Bulgaria

Bulgaria officially called Republic of Bulgaria is a country in Southeast Europe with a territory of 110,994 square kilometers it is the 16th-largest country in Europe. Bulgaria's capital city and largest settlement is Sofia. Bulgaria has around 8 million inhabitants. More than 80% are ethnic Bulgarians followed by the Turkish and Roma minority. Most of the population self-identify as Orthodox Christian. Other religious include Islam, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Bulgaria overall has a temperate climate, with cold winters and hot summers. The country has rich natural beauties and wildlife and has three national parks, 11 nature parks and 17 biosphere reserves. Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Celtic influences. Bulgaria has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of Nesebar. Main tourist destinations include the capital Sofia, coastal resorts Albena, Sozopol, Nesebar, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts such as Pamporovo, Chepelare, Borovetz and Bansko. Also popular attractions are the 10th-century Rila Monastery and the 19th-century Euxinograd château. Bulgaria is most popular for its beaches on the Black Sea.