BULGARIA
HISTORY |
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The Bulgars, ancient people from the Volga region in today's Ukraine and
Russia, merged with the local Slavic and Thracian inhabitants south of the
Danube river in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In
the successive centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to
assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the
country was overrun by the Ottoman Empire. |
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Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 as an autonomous principality and
was proclaimed a fully independent kingdom in 1908. During 1912 and 1913 it
became involved in the Balkan Wars, a series of conflicts with its
neighbours, during which Bulgarian territory varied in size. During World
War I and later World War II, Bulgaria found itself fighting on the losing
side.
Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence after World War II and
became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when
Bulgaria again held multiparty elections.
Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and is hoping to join the European Union in
2007. |
