ABSTRACT
Bulgaria is a Balkan country situated on the coast of the Black Sea. The country has about 9 million inhabitants and the language is Bulgarian, a branch of the Slavonic group. There is also a substantial minority of Turco-Bulgarians, about 10% of the population, as a consequence of a long period of Turkish dominance. The capital Sofia is the largest city, with about 1 million people in its built-up area, and it dominates the national economic and cultural life. During the post-war period, Bulgaria has pertained to the Soviet hemisphere as a member of COMECON and the Warsaw Pact. However, there are also historical and cultural ties which connect Bulgaria with the Soviet Union.
