Hip Guide to Bulgaria
Bulgaria is an ancient crossroads of the world, filled with artifacts and home to a vibrant and thriving modern economy. Bulgaria is a member of the EU, NATO, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and is active in the UN. Bulgaria was once a major empire covering most of the Balkan area in the middle ages. The Ottomans controlled Bulgaria for the next 500 years, and it was just 1908 when the Bulgarian Republic was established again. After WWII it was a member of the Warsaw Pact nations and only achieved independence in 1990 and became a free market capitalistic country.
Whether you come for a quick visit or extended tour, you will find a wealth of information about destinations here. The Hip Guide to Bulgaria offers the highlights of the country, and contains many tips for making your stay here more rewarding.
While there are two alpine ranges in the southeast, Rila and Pirin, most of the country is an area of vast plains. The Danubian Plain rises into the Balkans, and the Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, falling from the capitol of Sofia in the west until it reaches the Black Sea. Bulgaria is blessed with plentiful water supply, boasting 540 rivers.
Since 2001 Bulgaria has become an important base for US Armed Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq with at least two major air force bases located there.
Economically Bulgaria has a very low cost of living, but low wages go with that. Bulgaria is not part of the EU monetary system and uses its own currency, the lev. Since the collapse of the economy in the early 1990’s there has been a negative population growth as most young adults emigrate. Bulgaria has the lowest growth rate of any country in the world. Interestingly enough, Bulgaria has the highest rate of home ownership of anywhere in the world at 97 percent. This is a paradoxical country indeed.
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