Bulgaria Natural Environment

Bulgaria is situated in southeast Europe with the Black Sea to the east, and shares borders with Romania to the north, Turkey and Greece to the south and Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia to the west.  The total area is 111,000 sq km approximately.

The terrain includes mountainous areas inland, fertile valleys and plains, and a long coastline along the Black Sea.  Mountains occupy half of the country’s land area, with the Balkan Mountains running across the interior from the west to the east, and end at Black Sea.   On the other hand, Southern Thrace is covered by a low-lying plain.  Along the 370 km Black Sea coast are long stretches of beaches suitable for sea sports.  The land is heavily cultivated, covered with forests and crossed by rivers.

The country has a continental climate which varies according to altitude, but the south is influenced by the Mediterranean.  Summers are warmest but generally mild, even on the plains in the south.  Winters are cold, often with snowfalls in the mountain ski resorts.  It rains frequently during spring and autumn.

As an indication, in the capital Sofia, the temperature range in July is from 15 to 27 degrees Celsius.  In February, it is from about -5 to 5 degrees.