Geography of Bulgaria

8/3/2019 Geography of Bulgaria

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Bulgaria is a country situated in south-eastern Europe,bordering Romania, Serbia, the Republic

of Macedonia, Greece, Turkey andthe Black Sea. The land area of Bulgariais 110,910 square kilometers.


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Bulgaria has a total border of about2,264 km. Rivers account for about680 km and the Black Sea coast for

400 km; the southern and western bordersare mainly defined by ridges in highterrain. The western and northernboundaries are shared with Serbia and

Romania, respectively, and the Black Seacoastline constitutes the entire easternborder.


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The Romanian border follows the Danubefor 464 km from the northwestern corner ofthe country to the city of Silistra and then

cuts to the east-southeast for 136 km.


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Bulgaria is a republic


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Climate

Considering its small area, Bulgaria hasan unusually variable and complexclimate. The country lies between the

stronglycontrasting continental and Mediterranean climatic zones.


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Bulgarian mountains and valleys act asbarriers or channels for air masses,causing sharp contrasts in weather over

relatively short distances.


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Relief

The relief of Bulgaria is varied. In therelatively small territory of the countrythere are extensive lowlands, plains, hills,

low and high mountains, many valleys anddeep gorges. The main characteristic ofBulgaria's topography is alternating bands

of high and low terrain that extend east towest across the country.


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From north to south, those bands(called geomorphological regions) arethe Danubian Plain, Stara Planina, the

Transitional region and the Rilo-Rhodope Massif.


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The easternmost sections near the BlackSea are hilly, but they gradually gainheight to the west until the westernmost

part of the country is entirely high ground.


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More than two-thirds of the country isplains, plateaus, or hilly land at an altitudeless than 600 m. Plains make up 31 % of

the land, plateaus and hills 41 %, lowmountains 10 %, medium-sized mountains10 %, and high mountains 3 %. The

average altitude in Bulgaria is 470 m.


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Danubian plain

The Danubian Plain extends from thewestern borders to the Black Sea. Itencompasses the area between

the Danube River, which forms most of thecountry's northern border, and StaraPlanina to the south. It covers the Moesian

plate.


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As a result of the rock weatheringprocesses the relief is uneaven with flatrising grounds along the valleys and

plateaus to the east. The plateau slopesgently from cliffs along the river, then itabuts into the low northern mountains of

the Balkan range.


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The highest point is Tarnov Dyal (502 m)in the Shumen Plateau. The valleysof Vit and Yantra divide the Danubian plain

into three parts - western, central andeastern.


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Rilo-Rhodope massif

Relatively high mountains occupy the areabetween the Thracian Plain and SofiaBasin and the Greek border to the south.

The western parts consist of three ranges:the Vitosha Mountain south of Sofia,the Rila Mountains further south, and

the Pirin Mountains in the southwesterncorner of the country.


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They are the most outstandingtopographic feature of Bulgaria and of theentire Balkan Peninsula. The Rila range

includes Mount Musala, whose 2,925-metre peak is the highest in any Balkancountry. About a dozen other peaks in Rila

are over 2,600 meters.


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The highest peaks are characterized bysparse bare rocks and remote lakes above

the tree line. The lower peaks, however,are covered with alpine meadows that givethe range an overall impression of green

beauty. The Pirin range is characterized byrocky peaks and stony slopes. Its highestpeak is Mount Vihren, at 2,915 meters thesecond-highest peak in Bulgaria. Furthereast are the extensive Rhodope Mountains.


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Stara Planina

The southern edge of the Danubian Plainblends into the foothills of Stara Planina,sometimes thought of as the Bulgarian

part of the Carpathian Mountains.


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The Carpathians resemble a reversed Sas they run eastward from the CzechRepublic and Slovakia across the northern

portion of Romania, swinging southward tothe middle of Romania and then runningwestward, where they are known as the

Transylvanian Alps


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The mountains turn eastward again atthe Iron Gate, a gorge of the Danube Riverat the Romanian-Serbian border. At that

point, they become Stara Planina ofBulgaria.


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Stara Planina originates at the TimokValley in Serbia and run southwardtowards the Sofia Basin in west central

Bulgaria. From there they run east to theBlack Sea. The Balkans are about 600 kmlong and 30 to 50 km wide.


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They retain their height well into centralBulgaria, where Botev Peak, the highestpoint in the Balkan Mountains, rises to

about 2,376 m. The range then continuesat lower altitude to the cliffs of the BlackSea.


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Where we live


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Pirdop City

Pirdop Valley is situated almost in thegeographic centre of Bulgaria.


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Many legends seek for an explanation ofthe name origin ("The Town of theStorks"), but none has a persuasive

truthful roots so far.

Documents

Geography of Bulgaria