Varna, often referred to as the marine (or summer) capital of Bulgaria, is a major tourist destination, business hub, university center and seaport.
Varna is famous for its seaside resorts, beaches, entertainment and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Baroque, turn-of-the-century and contemporary architecture are pleasantly blended with shady promenades and a seaside garden.
The climate is moderate with few rainy days and not much of snow.
In December 2007, Varna was voted "Best City in Bulgaria to Live In."
Varna's origins date back five millennia, but it wasn't until seafaring Greeks founded a colony in 585 BC that the town became a major seaport.
Varna continued to serve as a major port through the Byzantine Empire, Middle Ages, Ottoman Empire and Soviet Union.
Today, the city continues its role as the major shipping center and commercial hub on the Black Sea and the Balkans.
Varna's economy is service-based, with 61% of net revenue generated in trade and tourism, 16% in manufacturing, 14% in transportation and communications, and 6% in construction.
Financial services, particularly banking, insurance, investment management and real-estate finance are booming.
In September 2004, FDI Magazine (a Financial Times publication) proclaimed Varna Southeastern Europe City of the Future, citing its strategic location, fast-growing economy, rich cultural heritage and higher education.
Varna is an educational center with more than 2,500 professors and researchers, and over 30,000 students (almost 10% of the population).
The University of Economics, founded in 1920, is the major institution of higher learning.
Other institutions present in Varna include Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy, Technical University, Varna College, Medical University, Varna Free University, New Bulgarian University Local Center, and University of Shumen Teacher Information and Qualification Center.
Varna also hosts the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences research institutes for oceanology, fisheries, aero and hydrodynamics, and metallography.
Most Varnians are ethnic Bulgarians.
The two largest minorities are Russians and Turks.
Roma, Armenians, Greeks and Jews are also present although in smaller numbers.
A growing number of Asian and African immigrants are starting to settle in the city.
Did you know that Varna was Count Dracula's "transportation hub" — the point of origin of the ship Demeter and the initial destination of the Czarina Catherine — in Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, and the place where the vampire's annihilation was planned to be carried out.View map ...
Bulgaria occupies a unique and strategic location in the Balkans.
Located in South-Eastern Europe, Bulgaria is bordered by Romania, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia and the Black Sea.
Since ancient times, the country has served as a major crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa.
Five of the ten Trans-European corridors run through its territory.
Bulgaria is a country with a fascinating ancient and modern history.
Prehistoric cultures of the Neolithic Hamangia and Vinca were present since 6th millennia BC.
The Bulgarian national identity dates back to the First Bulgarian Empire (7th century AD) and expanded during the Second Bulgarian Empire (12th century), which at times covered most of the Balkans.
Bulgaria fell under the control of the Ottoman Empire until the early part of the 20th century.
After World War II, Bulgaria became a communist state and part of the Eastern Bloc.
In 1990, the Communist Party gave up its monopoly on power and Bulgaria undertook a transition to democracy and free-market capitalism.
A number of ancient civilizations, most notably the Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Slavs and Bulgars, have left their mark on the culture, history and heritage of Bulgaria.
In turn, the First and Second Bulgarian Empires functioned as the hub of Slavic Europe during much of the Middle Ages.
The Cyrillic alphabet, originated in Bulgaria during the 10th century AD, spread throughout Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, influencing written languages, art and cultures.
Today, Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, NATO and WTO.
The country functions as a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic with multi-party elections.
Bulgaria has an industrialized, open free-market economy, with a large, moderately advanced private sector and a number of strategic state-owned enterprises.
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of Southeastern Europe.
The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains, which run through the center of Bulgaria into Eastern Serbia.
The Balkans has a combined area of 550,000 km2 and a population of about 55 million people.
Countries making up the Balkans include Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
Moldova, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey are often included with the Balkan countries due to their cultural, political and economic.
The identity of the Balkans is dominated by its geographical position.
Historically the region has been a juncture between the Latin and Greek bodies of the Roman Empire, the destination of a massive influx of pagan Slavs, an area where Orthodox and Catholic Christianity met, as well as the meeting point between Islam and Christianity.
Many other ethnic groups lived in the area, among them Thracians, Illyrians, Pechenegs, Cumans, Avars, Celts and various Germanic tribes-folk.
The Balkans today is a very diverse ethno-linguistic region, being home to multiple Slavic, Romance, and Turkic languages, as well as Greek, Albanian and others.
The term Balkans gradually gained political connotations.
During the Soviet Era, most of the Balkan countries fell under the control of Russia.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, some of the countries experienced a period of uncertainty and conflict.
Because of these negative connotations, some have suggested the use of a new term for the region - Southeastern Europe.
