Geography of Bulgaria
Location: Bulgaria lies in south-eastern Europe, bordering Romania, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and the Black Sea. Its northern border with Romania follows the Danube river until Silistra.
Bulgaria's political geography has changed greatly since the restoration of statehood in 1878. Russia, whose military victories had lead to its creation, pushed for a "big Bulgaria" that would include much of Macedonia. At the Congress of Berlin, however, the powers insisted upon a much reduced area, divided until 1885 between the principalities of Bulgaria proper and Eastern Rumelia.
An independent kingdom from 1908 to 1946 and thereafter a republic, Bulgaria sought to expand its territory in the two Balkan Wars of 1912-13 and in World Wars I and II. Defeat in the last three conflicts led to a large loss of territory in 1913 and 1919, though the 1940 recovery of the Southern Dobruja was confirmed by the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947.
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total:
110,910 km²
land:
110,550 km²
water:
360 km²
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total:
1,808 km
border countries:
Greece 494 km, The Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Black Sea 0 m
highest point:
Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land:
43%
permanent crops:
2%
permanent pastures:
14%
forests and woodland:
38%
other:
3% (1999 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,370 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
Bulgaria has only one marsh, the Swamp of Durankulak.
See also :
bg:География на България
Categories: Bulgaria | Geography by country