ABOUT BULGARIA

Country Overview
Bulgaria in Eastern Europe is bounded to the north by Romania, to the east by the Black Sea, to the south by Turkey and Greece and to the west by Serbia and Macedonia. The Balkan Mountains cross the country reaching to the edge of the Black Sea. The land is covered with forests and rivers. The Black Sea resorts have some of the largest beaches in Europe, and heavy falls of snow in winter are virtually guaranteed in the mountain ski resorts, considered to be some of the finest in Europe. Dating back to the fourth century BC, the capital Sofia has buildings in many architectural traditions including Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian and Turkish. The city boasts notable theatres and museums, opera houses and art galleries. The Bulgarian Black Sea Riviera resorts, with their wide bays and golden beaches, are ideal for family holidays. National dishes include the famous “shopska” salad, cold yoghurt soup with cucumbers (“tarator”), peppers or aubergines stuffed with meat. Some restaurants offer national folk dancing. There are many night-clubs in Sofia, as well as in all major towns and all of the resorts.

General Information

Territory	110 912,6 km2
Population	7,537,929 (July 2003 est.)
Capital	Sofia
Official language	Bulgarian
Political system	Parliamentary Republic
Head of State	Georgi Parvanov
Official holidays	January 1st – New Years’s Holiday; March 3d – National Holiday; Easter, and the first Monday after Easter; May 1st – Labour Day; May 6th – Gergyovden, and the Bulgarian Military Army’s Day; May 24th – Cyril and Methodius Day; September 6th – Unification Day; September 22d – Independence Day; November 1st - National Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders; December 24, 25, 26 – Christmas Days;
National currency	Lev
Measures and scales	the metric system
Time zone	GMT +2

Territory	110 912,6 km2
Population	7,537,929 (July 2003 est.)
Capital	Sofia
Official language	Bulgarian
Political system	Parliamentary Republic
Head of State	Georgi Parvanov
Prime Minister	Sergei Stanishev
Administrative regions	Sofia – city, Sofia district, Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Rousse, Haskovo, Lovetch, Montana, Sliven, Yambol, Dobrich, Silistra, Shumen, Gabrovo, Pleven, Vidin, Vratza, Veliko Tarnovo, Pazardjik, Smolyan, Razgrad, Targovishte, Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Kardjali, Stara Zagora.
National currency	Lev
Measures and scales	the metric system
Time zone	GMT +2

Geography
Bulgaria is situated in Eastern Europe and bounded to the north by the River Danube and Romania, to the east by the Black Sea, to the south by Turkey and Greece and to the west by Serbia and Macedonia. The Balkan Mountains cross the country reaching to the edge of the Black Sea and its golden beaches. The land is heavily cultivated, covered with forests and crossed by rivers. Although Bulgaria lies in the very Southeast corner of Europe the climate is never extreme in summer, even on the red-earthed plains of Southern Thrace. The Black Sea resorts have some of the largest beaches in Europe and offer sunbathing from May until October, while in winter heavy falls of snow are virtually guaranteed in the mountain skiing resorts.

Government
Democratic Republic since 1990. Head of State: President Georgui Parvanov since 2002.
Language: Bulgarian is the official language and the Cyrillic alphabet is used. English, German, French and Russian are spoken in major tourist resorts and hotels.

Religion: The majority of the population is Christian, the main denomination being Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the traditional religion in Bulgaria. There is also a significant Muslim minority (nine per cent) and small Roman Catholic and Jewish communities.

Time: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are 2-pin round.

Passport/Visa

Note: Regulations and requirements may be subject to change at short notice, and you are advised to contact the appropriate diplomatic or consular authority before finalising travel arrangements. Details of these may be found in this country's Address Section. Any numbers in the chart refer to the footnotes below.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 3 months beyond departure required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) 1. Nationals of EC countries and nationals of Iceland and Norway for stays of up to 90 days within the period of 6 months (except nationals of the UK and Ireland who may stay for up to 30 days);
Note: UK nationals living overseas do need a visa.
(b) 2. Nationals of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Switzerland, Vatican City and USA for stays of up to 30 days;
(c) nationals of Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Hungary, Korea (Rep. of), Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Tunisia and Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro).

DUTY FREE – the following goods may be taken into Bulgaria by persons over 18 years, without paying customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco, 250g of coffee, 1 litre of liquor and 2 litres of wine, 100g of perfume.

Money
Currency: Lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki. Notes are in denominations of Lv 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 1lev, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 stotinki.

Currency exchange: A bordereaux receipt indicating the amount of currency exchanged will be given, and must be kept until departure. Visitors are advised to exchange money at bureaux de change and not on the black market. There are many ATMs.
€ 1 = 1,95 leva (fixed rate since 1999)
$ 1 = 1,50 leva (April 2005) (This rate varies with the change in the Euro/Dollar international rate).

Credit & debit cards: Major international credit cards are accepted in larger hotels and car hire offices, and in some restaurants and shops, mainly in Sofia and the big cities. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that may be available.

Travellers cheques: Accepted in major hotels and restaurants. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or EUROs.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency are prohibited. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, provided declared on arrival. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival. Local currency can be exchanged at the airport on production of a bordereaux.
Note: Travellers should check the currency regulations just prior to departure, as they may change.

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 09.00-15:00 or 16.00 h

Public Holidays

• Jan 1 New Year's Day

• Mar 3 National Day

• Easter (on May 05 in 2002)

• May 1 Labour Day

• May 6 Day of Bulgarian Army

• May 24 St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy)

• Sep 6 The Unification of Bulgaria

• Sep 22 Independence Day

• Nov 1 Commemoration of the Leaders of the Bulgarian National Revival

• Dec 24-25 Christmas

• Dec 31 New Year's Eve

Climate
Varies according to altitude. Summers are warmest with some rainfall, with the south feeling the influence of the Mediterranean. Winters are cold with snow. It rains frequently during spring and autumn. Generally, 4 seasons are clearly distinctive.
Required clothing: Medium weights most of the year; warmer outdoor wear necessary in winter.