The Balkan Peninsula and the Republic of Bulgaria

The Republic of Bulgaria is a sovereign country located in southeast Europe, with a population of approximately 7.5 million people. Bulgaria is situated along the Balkan Peninsula and is bordered by fellow European countries: Greece, Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey. The geographic area of Bulgaria is 42,823 square miles, roughly the equivalent of the United States state of Tennessee. The capital and largest city of Bulgaria is Sofia, home to more than 1.2 million of Bulgaria's 7.5 million people. Other influential cities that are located in Bulgaria include Varna, Plovdiv, Ruse, and Burgas. All of these cities are important because of their size and that they are commercial centers for the nation of Bulgaria. Varna and Burgas are particularly important as they're resort cities and harbors that are situated along the Black Sea. Most of Bulgaria's population is comprised of native Bulgarians, though there are some smaller minority groups present in Bulgaria, specifically Gypsies, Macedonians, and Turks. The official national language and the language that is most widely-spoken in Bulgaria, is expectedly the Bulgarian language. The religious demographics of Bulgaria point towards an overwhelming number of Christians, especially those of the Orthodox faith. As a result of its geographic situation near neighboring Muslim countries, there is also a substantial amount of practicing Muslims that live in the country.