Located in South Eastern Europe, just north of Greece, Bulgaria is a country of outstanding natural beauty. The Balkan Mountains cut across the central part of the country, while the Rhodope Mountains run through southern Bulgaria, along its border with Greece.
The highest point in the country, located in the Rila Mountains, is Musala Mt., at 9,594 ft. (2,925 m). North of the Balkan Mountains the fertile lowlands of the Danubian Plain slope gradually down to the Danube River. The south-eastern lowlands (Maritsa Basin), drained by a series of small rivers, slope to the Black Sea.
Major rivers include the Danube River, as it forms the northern border with Romania, and the Maritsa and Iskur.

Temperate continental with clearly marked four seasons. A Mediterranean influence is felt in the country's southern regions. The average annual temperature is 10.5°C. The average January temperature is around O°C. Average summer temperatures rarely exceed 30°C.

A cultural trove stuffed to bursting with ancient monasteries, churches, mosques and Roman and Byzantine ruins, Bulgaria is located in the very heart of the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered on the North by Romania, on the East by the Black Sea, on the South by Turkey and Greece, and on the West by Yugoslavia and
Macedonia. The first Bulgarian State was formed when the Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavs in the late 7th century.

Afterwards Bulgaria struggled with the mighty Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the region and by the end of the 14th century it was overrun by the Ottoman Turks.
Bulgaria won back its independence in 1878, but after fighting on the wrong side in both world wars it then fell within the Soviet sphere of influence.
Since its escape from the yoke of communism Bulgaria has struggled to join the modern world.

It became a member of NATO in 2004 and is due to join the European Union in 2007.

Today, like many of its neighbours, it’s a country that retains a charming mixture of the old and the new.

The abundance of cultural and historical monuments, including ancient Thracian, Greek, and Roman sites, makes Bulgaria the perfect destination for history lovers. Many of the cultural monuments in Bulgaria are listed under the protection of UNESCO's World Heritage List. Bulgaria has a culture and tradition dating back for 1300 years.

Bulgarians are proud of their heritage and feel that it rightfully deserves its place in the diversity of European cultures.

In Bulgaria the foreign tourists can get acquainted with original versatile culture that represents an organic entity of various ethno cultural communities -
Proto-Bulgarians, Slavs and the ancient settlers on the Balkans, mainly Thracians.
Some historical prerequisites account for cooperation and continuity - the traditions of assimilated earlier inhabitants of the Balkans underlie the Bulgarian culture.

One of the most important things to remember is that the Bulgarians shake their heads from side to side when they mean `yes` and nod when they mean `no`.

It is advisable to listen carefully to the spoken words, such as DA, which means yes, and NE, which means no. If Bulgarians know they are speaking to foreigners, sometimes the nodding and shaking can be reversed, adding further to the confusion and general misunderstanding.
You will find English-speaking Bulgarians in most major cities and larger towns but, on the whole, Bulgarian is the national language and is spoken everywhere. If you intend to relocate permanently you will need to not only speak a little of the language, but also have some understanding of written Bulgarian; the Cyrillic alphabet is used, which bears little resemblance to our Latin alphabet.

A few basic phrases of Bulgarian go a long way and would enable you to get by in most places. However your daily life would certainly be a lot easier if you could master the language, because English isn’t that widely spoken in rural areas. In the ski resorts and along the cost, you will almost certainly find people who speak English but if you are relocating in a very remote area then the chances of this are quite slim.

You will find English-speaking estate agents, lawyers and other professionals, but when comes to employing a gardener, builder or any sort of daily help, a little knowledge of Bulgarian is vital.
English is the most common second language spoken in Bulgaria, especially among the young, followed by German and French; it is compulsory for school students to study a second language from an early age. Many older Bulgarians speak Russian.

Religion
Nearly 87 per cent of the county’s inhabitants follow the Bulgarian Orthodox religion. The remainder are Muslims, and there are small numbers of Catholics and other Christian sects. Bulgaria has many monasteries, the most famous of which is at Rila.

One of the best things about Bulgaria is the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the delicious, varied cuisine. There are many traditional Bulgarian dishes that have an unmistakable Greek or Turkish influence.

For breakfast especially in the mountain areas you can indulge in pancakes with fresh fruit berries and delicious syrup.

One of the most popular Bulgarian breakfast is Banitsa – o hot baked cheese pastry. Bulgaria is also famous for its yogurt and honey.
For lunch, Bulgarians love their salads, and most restaurants offer more than a dozen options to choose from. A Shopska salad is typical of the more traditional fare, which includes chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese and olives.
For dinner, Kavarma is a traditional dish of meat and vegetables roasted in a earthenware dish with lots of garlic, onions, tomatoes, oil and spices.

Popular dishes include kebabche (grilled, spicy meat sausages) and kyufte – sausages that are flattened and curled round in a circle.

Bulgaria's economy contracted dramatically after 1989 with the loss of the market of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) member states, to which the Bulgarian economy had been closely tied.

In spite of change in governments, Bulgaria has remained committed to the market reforms started in 1997. This has stabilized the economy and lead to a sustained growth for several years now. The standard of living fell by about 40%, but it regained pre-1990 levels in June 2004.

Bulgaria recorded a GDP growth rate of 5.7% in 2004 and 5.5% in 2005. It is estimated to have reached 5.6% in 2006. IMF forecasts a 6% growth rate for the year 2007.