All About Bulgaria
A Very Unique Country
The History
In the late 10th century, Bulgaria started to decline and the Byzantines took the opportunity to invade and take over the land. In 1018, Bulgaria was conquered and a large part of it became a portion of the Byzantine Empire. For 167 years, Bulgaria remained under Byzantine rule, but when the taxes started getting heavier, they started rebelling and Bulgaria became its own once again in 1202.
In 1393, the Turkish Empire started to incline in power and they eventually captured Bulgaria's capital. For around 500 years, Bulgaria remained in the hands of the Turks, but when Russia declared a war and defeated the Turkish Empire, Bulgaria became independent once again. During the 19th century, Bulgaria split into north and south and they acted like two completely different countries. In 1908 though, Prince Ferdinand announced that Bulgaria was completely indepenedent and the two parts came together once again.
At the time of World War 1, Germany convinced the Bulgarians to join their side and had promised to give them land in exchange. Whatever land the Germans were planning to give was probably not worth the loss that Bulgaria had to face. The countries against Germany had became allies and they created a blockade, cutting off trade and causing a shortage of food in Bulgaria. The Bulgarians had all nearly starved to death. In 1919, they had to take the consequences of losing with Germany and were forced to sign a treaty, losing parts of their land and putting restrictions on their army. A year later, Bulgaria was allowed to join the League of Nations and obviously, they obliged, being the first of the losing nations to join.
From then on, Bulgaria faced a variety of situations. They had to fight the Communists that were attempting to take over and they faced a time of extremely high unemployment rates. Many incomes were cut short as well. Through all of this extra trouble, though, Bulgaria still thrived and is a standing European country today. (Joined the European Union in 2007 and was not a founder)
The Flag of Bulgaria
Government
Currency
Location, Features, and Tourism
The 5 most major, populated, and important cities in Bulgaria are Sofia- the capital- Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Rousse. Each of these cities, especially Sofia, make a great place to visit when on vacation. In Bulgaria, some of the greatest attractions are the Sunny Beach, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Seven Rila Lakes, and the Rila Monastery. The Sunny Beach is located on the coast between Bulgaria and the Black Sea, and within the Sunny Beach area, there are many activities to do. You could visit a village, a waterpark, and so much more! The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is located in Sofia and is still functioning as a church today. This place for Orthodox Christians welcomes visitors with open arms and often provides a great experience for tourists.
Fun Facts!
Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, has Bulgarian origin.
It's common for Americans to shake their head to symbolize "no", but in Bulgaria, shaking your head symbolizes "yes".
Citations
"Bulgarian Flag." Bulgarian Flag. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"Bulgaria." EUROPA. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014
"Biggest Cities Bulgaria." Biggest Cities Bulgaria. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"Bulgaria - Geography." Bulgaria - Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"Balkan Holidays Blog: 10 Interesting Facts You Probably Didn't Know about Bulgaria..." Balkan Holidays Blog: 10 Interesting Facts You Probably Didn't Know about Bulgaria... N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
"Bulgaria: Government." GlobalEDGE: Your Source for Global Business Knowledge. Michigan State University, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.