• Bulgaria is located in Southeast Europe.
• Bordered by Greece, Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Romania.
• Area: 110,994 square kilometers; 10th largest in the EU.
• Capital: Sofia; other major cities include Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas.

• Karanovo culture present since 6,500 BC.
• Became part of the Roman Empire in AD 45.
• The First Bulgarian Empire established in late 7th century, recognized in 681 AD.
• Influenced Slavic culture with Cyrillic script.
• Second Bulgarian Empire peaked under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241).
• Ottoman rule began in 1396 and lasted for nearly 500 years.

• Independence declared in 1908 post Russo-Turkish War (1877–78).
• Transitioned to a socialist state after World War II (1946).
• Became a parliamentary republic in 1991.
• Developed, high-income economy; part of the EU, NATO, and Schengen Area.

List of newspapers published in Bulgarian.