Bulgaria Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southeastern Europe.

Area
110,994 sq km (42,855 sq miles).

Population
7.8 million (official estimate 2005).

Population Density
70.7 per sq km (2005).

Capital
Sofia.
Population: 1.2 million (2005).

Government
Democratic Republic since 1990.

Language
Bulgarian is the official language and the Cyrillic alphabet is used. Turkish and Macedonian are amongst the minority languages. English, German, French and Russian are spoken in major tourist resorts and hotels.

Religion
The majority of the population are Christian, the main denomination being Bulgarian Orthodox Church with a membership of 83% of the population. Eastern Orthodox Chrisitianity is considered to be the traditional religion in Bulgaria. There is also a significant Muslim minority (13%) and a small Jewish community.

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

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev since 2005.

Head of State
President Georgi Parvanov since 2002.

Telephone
Country code: 359. Calls from some parts of the country must be placed through the international operator. There are many public telephones in the main towns.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good to patchy in most of the country.

Internet
There are Internet cafes and centers in Sofia and Plovdiv.

Media
Bulgaria passed a broadcasting law in 1996, one of the last European countries to do so. National radio and TV were given the status of public services and granted independence. bTV, Bulgaria’s first national commercial channel, was launched in May 2000 by Balkan News Corporation (part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation). Nova TV won the bid for a second national commercial TV license in 2003. Several privately-owned regional television stations are also on the air.


Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes from four days to two weeks. The General Post Office in Sofia, at 4 Gurko Street, is open 24 hours.

Post office hours: usually Mon-Fri 0830-1730.

Press
• The weekly newspaper, Sofia Echo, is available in English, as is the daily business publication Pari (Money).
• Both of these are available in print or online versions.
• The most popular dailies include 24 Chasa (24 Hours) and Trud (Labor).

Radio
• Publicly-owned BNR (Bulgarian National Radio) operates Horizont, cultural network Hristo Botev and external service Radio Bulgaria.
• Darik Radio is a national, commercial station.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
3 Mar National Day (Day of Liberation).
8-9 Apr Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
6 May St George’s Day (Day of Bulgarian Army). 
24 May St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy).
6 Sep The Unification of Bulgaria.
22 Sep Independence Day.
1 Nov Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders.
24-25 Dec Christmas.
31 Dec New Year’s Eve.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
3 Mar National Day (Day of Liberation). 
23-24 Mar Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
6 May St George’s Day (Day of Bulgarian Army). 
24 May St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy).
6 Sep The Unification of Bulgaria.
22 Sep Independence Day.
1 Nov Day of the Bulgarian Revival Leaders.
24-25 Dec Christmas.
31 Dec New Year’s Eve.

Contact Information:

National Tourist Information Center
1 Sveta Nedelya Square, 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel: (2) 933 5811.
Website: www.bulgariatravel.org

Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the UK
186-188 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5HL, UK
Tel: 020 7584 9400 or 020 7584 9433 (general enquiries) or 09065 508 950 (visa section; recorded information; calls cost £1 per minute) or (020) 7589 3763 (visa section; individual enquiries; Mon-Fri 1300-1500 only).
Website: www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800 (general enquiries) or 0930-1230 (visa applications with appointment) or 1230-1400 (visa applications without appointment).

Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the USA
1621 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 387 0174 or 387 7969 (consular office).
Website: www.bulgaria-embassy.org


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