Bulgaria (in Bulgarian: България), officially Republic of Bulgaria (in Bulgarian: Република България, Republika Bǎlgariya), 2 is a sovereign country member of the European Union located southeast of the European continent. It borders Romania to the north (largely separated by the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea is located in the east of the country.

With a territory of 110,912 km², Bulgaria is ranked 15th in Europe for its surface.3 Several mountainous areas define the landscape, highlighting the Stara Planina (the Balkans) and the Ródope mountains, as well as the Rila mountains, which include the highest peak in the Balkan region, the Musala. In contrast, the Danube plain in the north and the Thracian high plain in the south are the lowest and most fertile regions of Bulgaria. The 378 km of coasts in the Black Sea constitute the entire eastern limit of the country. The capital and largest city is Sofia, with a permanent population of 1,270,284 inhabitants.