Bulgaria has 1325 years of history, since 681 A.D. and was once one of the 3rd biggest empires in Europe among the Frankish, and the Byzantine (it spanned between the Mediterranean, the Black, and the White Seas).

Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south.

The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometers (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria ranks as the 15th-largest country in Europe.

Bulgaria became a member of NATO in 2004 and of the European Union in 2007. In 2011 Bulgaria met the conditions to join the Schengen area and residents now enjoy borderless travel in most of the European Union.

Location: Bulgaria shares a border with Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, Romania to the north, and the Black Sea to the east

Capital:   Sofia

Time difference:   GMT +3 hours

Total Area:  110,910 sq. km2

Population:   7,351,234

Age Demographics:  0-14: 13.9%, 15-64: 67.9%, 65+: 7.5%

Population growth:   -0.7%.

Languages:   Bulgarian 84.5%, other 15.5%

Religions:   Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 0.6%, Protestant 0.5%

Government Type:  Parliamentary democracy

Currency:   Lev (BGL)

GDP (per capita):  $6,522

GDP (purchasing power parity):  $96.78 billion (2010 est.)