This mostly mountainous nation, slightly larger than Tennessee, occupies 42,823 square miles (110,912 sq km) and is home to an estimated 7.6 million people. The capital city is Sofia. About 85% of the people are ethnic Bulgarians, and nearly 10% are Turkish.
The Balkan Mountains cross the northwestern corner of Bulgaria to the Black Sea, sloping gradually to a plateau that ends at the Danube, the country's chief river. The southern side of the mountain range is bounded by narrow plains, such as the Thracian Plain, an important agricultural region. Forests cover about a third of Bulgaria, and the country has a wealth of minerals, mainly iron ore and coal. Bulgaria has mild summers and cold, snowy winters.
In addition to agriculture (primary products: vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets), Bulgaria has major industries for the production of electricity, gas and water, food and beverages, machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, refined petroleum, and nuclear fuel. A major emphasis on the development of heavy industry occurred in the country after World War II. Chief exports include clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, and fuels. Varna, the country's largest city, is Bulgaria's principal port on the Black Sea.