
Bulgaria Geography
Bulgaria Geography: A summary of information about Bulgaria Geography, from government research data as well as independent research and other sources.
Bulgaria: Geography
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates
43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references
Europe
Area
total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries
total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
Coastline
354 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use
arable land: 43% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 14% forests and woodland: 38% other: 3% (1999 est.)
Irrigated land
12,370 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
earthquakes, landslides
Environment - current issues
air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia