GENERAL INFORMATION
Area
110,994 sq km (42,855 sq miles).
Population
7,845,499 (official estimate 2002).
Population Density
70.7 per sq km (2002).
Capital
Sofia.
Population: 1,096,389 (2001).
Government
Democratic Republic since 1990.
Head of State: President Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov since 2002.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski since 2001.
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 80 per cent of the population. Eastern Orthodox Chrisitianity is considered to be the traditional religion in Bulgaria. There is also a significant Muslim minority (9 per cent) and a small Jewish community.
Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are two-pin.
Communications
Telephone
Telephone: IDD is available to main cities. Country code: 359. Outgoing international code: 00. Calls from some parts of the country must be placed through the international operator. There are many public telephones in the main towns. The national network of telecommunications is operated, for the present, by Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC).
Mobile telephone
GSM 900/1800, with good to patchy coverage in most urban centers. Network operators include MobilTEL and GloBul.
Fax
Facilities are available at BTA (Bulgarina Telegraph Agency) offices and most post offices.
Internet
The main ISPs are Geo Enterprise and bol.bg. There are Internet cafes and centers in Sofia and Plovdiv.
Telegram
International services are available.
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 business publication Pari (Money). Both of these are published weekly and are available in print or Internet versions. The most popular dailies include Duma (Word), Trud (Labor) and 24 Chasa (24 Hours).
Radio
BBC World Service and Voice of America can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
Public Holidays
Jan 1 2005: New Year’s Day.
Mar 3: National Day (Day of Liberation).
Mar 25: Good Friday.
Mar 28: Easter Monday.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 6: St George’s Day (Day of Bulgarian Army).
May 24: St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy).
Sep 6: The Unification of Bulgaria.
Sep 22: Independence Day.
Nov 1: Day of the Spiritual Leaders of Bulgaria.
Dec 24-26: Christmas.
Jan 1 2006: New Year’s Day.
Mar 3: National Day (Day of Liberation).
Apr 14: Good Friday.
Apr 16: Easter Monday.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 6: St George’s Day (Day of Bulgarian Army).
May 24: St Cyril and Methodius Day (Day of Culture and Literacy).
Sep 6: The Unification of Bulgaria.
Sep 22: Independence Day.
Nov 1: Day of the Spiritual Leaders of Bulgaria.
Dec 24-26: Christmas.
Special Events
For a complete list of special events, contact the National Tourist Information Center or the Embassy (see General Info section). The following is a selection of special events celebrated annually in Bulgaria:
Dec 31-Jan 1: Ladouvane, various towns.
Jan: International Folklore Festival, Pernik.
Mar: Martenitsas (Festival of Spring), nationwide; Musical Days, Ruse.
May: Festival for Authentic Thrace Region Folklore, Haskovo.
May-Jun: Sofia Musical Weeks.
Jun: Festival of the Rose, Kazanluk.
Jun-Aug: The Varna Summer Festival; Golden Orpheus International Pop Music Festival, Sunny Beach.
Jul: European Cultural Month, Plovdiv.
Aug: International Folklore Festival, Plovdiv; Quadrennial National Folklore Festival, Koprivstitsa; National Folklore Festivities, Rhodope Mountains; International Folklore Festival, Bourgas.
Sep: Art, Crafts and Chamber Music, Plovdiv; Apolonia Arts Festivities, Sozopol.
Oct: St Dmitri’s Day, various towns.
Nov: Katya Popova International Laureate Festival, Pleven.
Dec: Saint Barbara, various towns.
Contact Information:
Location
Eastern Europe.
Country dialing code
359.
National Tourist Information Center
1 Sveta Nedelia Square, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
Tel: (2) 987 9778. Fax: (2) 989 6939.
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria
186-188 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5HL, UK
Tel: (020) 7584 9400 or 9433 or 7581 4903 (tourism department). Fax: (020) 7584 4948 or 7589 4875 (commercial department).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1800 (general enquiries).
Visa section: Tel: (09065) 540 819 (recorded information; calls cost £1 per minute) or (020) 7584 9433 (individual enquiries; from Mon-Fri 1230-1330 only). Fax: (09065) 540 819 (application service; calls cost £1 per minute).
Opening hours: 0930-1150 (visa applications; closed Wednesday and weekends).
Also provides tourist information.
Balkan Holidays
Sofia House, 19 Conduit Street, London W1S 2BH, UK
Tel: (0845) 130 1114 or (020) 7543 5555. Fax: (020) 7543 5577.
British Embassy
9 Moskovska Street, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
Tel: (2) 933 9222. Fax: (2) 933 9250 or 933 9263 (visa/consular section).
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria
1621 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 387 0174 or 387 7969 (consular office). Fax: (202) 234 7973.
Embassy of the United States of America
16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407, Bulgaria
Tel: (2) 937 5100. Fax: (2) 937 5320.
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria
325 Stewart Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6K5, Canada
Tel: (613) 789 3215. Fax: (613) 789 3524.
The Consulate of Canada
9 Moskovska Street, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
Tel: (2) 969 9710. Fax: (2) 981 6081.
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