The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in central Europe with a total area of 110,910 km2. The climate is temperate with cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers. The terrain is mostly mountains with lowlands in north and south. Natural resources are bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber and arable land. The religion is religious background of population is 85% Bulgarian Orthodox, 13% Muslim, 0.8% Jewish, 0.7% Roman Catholic, 0.5% Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other. The language is Bulgarian; secondary languages spoken closely correspond to the ethnic breakdown.
The original occupants of the land were Moesian Slavs, however, they were conquered by Bulgarians from the banks of the Volga and in the 7th century a kingdom of Bulgaria was established. In the 14th century the country was conquered by the Turks and became a part of the Ottoman empire, and in 1878 Bulgaria became a principality tributary to Turkey constituted by the first article of the Treaty of Berlin.
In 1885 a national rising took place in Eastern Rumelia, the Turkish governor was expelled, and union with Bulgaria proclaimed. In consequence Serbia demanded an addition to her own territory, and began a war against Bulgaria in november 1885, in which she was severely defeated. By the treaty which followed, the Prince of Bulgaria was appointed governor-general of Eastern Rumelia for a term of five years, to be renominated at the end of that time by sanction of the great powers. These events greatly irritated Russia, whose agents managed to seduce certain regiments of Bulgarians; and in August, 1886, the prince was seized and carried off, while a proclamation was issued to the effect that he had abdicated. When he was set free on Austrian territory he discovered that the people were still with him, and determined to return. Seeing, however, that his presence would cause an immediate interference on the part of Russia he formally abdicated and left the country on the 7th of September 1886. In 1887 Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg accepted an invitation to occupy the throne; but his position was insecure until the six great powers had sanctioned the step taken by him.
In 1908, Bulgaria became an independent kingdom and in 1946, following the Second World War the monarchy was abolished and a Soviet style constitution adopted. In 1990 the communist rule collapsed and Bulgaria became a republic. Research Bulgaria
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Research Bulgaria
