KnowYourCommunity-KnowYourWorld- Republic of Bulgaria-2023
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Bulgaria, located in Southeast Europe, has a population of about 6.9 million and its capital is Sofia. The country has a rich history, transitioning from a communist government to a parliamentary democracy and facing challenges such as a struggling economy and corruption. Cultural differences with the US include slower meal service and an emphasis on family, while national festivals and traditional foods reflect its unique heritage.
KnowYourCommunity-KnowYourWorld- Republic of Bulgaria-2023
- 1. Bulgaria KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY KNOW YOUR WORLD A PROGRAM OF GLOBAL TIES AKRON
- 2. Bulgaria is located in Southeastern Europe in a region known as the Balkans. It has many mountains and plains. Eastern Bulgaria is bordered by the Black Sea and has many beautiful beaches. By plane, it takes about 14 hours and multiple stops to get to Sofia, Bulgaria.
- 3. Country Quick Facts Full name: Republic of Bulgaria Population: about 6.9 million (July 2014 est.) Capital: Sofia Largest city: Sofia Official language: Bulgarian Major religion: Eastern Orthodox Christian (about 60%) Life expectancy: Male: 70, Female: 78 Monetary unit: Lev, Leva (plural) Main exports: clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels GNI per capita: $15,210
- 4. Bulgarian History in Brief The Bulgarian State was founded in 681 CE Became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908 On the losing side in both World War I and II Communist government took over in 1946 Was part of the Eastern bloc, countries obedient to the Soviet Union during the Cold War Held their first democratic elections in 1990 and begin switching to a capitalist economy
- 5. Language HELLO: zdrave/亰亟舒于亠亶 GOODBYE: dovizdane/亟仂于亳亢亟舒仆亠 YES: Da/亟舒 NO: Ne/仆亠 THANK YOU: Blagodarya, Mersi/ 弍仍舒亞仂亟舒, 亠亳 YOURE WELCOME: molya/仄仂仍 PLEASE: molya/仄仂仍 I LOVE YOU: Obicham te/弍亳舒仄 亠 HOW ARE YOU: Kak si?/舒从 亳?
- 6. Government President: Rosen Plevneliev Prime Minister: Boyko Borisov Government structure: parliamentary democracy Voting age: 18 years
- 7. Current Issues Poor infrastructure, especially roads Struggling economy, lack of jobs Corruption in the government Aging population Refugees Discrimination of Roma people
- 8. Economy Bulgarias economy has been struggling since the Communist times Joined the European Union in 2007 Major industries are: Tourism on the Black Sea coast in cities like Varna and Burgas Lots of rose oil! Used for things like perfume Wine, especially from Southern Bulgaria Energy Telecommunications
- 9. Currency Leva (paper money), stotinka (coins) 1 US dollar= 1.73 Bulgarian leva (June 2015)
- 10. Cultural Differences from the US Orders at a restaurant in Bulgaria is not served at the same time, dinner is much slower paced than in the US Clean plate or empty glass means you want more and they will always serve you more even if you dont want it Bulgarians are known for their sarcastic/dry sense of humor Lots of stray dogs Smaller cars, hardly any trucks Still a lot of focus on extended family, very close Eye contact very important Dont like to rush Bulgarians like to think they invented everything from baklava and yogurt to the Cyrillic alphabet
- 11. National Festivals Kukeri Festival- rituals dating back to ancient times to scare off evil spirits of the winter season through scary costumes and dancing
- 12. Traditional Bulgarian Food Banitsa Yogurt very common, sour compared to ours Lots of meat, potato, and rice dishes Two kinds of cheese: yellow and white cheese Ayran (cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt) and boza (grain-based drink) are traditional beverages Banitsa- popular bread and cheese dish Boza
- 13. Fun Facts The current prime minister, Boyko Borisov, currently plays for a club soccer team Bulgaria has an UNESCO World Heritage Site- Rila Monastery Bulgaria has Roman ruins! (See next slide) Quidditch player Viktor Krum from the Harry Potter books and movies was from Bulgaria Bulgaria was one of the two countries that did not turn over their Jews to the Nazis
- 14. Roman Amphitheater in Plovdiv, Bulgaria dating back to the 2nd century
- 15. Links http://www.novinite.com/ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17202996 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/bu.html http://www.eurodict.com/English_Bulgarian_Dictionary_seo_4 6.html http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/bg.htm http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/o utline-map/?map=Bulgaria&ar_a=1 http://bulgariatravel.org/ http://bulgaria.usembassy.gov/