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Climate
Most of Bulgaria has a continental climate, with cold winters
and hot summers. The climate in general is more severe than in other
European areas of the same latitudes, and the average annual temperature
range is greater than that of neighbouring countries. Severe droughts,
frosts, wind, and hail frequently damage crops. A Mediterranean
climate, with dry summers and mild, humid winters, prevails in the
valley of the south-western Rhodope Mountains; the northern limit
of the climatic zone is the Balkan Mountains.
The average annual temperature is about 12.8° C (55° F). The average
rainfall is about 635 mm (25 in) per year, ranging from a low of
around 200 mm (8 in) in the north-east, to a high of 1,905 mm (75
in) in the Rila Mountains. The wettest period is early summer in
most of the country and autumn or winter in the southern valleys.
The table below displays average monthly climate indicators in Bulgaria:
| Indicator | Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Avg. Temperature | -1° |
2° |
7° |
12° |
16° |
20° |
23° |
23° |
18° |
11° |
5° |
1° |
| Avg. Max Temperature | 4° |
8° |
12° |
17° |
23° |
28° |
31° |
30° |
24° |
18° |
10° |
4° |
| Avg. Min Temperature | -3° |
-2° |
5° |
9° |
9° |
14° |
17° |
16° |
12° |
7° |
2° |
-3° |
| Avg. Sea Water Temperature | 3° |
4° |
10° |
15° |
15° |
19° |
21° |
23° |
20° |
15° |
11° |
5° |
| Avg. Rain Days | 4 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
3 |
| Avg. Snow Days | 6 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
Bulgarian Tobacco Tobacco is one of the chief crops of
Bulgaria. Harvested tobacco is hung in sheds to dry before it is
sent to market. By the early 1990s, some 60,000 tonnes of tobacco
were harvested each year.Christo Popoff Studio. Collectivization
of agriculture in Bulgaria was begun in the early 1950s; in the
late 1980s most farmland was under the control of the country’s
collective and state farms. Private holdings were limited to a small
size, but accounted for more than one quarter of total agricultural
output. Land reforms in the early 1990s redistributed land that
had been collectively farmed during the communist era and fallen
into disuse during the period of transition. The policy of returning
the land to its pre-collective owners in small areas averaging less
than 2.5 hectares, with only a small number receiving proper titles
to the land, precluded leasing to professional farmers and the establishment
of a market in land. Further reforms are proposed to allow leasing
of unlimited areas of land and the participation of foreigners in
bidding for leases at auction. The chief crops are wheat, rye, corn,
barley, oats, cotton, tobacco, grapes, tomatoes, sugar beet, potatoes,
and cabbage. In 2001 some 3.80 million tonnes of wheat, 520,000
tonnes of corn, and 75,000 tonnes of tobacco were harvested. In
2001 the livestock population included some 16 million poultry,
2.29 million sheep, 1.14 million pigs, and 640,000 cattle. The principal
Bulgarian timber areas are in the vicinity of the Rila, Rhodope,
and Balkan mountains. In the early 1990s about 3.5 million cu m
(124 million cu ft) of timber were produced each year. The fishing
industry, which began to expand in the 1960s and 1970s, produced
a catch of about 16,674 tonnes in 1997 (in 1980 it had been 126,412
tonnes). Canning and processing plants are located at Varna and
Burgas, on the Black Sea coast.
Religion
For more than 40 years under Communist rule the Bulgarian government
discriminated against practising believers, and promoted atheism,
to which an estimated 65 per cent of the population subscribed in
the early 1980s. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church, a branch of the
Eastern Orthodox Church, was attended by about 27 per cent of the
population. The government reforms of the late 1980s loosened religious
restrictions, and by the early 1990s more than 80 per cent of the
population claimed affiliation to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Other religious groups include Muslims, Roman Catholics, Protestants,
and Jews.
Culture
Popular Wedding Music of Bulgaria By far the most popular music
heard in Bulgaria is wedding music. Although music is also played
at baptisms, house-warmings, and send-off celebrations for soldiers,
wedding music—performed primarily by Gypsies—is a distinct folk
genre that has increased in popularity in the cities and villages
due to the amplification of instruments. Most wedding bands are
made up of clarinet, saxophone, accordion, guitar, bass, and drums.
In the Middle Ages (especially in the 10th and 11th centuries),
Bulgaria was the centre of Slavic culture. Over the centuries Bulgarian
culture has been influenced successively by Byzantine, Greek, Russian,
and Western cultures. Bulgarian literature is an important cultural
force. Large libraries in Sofia include the Central Library of the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the library of the University of
Sofia, and the Cyril and Methodius National Library. The Ivan Vazov
National Library is located in Plovdiv. In addition, there are many
smaller public libraries. The country has more than 200 museums.
In Sofia are botanical and zoological museums and gardens; the National
Archaeological Museum, with a collection of ancient coins and finds
from many early burial mounds; and the National Ethnographical Museum.
Other museums in the country are devoted to history, science, and
the revolutionary movement. Traditional Singing of Bulgaria Bulgaria
is divided into six folkloric regions and within each region there
is a rich vocal tradition, especially among women. Though each area
is distinguished by its own style and technique, in the last 50
years the government has made an effort to bring singers from these
regions together to form folkloric choirs and ensembles. The 13th-century
frescoes of the Boyana Church near Sofia are outstanding examples
of the painting of that period. Bulgarian handicrafts include rich
folk embroideries and ornaments. Some of the best sculpture, woodcarving,
etchings, and painting are based on traditional culture and native
subjects. Outstanding Bulgarian artists include the etcher Peter
Morozov, the painter Vladimir Dimitrov, and the sculptors Ivan Lazarov
and Christo. The last-named, an avant-garde artist noted for his
technique of wrapping objects and landscape features, now lives
in the United States. The chief architectural monuments of Bulgaria
are medieval churches and monasteries. The oldest is the circular
Church of St George in Sofia, originally a pagan temple. The Rila
Monastery, founded in the 9th century, is striking in its mountainous
setting. An important monument of the 11th century is Bachkovo Monastery,
south of Plovdiv. A major modern structure is the large, ornate
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. Traditional Bulgarian music
includes folk songs and choral plain chants in the Greek mode for
church services. The chief native musical instruments are the gaida
(bagpipe) and the kaval (a wooden flute traditionally used by shepherds).
The characteristic folk dances are variations of the hora, a round
chain dance, and the ruchenitsa, a lively dance for two couples.
Modern Bulgarian orchestral and operatic compositions have occasionally
gained recognition in other countries. Among leading composers are
Petko Stainov and Pancho Vladigerov.
Economy
Until 1947 Bulgaria was predominantly agricultural, with
virtually no heavy industry. In Communist Bulgaria following World
War II, all industrial enterprises were nationalized and operated
under a series of five-year economic plans, modelled after the Soviet
system, with financial aid from the USSR. Heavy industry was the
government’s highest priority. Privatization and other market reform
measures were begun after 1992. Since the mid-1950s new resorts
have been developed along the Black Sea, partly by private individuals,
in an attempt to attract foreign visitors. The pace of privatization
has been erratic and characterized by delays, inefficiencies, and
corruption, and plans have been announced to find buyers for large
enterprises still under state control. The enterprises include pharmaceutical
and chemical manufacturers, the national air carrier, a tourist
resort on the Black Sea, the monopoly-holding telecommunications
company, and the largest oil-refinery in the region. A radical plan
was also unveiled to liquidate the enterprises should they remain
unsold after 15 months. In 2000, the country’s GNP was US$12,391
million, equivalent to US$1,520 per head (World Bank figures). In
2000 exports were valued at US$4,807 million although imports amounted
to US$6,362 million.
Cost of Living
Average monthly salaries in Bulgaria are in the 150-200 Euro range.
A breakfast in an ordinary restaurant costs about 4 leva (approx.
GBP 1.40 ), a dinner - 10 leva (approx. GBP 3.60), and supper -
around 15 leva (approx. GBP 4.50). Water in Bulgaria is usually
good to drink. Irrespective of this mineral water is sold everywhere
and is of exclusively good quality, factory-bottled and duly sealed.
One-litre bottle of mineral water costs 0.80 leva (approx. GBP 0.30).
Everywhere on sale are also natural juices without preservatives,
manufactured by Bulgarian and foreign producers.The Bulgarian juices
cost no more than 2 leva (approx. GBP 0.80) a litre and the imported
ones cost around 3 leva (approx. GBP 1.50). Tea and coffee is offered
everywhere in the country. Boza, an Arab boiled-grain drink popular
in Bulgaria is also widely sold. Fresh milk, obligatorily pasteurised,
is sold in a wide diversity of packaging. Beer, locally brewed (33cl
bottle of beer: 0.90 leva (approx. GBP 0.40) ) and imported is very
popular, either tapped or bottled. The products of Coca-Cola, Pepsi,
and Bulgarian soft drinks can be found in every food or specialised
shop. Alcoholic drinks are on sale in most food shops, and in numerous
specialised pubs. The price of a 0.75 l bottle of good dry wine
varies between 4 (GBP 1.40) and 6 leva (GBP 2.00). The price of
a 0.5-litre bottle of rakiya varies between 3 (GBP 1.00) and 15
leva (GBP 4.50), depending on the quality of the product, the manufacturing
technology and the region of origin.
Customs Regulations
Every tourist visiting the Republic of Bulgaria may import a limited
amount of food, cigarettes and liquor for personal use. Depending
on the length of his stay, the admissible number and quantity of
the imported goods is indicated at every customs checkpoint. A special
customs declaration is filled should the imported amounts exceed
the stipulated ones, together with an explanation for the reason
of this excess. Subject to obligatory declaring are golden articles,
valuables in excess of personal jewellery, photographic cameras,
electronic devices and apparatus of greater value. The same objects
shall be declared also upon leaving Bulgaria, whereby the tourist
certifies that the objects have not been made present or sold to
other persons. Presents and objects carried for Bulgarian citizens
or foreigners residing in Bulgaria shall be declared as well. Subject
to a special regime of import and export are the antiquarian objects,
works of art, historic and cultural treasures, rare coins of numismatic
value and securities. The latter require particular permits and
accompanying documents, which may be obtained in the respective
country by the local authorities and the Bulgarian representations
upon import, and by the Bulgarian authorities upon export of the
same. Bulgarian business partners enjoy special conditions for the
import and export of raw and prime materials, finished products,
foreign exchange, numismatic valuables and works of art. Subject
to special control are the deficient raw materials, and protected
birds, animals and plants. The import and export of works of art
for participation in auctions or sales, in exhibitions, fairs or
art expositions, require special documents, which shall obligatorily
accompany the exhibits or the works of art. The same applies to
medicines, narcotics, weapons and ammunition.
The customs offices in Bulgaria most frequently used
by tourists and business partners respond to the following phone
numbers:
Central
Customs +359 (02) 931 15 12
Sofia Customs +359 (02) 931 41 91 (2, 3) 931 51 52
Sofia Airport +359 (02) 71 70 51
Varna Customs +359 (052) 22 55 32
