The Balkan Peninsula and the Republic of Bulgaria

The Republic of Bulgaria is a sovereign country located in southeast Europe, with a population of approximately 7.5 million people. Bulgaria is situated along the Balkan Peninsula and is bordered by fellow European countries: Greece, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey. The geographic area of Bulgaria is 42,823 square miles, roughly the equivalent of the United States state of Tennessee. The capital and largest city of Bulgaria is Sofia, home to more than 1.2 million of Bulgaria's 7.5 million people. Other influential cities that are located in Bulgaria include Varna, Plovdiv, Ruse, and Burgas. All of these cities are important because of their size and that they are commercial centers for the nation of Bulgaria. Varna and Burgas are particularly important as they're resort cities and harbors that are situated along the Black Sea. Most of Bulgaria's population is comprised of native Bulgarians, though there are some smaller minority groups present in Bulgaria, specifically Gypsies, Macedonians, and Turks. The official national language and the language that is most widely-spoken in Bulgaria, is expectedly the Bulgarian language. The religious demographics of Bulgaria point towards an overwhelming number of Christians, especially those of the Orthodox faith. As a result of its geographic situation near neighboring Muslim countries, there is also a substantial amount of practicing Muslims that live in the country.

The nation of Bulgaria was a Soviet satellite under the USSR from 1947 until the Soviet Union's collapse in 1989. Like most other Soviet republics, the Bulgarian government could be best characterized as a pro-communist government whose practices were most often aligned with those of Moscow. Bulgarians as a people have had a long and fruitful history, as they have been present by way of their Slavic ancestors, since as early as the 6^th century. The vast Ottoman Empire retained control over the region from the 14^th century until the fall of the empire in 1908. Bulgaria's presence as an independent, sovereign nation was short-lived however, after the USSR invaded in 1947 to "liberate" the people of their monarchy. In 1991, the newly-formed Bulgarian government drafted a written constitution that established Bulgaria as a respectable government. The national constitution specified for a president to run the country, who was elected by the popular vote of the people. In order to assist the president in the operations of the government, 15 cabinet members (advisors) were to be appointed, as well. In addition to the executive branch, there is also a national legislative assembly composed of 240 representatives that are elected by the popular vote of their constituents. The current President of Bulgaria is President Georgi Purvanov, who was elected in 2002. Alongside President Purvanov, is his vice-president, Angel Marin.