Geographic Location: The Republic of Bulgaria is situated in the North-Eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Republic of Bulgaria borders on Romania to the North, Greece to the South, Turkey to the South-East, Serbia and Montenegro to the West and Macedonia to the South-West. The Black Sea is the natural eastern border of Bulgaria and its coastline is 378 km long.

Area: 110,993.6 sq km
Population: 7,973, 673 (2001)
Capital city: Sofia
Official language: Bulgarian
Alphabet: Cyrillic
Religion: There is freedom of religious confessions. Traditional religion in the Republic of Bulgaria is Eastern Orthodox Christianity
National holiday: March 3, the day of the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman domination (1878)

State system: a parliamentary republic with a one-chamber parliament (National Assembly), consisting of 240 national representatives, elected for a four-year term of service. The head of state of the republic is the President, elected for a five-year term of service. The Council of Ministers is the main body of executive power.
Relief: most diverse. Average height above sea level � 470 m. Some 31.5% of the country�s territory is plain (up to 200 m above sea level), 41% are lowlands and hilly regions (from 200 to 600 m above sea level), and 27.5% are mountains (from 600 to more than 1,600 m above sea level).

Climate: moderate continental with Black Sea influence in the east and Mediterranean  in the south. Rivers (main rivers are Danube, Maritsa, Mesta, Strouma, Iskar, Yantra); warm and cold mineral springs (more than 600); lakes � coastal (some with curative mineral mud) and of glacial origin (in the Rila and Pirin mountains).
Transport: railway, automobile, air and water.
International automobile sign: BG
International telephone code: +359