Where is bulgaria located

Some of the subcategories are changeable economic and political state , others are comparatively stable astronomical and natural environment. So, it is an European and Balkan country, and a country which belongs to the Black Sea and the Danube regions.

Besides, it lies at the crossroad between Europe, Asia, and Africa, close to world markets and regions, rich in raw materials, which predetermines its strategic place on the maps of Europe and the Balkan Peninsula Fig. Figure 1: Geographic Location of Bulgaria. Bulgaria is closer to the equator than to the North Pole, which determines its climate and natural conditions. The country is situated in the southern part of the North Temperate Zone, with some subtropical influence over its climate.

This location in the transitional zone between the two zones gives its reflection over the climate, the soils, the flora and the fauna. The Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea are important climate factors because huge air masses originate over them and are carried away by the Icelandic Low and Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone.

The Mediterranean influence is decisive for the climate in the southern parts of the country. The influence of Black Sea is tangible in the zone which is situated 40 kilometers inland from the shore. That influence determines the specific Black Sea climate, the diverse flora and fauna. The Danube River, as a factor of physical geography, is very important with its water resources, which are used for irrigation, production of electricity, water supply for the factories, and fishing; as well as for its diversity of species.

The Dinaric Alps and the Pindus isolates the country from the influence of the Adriatic Sea and the West part of the Mediterranean Sea; and the Carpathian Mountains hold up the oceanic air masses form North-West in this way, they create a rain shadow in the Danubian Plain. It shows the relation between Bulgaria and objects of economical significance regions rich in raw materials, markets, international highways, connections with other countries. Being a part of East-central Europe, Bulgaria is a crossing point and a transitional zone between West Europe, the Near and the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region.

Besides the automobile transport, the main transport directions are served by railroads, too. The importance of the river grew after the above-mentioned Rhine — Main — Danube Canal was put into operation September 25 th , In , the total number of the checkpoints is 23 5 on the Serbian border, 3 on the Macedonian border, 6 on the Greek border, 2 on the Turkish, 5 on the Romanian, and 2 on the Black Sea cost Fig.

Figure 2: Contemporary borders of Bulgaria, border checkpoints, and free trade zones. Source: own production. It is logical that connections with neighbour countries prevail over connections with other countries. Table 2: Average length between two border checkpoints on the Bulgarian border — Nowadays, Bulgarian foreign trade is oriented towards European countries. The country profits from its membership in the World Trade Organization since , the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the economic organizations of the United Nations, and the European Union since Very important is the transit transport of people, goods, and information through the country.

In the country, there are great opportunities for both the transit and the active recreational international tourism due to the significant natural, cultural, and historical sightseeings. In , 7. After the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, Bulgaria looked for new ways to ensure its military and political stability, and for a new place in the Balkan region, shaken by conflicts.

The new military and political conditions required the creation of a new geopolitical strategy, new political priorities and principles for the country which should guarantee good relations with its neighbours. The present geopolitical situation, and its entry into NATO in , gives the country new advantages.

Due to the opposition between East and West Europe, until the Bulgarian state borders were used rather as barriers. That led to political and economic isolation of Bulgaria regarding the developed European countries, and depopulation of frontier territories. After , the character and the functions of the political borders changed.

Instead of dividing, they began unifying the countries, trying to integrate the interest, the capitals, and the efforts of neighbour countries, which is characteristic of the relations between democratic states. The total length of the Bulgarian borders is km. Table 3: Length of Bulgarian state borders in kilometres. The latter gives serious opportunities for the water transport. It is the largest international water road which connects Bulgaria and the countries from West and East Europe.

This enables the trade between the above-mentioned countries. The regions near the Danube have the possibility to develop some industries which use a lot of water and import raw materials producing of electricity, woodworking, chemical industry, etc. That is why the ferries between Vidin and Calafat and between Oryahovo and Bechet the largest in the Bulgarian-Romanian part of the river, which connects Thessaloniki and the Central-European countries , as well as the bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu are of so great importance.

In , a second bridge on the Danube was built — between Vidin and Calafat. The ports of Lom, Vidin, and Ruse have significant economic importance, too. The port of Lom ensures the import of goods for the internal parts of the country. The Danube River is used for watering too, as well as for tourism, since along the river there are a lot of historical settlements and fortresses, as well as the lake Srebarna near Silistra.

The Dobrudzha plain enables the building of highways and railroads. The governments of Bulgaria and Romania and several government and non-government organizations work for its solution. Another problem is the security of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

A second nuclear power plant is going to be built near the town of Belene. The country has a temperate climate, featured with cold winters and hot summers. At present, Bulgaria has a parliamentary democracy with the characteristics of a unitary constitutional republic. Bulgaria's economy system is an industrialized and open free-market economy; hence, country has a large, moderately advanced private sector along with a number of strategic state-owned enterprises. Moreover, the Bulgarian tourism is also growing and also helping country in generating substantial revenue.

A relatively small country in Europe, is territory covers slightly less than 43, square feet. Its shared border with Romania is the longest, and is marked by the Danube River.

Along with those countries, Bulgaria also shares part of its border with the Black Sea. The geography of Bulgaria is largely varied. Three mountain ranges can be found within the borders of the country: The Balkan Mountains, located in the central part of the country, the Rhodope Mountains, located in the southern portion of the country and also runs along Bulgaria's border with Greece, and the Rila Mountains, where Musala Mount, the country's highest point, is able to be found.

In addition to its several mountain ranges, Bulgaria has several large rivers, including the Danube River, which runs along the border between Bulgaria and Turkey. Another notable feature is the Maritsa Basin, a large area of lowlands located in the south-eastern portion of the country.

This basin is drained by a series of several rivers in the Black Sea, resulting in large swaths of fertile valleys and lowlands.