Nature

The territory of Bulgaria distinguishes with varied relief, which combines lowlands, plains, hilly areas and plateau lands, river valleys, basins and mountains various in height. About 70% of the country territory is occupied by hilly lands, and 30% – by mountains. The average altitude of the country’s territory is 467 m, which generally decreases from south to the north and from west to the east.

In the central part of the country lies the Balkan Mountain, where the highest peak is Botev (2,376 m). From south to north its western part is crossed by the Iskar river, which forms a picturesque gorge, more than 70 km long. To the north of the Balkan Mountain lies the Fore-Balkan. Karst forms of relief are wide spread on its territory. The highest peak is Vasilyov (1,490 m).

To the south of the Balkan Mountain are the Western Balkan valleys and the Srednogorie. The largest one of the Behind-Balkan valleys is the Sofia valley, in which the Bulgarian capital – Sofia – is located. The mountains in the Srednogorie are Zavalsko-Planska mountain range, Ihtimansko Srednogorie, Sashtinska Sredna Gora, Sarnena Gora.

Between the Fore-Balkan and the Danube river lies the Danube valley, with an area of about 31 thousand square meters. In its eastern part there are series of plateaus – Dobrudzha plateau, Plovadia plateau, Lilyak plateau, Shumen plateau, etc. To the north lie the by-Danube lowlands, which cover the terraces of the Danube river.

To the south of the capital Sofia raises the mountain Vitosha with the highest peak – Cherni Vrah (2,290 m). Its end falls within the middle part of Western Bulgaria. Low and medium-high mountains alternate there, such as Ruy, Milevska, Zemenska, Konyavska, Verila, etc. To the west of the valley of Struma river and to the south of Kraishteto is the Osogovo-Belasishka mountain range, which includes the mountains Osogovska (mount Ruen, 2,251 m), Vlahinska, Maleshevska, Ograzhden and Belasitsa (mount Radomir 2,029 m).

The highest Bulgarian mountains Rila and Pirin are situated to the east of the valley of Struma river. The average altitude of the mountains is 1,258 m, and 60% of their area is with altitude of over 1,000 m. In Rila there are 31 peaks with altitude of over 2,600 m. The highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula – peak Musala (2,925 m) - is situated there.

Two peaks of over 2,600 altitude rise in Pirin. Mount Vihren is located there (2,914 m) – the second highest peak in Bulgaria and the third on the Balkan Peninsula. Beautiful alpine lakes have formed in the circuses after the melting of the glaciers.

The Rhodope mountain is located to the east of the valley of Mesta river and Rila. 11 peaks with altitude of over 2,000 m are located there. The highest peak in the Rhodope mountain is Golyam Perelik (2,191 m). The multiple natural landmarks – caves, waterfalls, alpine lakes attract a lot of tourists every year.

Between the Srednogorie, Rila, Rhodope and the Black Sea are the Gornotrakiyska Lowland, the Haskovo hilly land, the middle Tundzha river valley, the Burgas Lowlands and the mountains Strandzha and Sakar. The eastern parts of the country are occupied by the Black Sea coast, where the vast beach stripes, attracting Bulgarian and foreign tourists are located.

Bulgaria has various minerals. According to the National Balance of the reserves and resources of the deposits of mineral resources of Republic of Bulgaria, deposits of 163 types of minerals have been established in the country, of which 7 types of fuel and energy resources, 14 types of ore, 75 types of non-metal minerals and 67 types of rock coating and construction materials.

Bulgaria is located in the temperate continental latitude and its climate is favorable for development of various types of tourism. The average annual continuation of sun shining for the territory of Bulgaria amounts to about 2,500 hours. Influence upon the forming of the climate on the territory of the country is exercised by the active atmosphere centers – the Icelandic minimum, the Azores maximum and the Eastern European maximum. Arctic and tropical air currents pass through the country in significantly rare cases. The average annual temperature in the country is between 10° and 14°С, as the predominating values are between 11° and 12°С. It shows clearly defined dependence on altitude. In the mountains, by rising of the altitude, the thermal conditions are influenced by the conditions of free atmosphere and over 2,300 meters above the sea level the average annual temperature is negative (mount Musala – 2.9°С). In the lowland and hilly lands of Northern Bulgaria the lowest average monthly temperature manifests in January (-1.4° and -2.0° С), and in Southern Bulgaria (outside the range of the plain fields) the average January temperature is between 0° and 1-2°С. In the mountain regions (1,000 – 1,200 m) and the plain fields the average January temperatures are –2° and –4°С. In the zones with upper altitudes the average monthly minimum is shifted to February, and the average monthly February temperatures are between -8° and -10°С. On the month Musala the temperature is -11.6°С. Along the Black Sea coast the average monthly temperatures in January and February are positive. Along the north coastline they are 0.8° – 2°С, and along the south coastline they are 2.4 – 3.2°С. The highest average monthly temperatures are typical for the months of July and August. They are within the range of 21 – 24°С. The regions outside the mountains to the north of the Balkan Mountain are with annual July temperatures of about 22°С, and the lowland and the hilly areas to the south of it are characterized by temperatures of 23° – 24°С. In the mountain regions (1,000 – 2,000 m) it is 12° – 16°С, and in the region with altitude of over 2,300 meters above the sea level - 5 – 8°С. The rainfalls are irregularly distributed on the territory of the country. The average annual rainfalls deviate in wide ranges - from 500-550 mm (the Danube valley and the Gornotrakiyska Lowland 1,000-1,400 mm in the alpine regions. A snow cover annually forms in Bulgaria. It is unstable and shows significant deviations in horizontal and vertical direction. In the lower parts of the country the snow cover retains within the period December-March, and along the Black Sea coast and the lands to the south of the Balkan Mountain it is manifested in the period January-February. Isolated snow falls can also be present in other periods of the year (November, April, etc.). In these regions almost no permanent snow cover is formed. Due to the frequent transitions of the air temperature over 0° С, it melts a number of times. Continuous and thick snow cover is formed in the mountainous and alpine regions. In the regions with altitude of 1,000-1,500 meters it lasts for 4-5 months, and over 2,000 meters - from 7 to 9 months.

The country’s territory divides into five climatic zones – temperate-continental, continental-Mediterranean, transitional, Black Sea zone and mountain zone. The favorable preconditions for winter sport tourism in our mountains are the thicker snow cover and the lower temperatures, which maintain it for a longer period. The development of recreation activity along the Black Sea coast is favored by the low number of rainy days during the active tourist season, the sun intensity, the moderate air temperature, the relatively high temperature of the sea water and the lack of stormy winds. Curative influence upon the human organism is applied by the mountain air and the sea air saturated with iodine vapors.

Our country is rich in mineral waters. Depending on the thermal level, the mineral springs are divided into cool water springs (hypothermal with temperature of up to 20°С); warm water springs (up to 20-37°С); hot water springs (hyperthermal with temperature of over 37°С). The cool water springs are spread all over the territory of the country - Narechen (Asenovgrad region), Shipkovo (Troyan region), Ovcha Kupel (Sofia), Smochan (Lovech region), Voneshta Voda (Gabrovo region), Merichleri (Simeonovgrad region), etc. The thermal waters are the larger parts of the mineral waters in Bulgaria. The spring with the highest temperature is the mineral spring in Sapareva Banya, and this is the only geyser fountain in Bulgaria and continental Europe (103ºС). The most famous thermal springs in the Balkan Mountain are in Varshets, Barziya, Montana, Lakatnik, Opletnya; in the Sofia field – Bankya, Gorna Banya, Knyazhevo, Ovcha Kupel, Sofia, Pancharevo, etc., in the Srednogorie - Strelcha (40°С), Hisarya (49.5°С), Bankya (51.1°С), Pavel Banya (54.6°С), Starozagorski Bani (45.8°С); along the valley of Struma river – Blagoevgrad, Simitli, Sandanski, Levunovo and Marikostinovo; along the valley of Mesta river - Banya (56°С), Dobrinishte (43°С) and the village of Eleshnitsa (56°С). In Bulgaria the most wide spread waters are the nitrogen thermal waters – the springs at Sapareva Banya, Simitli, Narechen, Momin Prohod, etc. Carbon acid waters are those in the springs in Mihaylovo, Slivenski Mineralni Bani, Stefan Karadzhovo; hydrogen sulfide is contained in the thermal waters in the Sofia valley. Half of the thermal waters are with increased radioactivity, surpassing 15 emans/l – the Klisura spring (200 emans/l), the Strelcha spring (250 emans/l), etc. Particularly high radioactivity has been registered in the springs of Momina Banya (560 emans/l), one of the springs in Narechenski Bani (1,300 emans/l).

The small territorial range of Bulgaria and its close proximity to the Danube river and the Black Sea, together with the location of the Balkan Mountain and its proximity to the Aegean Sea are preconditions for the forming of short river arteries and small river systems. Iskar river is the longest river in Bulgaria (368 km), which pours into the Danube river and springs from the Rila mountain. Other big rivers, pouring into the Danube river, are Lom, Ogosta, Vit, Osam, Yantra. The rivers directly pouring into the Black Sea collect their waters from the easternmost parts of the Danube valley, the Fore-Balkan, the Balkan Mountain and Strandzha. These are Batovska river, Devnya, Provadiyska river, Kamchia, Dvoynitsa, Fakiyska, Izvorska, Ropotamo, Dyavolska, Karaagach, Veleka and Rezovska river. The biggest Bulgarian river in the range of the Aegean draining basin is the river Maritsa (321 km long with area of 21,084 square km). Other big rivers are Arda, Tundzha, Mesta, Struma.

The natural lakes (coastal, glacial, karts, landslide, by-river and tectonic lakes) in Bulgaria are concentrated along the Black Sea coast and the Danube river, and in the alpine parts of Rila and Pirin. In terms of location and hydrographic specifics, the coastal lakes are divided into three groups: Dobrudzha lakes (Durankulak lake, Ezerets lake, Shabla lake, Shabla Tuzla, Nanevo Tuzla and Balchik Tuzla); Varna lakes (Varna and Beloslav lakes); and Burgas lakes (Burgas lake, Atanasovsko lake, Mandrensko lake and Pomorie lake, Alepu, Arkutino and Stomoplo). The glacial lakes have formed as a result of the activity of glaciers during the Quaternary period in Rila and Pirin. The number of those lakes is about 260. They occupy the bottoms of the circuses, the circus terraces and the trog valleys, and they are located on altitude of 2,000-2,600 meters. The highest located one is the Gorno Polezhansko lake in Pirin (2,710 meters above the sea level), and the lowest located one is the Lokvata lake (1,858 meters above the sea level). The longest one the Gorno Ribno lake in Rila (801 m). More than half of the lakes have areas of less than 10 dca (the largest one is Smradlivo lake - 212 dca in Rila; and the largest one in Pirin is Popovsko lake - 112 dca). Predominating are the lakes with maximum depth of 2-5 m (the deepest one is the lake Okoto in Rila - 37 m). The most famous lakes in Rila are the Seven Rila Lakes, the Marichini lakes, the Urdini lakes, the Ribni lakes, etc.; and the most famous ones in Pirin are the Vasilashki lakes, the Popovi lakes, the Vlahinski lakes, the Banderishki lakes, etc. The most important tectonic lakes are the Skalensko lake (Stidovski section of the Eastern Balkan Mountain), the Kupensko lake (the middle part of the Balkan Mountain), Panichishte (the Northern part of Rila) and the Rabishko lake, which is turned into a dam. The only more important lake among the coastal lakes and swamps is Srebarna (UNESCO). Typical landslide lakes are located along the Black Sea coast (north of the city of Varna, around the Aladzha monastery). The Smolyan lakes are located in a vast landslip area north of the town of Smolyan. They consist of three larger and a few smaller lakes.

Mud healing deposits are located near the Shabla Tuzla, the Tuzlata, the Varna lake, Pomorie, Atanasovsko lake, and the Mandra dam. There are turf deposits near the Batak dam (in the Rhodope), the village of Baykalovo (Konyavska mountain), town of Straldzha (the middle section of the Tundzha river valley), the Varna lake, the village of Sadovo (the Gornotrakiyska lowland). There are spring deposits of curative mud in the village of Marikostinovo (Sandanski-Petrich valley) and the town of Banya (Karlovo valley), and artificial peloids at Ovcha Kupel (city of Sofia), the town of Velingrad, the town of Asenovgrad, Slivenski Bani, Starozagorski Bani, Haskovski Bani, the town of Sapareva Banya, the town of Blagoevgrad, the town of Hisarya, town of Pavel Banya, town of Pomorie, town of Primorsko, resort complex Albena, resort complex Sunny Beach, town of Burgas, etc.

The favorable climate and the beautiful nature are preconditions for the development of 142 resorts, of which 26 marine resorts, 56 mountain climatic resorts, 58 balneological resorts, as well as multiple balneological and SPA centers.

The soil diversity of the country is great. On its territory there are black soils, gray forest soils, maroon forest soils, vertisols, yellow soils, brown forest soils, mountain meadow soils, alluvial meadow soils, swamp soils, salty soils and humus carbonate soils. The territory of Bulgaria is divided into three soils geographic regions – North Bulgaria, South Bulgaria and Mountain zone.

In terms of biodiversity, Bulgaria is on the second place in Europe. Its plants are more than 12,360 species, as 3,700 of them are higher species. 763 species are included in the Red Book of Bulgaria. About 750 plants have been registered as medicinal, as 70% of them are economically valuable species, and the country exports about 15 thousand tones of herbs per year. The forest fund amounts to about 4.0 million hectares. This is 36.85% of the territory of the country. From the leaf-fall broad-leaved forests the most wide spread are the oak and beech forests. The oak forests are spread in the territories with altitude of up to 1,000 meters, and the beech forests are mainly in the middle-mountain area of the country. Dense forests have developed at the lower currents of the rivers Batova, Kamchiya, Ropotamo and Veleka. The natural coniferous forests are spread in the territories of up to 2,200 meters above the sea level. They are the most largely spread in the Rhodope mountain. They mainly consist of spruce, fir and white pine. Black fir grows in the mountains Slavyanka and Pirin, and white fir grows in the Middle Balkan Mountain, the West Rhodope, the Middle Pirin, Rila and Vitosha.

27 thousand species representatives of the invertebrate fauna live in Bulgaria, and the vertebrates are represented by more than 750 species, 397 of which are birds, 207 freshwater and Black Sea fish species, 94 mammal species, 52 species of amphibians and reptiles. Seven zoo geographic regions are differentiated in the country. Four of them are included in the Mediterranean sub-area. The country is a home to European, Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean species, as in the regions of Mediterranean Sea climatic influence many relic species can be seen. The cave fauna in Bulgaria consists of more than 100 species. The Black Sea with its fish contents is a subject to sport and industrial fishing.

Three national parks are established in the country – Pirin (UNESCO), Rila, Central Balkan, and 11 natural parks – Belasitsa, Balgarka, Vratsa Balkan, Golden Sands, Persina, Rila Monastery, Rusenski Lom, Sinite Kamani, Strandzha and the Shumen Plateau.