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Countries Catalogue

Bulgaria

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and Bulgarian assembly selected the first prince of the new Bulgaria from German - Alexander of Battenberg, also a prince and a nephew of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. Eastern Rumelia revolted against the Ottoman Empire in 1885 and was united with Bulgaria. The new ruler, chosen in 1887, was Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Taking advantage of a revolution in the Ottoman Empire, in 1908 Ferdinand declared Bulgaria independent and assumed the title of King, or Tsar, Ferdinand I; he reigned from 1908 to 1918. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. On May 17, 1956, Bulgaria became the seventy-fifth member of UNESCO. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. Bulgarian handicrafts include rich folk embroideries and ornaments. Some of the best sculpture, wood carvings, etchings, and paintings are based on traditional culture and native subjects.

Currency: Lev (BGL); Code: BGN
1 Lev (Lv) Consisting of 100 Stotinki

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria

Sofia

1 Piaster (turk.) = 40 Para (Eastern Rumelia - South Bulgaria)
1 Franc = 100 Centimes
1 Lev = 100 Stotinki (after 1881)

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Bulgaria, Europe