Bulgaria
The Trip Of A Lifetime!
Bulgaria, The Basics: Weather, Climate Type, and Characteristics
Climate: Bulgaria has two climate zones. First being a warm temperate and humid climate in Southern districts, which are influenced by the Mediterranean sea. Second being a humid snow climate. In the mountainous regions they experience year round cooler temperatures with heavy snowfall in winter.
Physical Characteristics: One third of the territory is forested, Bulgaria also has major mountain ranges (Rilan, Pirin, Balkan, and Rhodope) another third of Bulgaria is over 2000 feet above sea level.
Digging Deeper Into Bulgarian Culture: 2 Subcultures
Gypsies have been in Bulgaria for a long time, and they will even identify as Bulgarians. They are one of the biggest groups in Bulgaria aside from ethnic Bulgarians.
The Bourgeois elite reigned during the socialist period, but now they are also defining social status with wealth they acquire through illegal activity.
The Basics: Location
How To Fit In: Folkways
2. Bulgarian coffee bars and pubs are common places for meeting others and enjoying some food
3. All Bulgarian men must serve in their military
4. Bulgaria values and practices herbal remedies
How To Fit In: Languages, Taboos, and Counter Cultures
Taboos: In Bulgaria it is considered taboo not to make eye contact during a toast, it is also taboo to begin eating with out a toast.
When visiting another's home it is customary to bring flowers or sweets.
People use different gestures for yes and no then American's are used to. Yes is indicated by a sideways shaking of the head, and a no is shown with a short upward or downward nod.
Counter Culture: The Turkish people could be considered the biggest counter culture in Bulgaria. The Turks are one of the largest ethnic minorities, but will not identify themselves as Bulgarians. There is little sense of shared national culture among ethnic Bulgarians and Turkish people.
Digging Deeper Into The Bulgarian Culture: Landscape, Diffusion, and Change
Evidence of Culture Diffusion: Besides ethnic Bulgarians there several ethnic minorities, the most numerous include Turks, Gypsies, Armenians, Jews. While some will refuse to identify as Bulgarians, like the Turks, other groups such as Gypsies, Armenians, and Jews are more assimilated. Their cultures have collided and formed new aspects.
Culture Change: After World Word II the basis of Bulgarian culture changed from an agriculture base to rapid industrialization. Communism also fell in 1989 creating changes.