Europe

Bulgaria officially the Republic of Bulgaria is a country in Southeastern Europe.Bulgaria is situated in a region once inhabited by the ancient Thracians and is a successor of a powerful European medieval empire which at times covered most of the Balkans and spread its culture and literature among the Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe.Bulgaria is one of the cradles of European civilization [3][4] and the home of the world’s oldest known writing system, engraved on the Gradeshnitsa Tablets.[5] These have been dated to over 6000 years ago and are currently preserved in the Vratsa Museum. [6] Rooted in the Thracian, Greek and Roman worlds of antiquity, Bulgaria’s history dates back to prehistoric times and its continuous historical wealth throughout prominent cyclical eras of growth, decline and medieval renaissance rivals that of the much larger and more populous countries of China, India and Egypt
First Bulgarian Empire-Kubrat’s successor, Khan Asparuh migrated with some of the Bulgarian tribes to the lower courses of the rivers Danube, Dniester and Dniepr (known as Ongal), and conquered Moesia and Scythia Minor (Dobrudzha) from the Byzantine Empire, expanding Great Bulgaria on the Balkan Peninsula. The peace treaty with Byzantium in 681 and the establishment of the new capital of Pliska south of the Danube is considered the beginning of the First Bulgarian Empire. At the same time one of his brothers, Kuber, settled with another Bulgar group in what is now Macedonia.

In 717, the Bulgarians stopped the Arab siege of Constantinople, killing some 40,000-60,000 Arab soldiers. The Bulgarian Khan Tervel was called “The Saviour of Europe” by his contemporaries. For centuries afterward Bulgarians were regarded as the angel warriors of Europe.

The Family of Ivan Alexander.In 864, Bulgaria accepted the Orthodox Faith and became a major European power in the ninth and the tenth century, while fighting with the Byzantine Empire for the control of the Balkans. This happened under the rule of Boris I. During his reign Bulgaria also produced the Slavonic alphabet, which became a pillar for further cultural development. Centuries later, this alphabet along with the Old Bulgarian language became the intellectual written language (lingua franca) for Eastern Europe. The greatest territorial extension was reached under Simeon I the first Tsar,son of Boris I,[9] covering most of the Balkans. However, his greatest achievement was that at that time Bulgaria developed rich, unique Christian Slavonic culture, which became an example for the other Slavonic peoples in Eastern Europe and ensured the continual existence of the Bulgarian nation regardless of the centrifugal forces that threatened to tear it into pieces throughout its long, rich and war-ridden history.

Following a decline in the mid tenth century, worn out by the wars with Croatia and frequent Serbian rebellions sponsored by Byzantine gold, Bulgaria was crushed by an assault of the Rus’ in 969. The Byzantines then began campaigns to conquer Bulgaria. In 971, they seized the capital Preslav and captured Emperor Boris II. Resistance continued under Tsar Samuil in the western Bulgarian lands for nearly half a century until the state was completely destroyed by the Byzantines led by Basil II in 1018
Second Bulgarian Empire

A medieval fresco depicting St. Nicholas.In 1185, the Second Bulgarian Empire once again established Bulgaria as an important power in Europe for two more centuries. With its capital based in Veliko Turnovo and under the Asen dynasty this empire fought for dominance in the region against the Byzantine Empire, the Crusader states and Hungary, reaching its zenith under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241). Аs a result of the Tatar invasion; internal conflicts and the constant attacks from the Byzantines and the Hungarians the power of the country declined since the end of the 13th century. From 1300 under Emperor Theodore Svetoslav Bulgaria regained its strength but by the end of the fourteenth century, the country had disintegrated into several feudal principalities and was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Empire. A Polish-Hungarian crusade under the rule of Władysław III of Poland to free the Balkans was crushed in 1444 in the battle of Varna.
Geographically and climatically, Bulgaria is noted for its diversity, with the landscape ranging from the Alpine snow-capped peaks in Rila, Pirin and the Balkan Mountains to the mild and sunny weather of the Black Sea coast, from the typically continental Danubian Plain (ancient Moesia) in the north to the strong Mediterranean influence in the valleys of Macedonia and the lowlands in the southernmost parts of Thrace. Bulgaria comprises portions of the classical regions of Thrace, Moesia, and Macedonia. The southwest of the country is mountainous with two alpine ranges – Rila and Pirin, and further east are the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains. Rila mountain includes the highest peak of the Balkan Peninsula, peak Musala at 2,925 meters (9,596 ft); the long range of the Balkan mountains runs west-east through the middle of the country, north of the famous Rose Valley. Hilly country and plains are found in the southeast, along the Black Sea coast in the east, and along Bulgaria’s main river, the Danube in the north. Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa river in the south. There are around 260 glacial lakes situated in Rila and Pirin, several large lakes on the Black Sea coast and more than 2,200 dam lakes. Mineral springs are in great abundance located mainly in the south-western and central parts of the country along the faults between the mountains.
The Bulgarian climate is temperate, with cool, damp winters, very hot, dry summers, and Mediterranean influence along the Black Sea coast. The barrier effect of the Balkan Mountains is felt throughout the country: Northern Bulgaria is slightly cooler and receives more rain than the southern regions. Average precipitation in Bulgaria is about 630 millimetres per year. The driest areas are Dobrudzha and the northern coastal strip, while the higher parts of the mountains Rila and Stara Planina receive the highest levels of precipitation. In summer, temperatures in the south of Bulgaria often exceed 40 degrees Celsius, but remain cooler by the coast.

The country is relatively rich in mineral resources, including vast reserves of lignite and anthracite coal; non-ferrous ores such as copper, lead, zinc and gold. There are large deposits of manganese ore to north-east. There are smaller deposits of iron, silver, chromite, nickel and others. Bulgaria is rich in non-metalliferous minerals such as rock-salt, gypsum, kaolin, marble (more) (

Duration : 0:7:17

[youtube 2syK8CChRjE]