Bulgaria is a country roughly the size of England. It is situated in the South Eastern part of mainland Europe and covers an area of 110,994 square kilometres. It is bound in the east by the Black Sea; in the north by the River Danube and Romania; in the south by Turkey and Greece and in the west by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Macedonia. It is, therefore, strategically located at the crossroads between Northern and Southern Europe and between Europe and Asia. The population is estimated at over 8 million and as one of the most rapidly advancing nations in Europe; Bulgaria has become a byword for international property investment. Bulgaria has a Continental climate with short Springs, hot Summers (average temp 20 to 30°C), long sunny Autumns and ski resort Winters (average temp 3°C but often dropping to -30C).

Within Bulgaria there is much to draw foreign visitors and investors alike, from 354km of Black Sea coastline, to 37,000km of hiking paths in the mountains, to a ski scene that rivals the Alps in beauty whilst being far cheaper. The World Trade Organisation forecasts that by 2010 the country will be visited by 20 million tourists annually, making it one of the world’s most promising international tourist destinations.

Bulgaria traces its foundation as a state to 681 AD. After a period of 500 years as part of the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria became an independent principality in 1878 and a Kingdom in 1908. The Bulgarian People’s Republic was proclaimed on 15 September 1946. Following the demise of the Communist regime in November 1989 and the establishment of democracy, the country has now been restyled the Republic of Bulgaria. The present day Bulgarian economy has essentially been shaped by the industrial network put in place during the communist years when Bulgaria was an integral part of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) group of nations. This period saw Bulgaria move away from being a country with a primarily agricultural base to being one of the prime producers of chemicals, steel, electrical components and computers.

Within the property market, Bulgaria is turning towards higher quality developments; only granting permission to the highest-quality projects, and taking care to protect the national parks and natural resources which have proven such an attraction. The cost of living in Bulgaria is one of the lowest in Europe.

Sofia: population 1,200,000 capital and main commercial centre. Plovdiv: population 338,300, second most important town. Varna: population 320,670, one of two principal ports. Bourgas: population 209,480, one of two principal ports. Rousse: population 178,440, important town. Stara Zagora: population 167,710, important town Pleven: population 149,180. Dobrich: population 100,000. Sliven: population 136,150, important town. Shumen: population 104,480, important town.

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