2003	6 240 932	3 531 567	28 656	215 760	2 193 069	271 880
2004	6 981 597	4 010 326	40 467	271 857	2 351 743	307 204
2005 (for first 9 months)	6 120 413	3 490 387	39 140	252 252	2 071 026	267 608