Bulgaria in facts and figures

Mount Musala to the Black Sea via high-speed motorway

Bulgaria - Some Interesting Statistics by: Michael Coy

111 The number of thousands of square kilometres of Bulgarian territory (making it half the size of the UK)

9 Thousand feet high – that’s Mount Musala, the highest point in the country (just under 3 thousand metres, as lofty as all but the biggest Alps, and dwarfing Britain’s Ben Nevis (1,340 m).

nine also represents the number of cities in Bulgaria with a population greater than 100,000 (Sofia, the capital, has a little over a million residents).

40 The percentage of Bulgaria under the plough: it is very much a farming nation (compare Britain’s 23%)

7.5 Million people – that’s Bulgaria’s population: looking at it another way, Bulgaria has 68 people per square kilometre, compared with Britain’s 250 – and the Bulgarian population is falling!

38 The number of British pence which equal one Bulgarian lev (so there are just under three leva to the pound)

It is also the percentage of Bulgaria’s land which is covered in forest

37 Thousands of kilometres of motorway, the same amount in both Britain and Bulgaria – and Bulgaria, remember, is half the size!

1,600 The number of natural hot springs in Bulgaria.

2 Bulgaria is two hours ahead of Greenwich meantime (three in summer).

15 Professional soccer clubs in Bulgaria’s premier division

512 The number of years that Bulgaria was ruled by the Turks (1396-1908).

4,000 The number of known caves in Bulgaria’s mountains: there are plenty waiting to be discovered.

4 The number of Bulgarian kings (in the modern era, anyhow): they started with Alexander in 1879, and ended with Simeon II in 1946 (he was deposed by the Russians when he was ten years old, but lived on in exile, returning to Bulgaria to become prime minister of his country – he won the 2001 elections)

90 The number of days an EU citizen can spend in Bulgaria without requiring any visa or special travel documents.

10 Percentage of the Bulgarian population which is ethnically Turkish.

380  The number of kilometres (240 miles) of Black Sea coastline enjoyed by Bulgaria.

5  The countries which have land borders with Bulgaria: Rumania, Greece, Turkey, Serbia

About The Author

Michael Coy is a qualified Barrister and teacher in English, History and French. Michael regularly contributes articles to Sunseeker Homes (www.sunseekerhomes.com) the Spanish property information website. info@sunseekerhomes.com