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- published: 16 Jan 2013
- views: 56
- author: Strahila Royachka
Travel along the centuries
Past the rotten empires
Where men have fought and died
Many tried to conquer,
Every try has failed
No one can bury pride
Arrows, stones and bullets
Many bitter blows
It couldn't pierce the soul
Mountains fill the landscape
Eastwards to the sea
Look the young girls dancing
Hear all the rhythm
You'll find your heart
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
She's the latest dancer
Here are the rivers
You'll find your heart
Have you seen the young girls dancing?
Have you heard the rhythm?
And have you found you heart?
Have you seen the mountain?
Can you hear me sing?
When you're in a dream
The time passes so slowly
When you're in a dream
The time passes so slowly
Open up your heart
Go sleep on the moment you were born
Open up your heart
Go sleep on the moment love was born
Love for you and me
Let be all the love within you tonight
Love for you and me
Set free all the love within you tonight
Open up your mind
Go sleep on the moment you were born
And open up your mind
Coordinates: 42°45′N 25°30′E / 42.75°N 25.5°E / 42.75; 25.5
Republic of Bulgaria
Република България
Republika Balgariya |
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Motto: Съединението прави силата Unity makes strength |
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Anthem:
Mila Rodino "Dear Motherland" |
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Location of Bulgaria (red)
– in Europe (yellow & grey) |
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Capital (and largest city) |
Sofia (София) 42°41′N 23°19′E / 42.683°N 23.317°E / 42.683; 23.317 |
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Official language(s) | Bulgarian | |||||
Ethnic groups (2011) | 84.8% Bulgarians 8.8% Turks 4.9% Roma 1.5% others |
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Demonym | Bulgarian | |||||
Government | Parliamentary democracy | |||||
- | President | Rosen Plevneliev | ||||
- | Prime Minister | Boyko Borisov | ||||
Legislature | National Assembly | |||||
Formation | ||||||
- | First Bulgarian Empire | 681 | ||||
- | Principality of Bulgaria | 3 March 1878 | ||||
- | Kingdom of Bulgaria | 22 September 1908 | ||||
Area | ||||||
- | Total | 110,994 km2 (105th) 42,823 sq mi |
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- | Water (%) | 0.3 | ||||
Population | ||||||
- | 2011 census | 7,364,570 [1] (98th) | ||||
- | Density | 66.2/km2 (139th) 171/sq mi |
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GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate | |||||
- | Total | $101.036 billion[2] (66th) | ||||
- | Per capita | $13,597[2] (68th) | ||||
GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate | |||||
- | Total | $53.514 billion[2] (72th) | ||||
- | Per capita | $7,202[2] (74th) | ||||
Gini (2007) | 28.2[3] (low) | |||||
HDI (2011) | 0.771[4] (high) (55th) | |||||
Currency | Lev (BGN ) |
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Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |||||
- | Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||||
Drives on the | right | |||||
ISO 3166 code | BG | |||||
Internet TLD | .bg | |||||
Calling code | 359 |
Bulgaria i/bʌlˈɡɛəriə/ (Bulgarian: България, IPA: [bɤ̞ɫˈɡarijɐ]), is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and the Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 14th-largest country. Its location has made it a historical crossroad for various civilisations and as such it is the home of some of the earliest metalworking, religious and other cultural artifacts in the world.
Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history was marked by the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian ethnicity and state dates back to the First Bulgarian Empire, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five hundred years. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 resulted in the Third Bulgarian State, recognised in 1908. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a Communist republic with a single-party system until 1989, when the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections. After 1990 Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and a market-based economy.
The population of 7.36 million people is predominantly urban and mainly concentrated in the administrative centres of its 28 provinces. Most commercial and cultural activities are concentrated in the capital Sofia. The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy industry, power engineering and agriculture, all relying on local natural resources. The massive industrial expansion during the postwar economic boom established Bulgaria as the leading electricity and raw material exporter in Southeast Europe through its energy and mining industries.
The current political structure dates to the adoption of a democratic constitution in 1991. A free country,[5] Bulgaria is a unitary parliamentary republic with a high degree of political, administrative and economic centralisation. It is a member of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe, a founding state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and has taken a seat at the UN Security Council three times.
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Prehistoric cultures in Bulgarian lands include the Neolithic Hamangia culture,[6] Vinča culture[7] and the eneolithic Varna culture (fifth millennium BC). The Varna Necropolis offers insights for understanding the social hierarchy of the earliest European societies.[8]
The earliest and one of the three primary ancestral groups of modern Bulgarians[9] were the Thracians, who populated various tribes until king Teres united most of them in the Odrysian kingdom around 500 BC.[10][11] They were eventually subjugated by Alexander the Great in the 4th century and later by the Roman Empire in 46 AD. After the Fall of the Roman Empire, the easternmost South Slavs gradually settled on the territory of modern Bulgaria during the 6th century, assimilating the Hellenised or Romanised Thracians. Eventually the élite of the Central Asian Bulgars incorporated them into a new state which formed upon khan Asparukh's arrival in the Balkans.[12]
Asparukh, son of Old Great Bulgaria's khan Kubrat, migrated with several Bulgar tribes to the lower courses of the rivers Danube, Dniester and Dniepr. After 670, he expanded his kingdom into the Balkan Peninsula by leading a horde of 50,000 across the Danube[13] and severed Moesia and Scythia Minor (Dobruja) from the Byzantine Empire.[14] The local south Slavic language was gradually adopted by the advancing Bulgars, who preserved dominance over the Slavic majority. A peace treaty with Byzantium in 681 and the establishment of a permanent capital at Pliska south of the Danube marked the beginning of the First Bulgarian Empire.[15]
Succeeding khans strengthened the Bulgarian state throughout the 8th and 9th centuries—Tervel established Bulgaria as a major military power by defeating a 26,000-strong Arab army during the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople.[16] Krum doubled the country's territory, killed Byzantine emperor Nicephorus I in the Battle of Pliska,[17] and introduced the first written code of law. Then in 864 Boris I abolished Tengriism in favour of Eastern Orthodox Christianity[18] and introduced the Cyrillic alphabet. Simeon the Great's 34-year rule began in 893 and saw the largest territorial expansion of Bulgaria, along with a golden age of Bulgarian culture.[19]
Wars with Croatians, Magyars, Pechenegs and Serbs and the spread of the Bogomil heresy weakened Bulgaria after Simeon's death.[18][20] Two consecutive Rus' and Byzantine invasions resulted in the seizure of the capital Preslav by the Byzantine army in 971.[21] Under Samuil, Bulgaria somewhat recovered from these attacks and managed to conquer Serbia and Albania,[22] but this rise ended when Byzantine emperor Basil II defeated the Bulgarian army at Klyuch in 1014. Samuil died shortly after the battle,[23] and by 1018 the Byzantines had ended the First Bulgarian Empire.[24]
After his conquest of Bulgaria, Basil II prevented revolts and discontent by retaining the rule of the local nobility and recognising the autocephaly of the Archbishopric of Ohrid.[25] After his death Byzantine domestic policies changed and a series of unsuccessful rebellions broke out, the largest being led by Peter Delyan. In 1185 Asen dynasty nobles Ivan Asen I and Peter IV organised a major uprising which resulted in the re-establishment of the Bulgarian state. Ivan Asen and Peter laid the foundations of the Second Bulgarian Empire with Tarnovo as a capital.[26]
Kaloyan, the third of the Asen monarchs, extended his dominion to Belgrade and Ohrid. He acknowledged the spiritual supremacy of the Pope and received a royal crown from a papal legate.[12] The empire reached its zenith under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241), when commerce and culture flourished.[12] The strong economic and religious influence of Tarnovo made it a "Third Rome", unlike the already declining Constantinople.[27]
The country's military and economic might declined after the Asen dynasty ended in 1257, facing internal conflicts, constant Byzantine and Hungarian attacks and Mongol domination.[12][28] By the end of the 14th century, factional divisions between the feudal landlords and the spread of Bogomilism had caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to split into three tsardoms—Vidin, Tarnovo and Karvuna—and several semi-independent principalities that fought each other, along with Byzantines, Hungarians, Serbs, Venetians and Genoese. By the late 14th century the Ottoman Turks had started their conquest of Bulgaria and had taken most towns and fortresses south of the Balkan mountains.[12]
Tarnovo was captured by the Ottomans after a three-month siege in 1393. After the Battle of Nicopolis and the fall of the Vidin Tsardom three years later, the Ottomans conquered all Bulgarian lands south of the Danube.[29] Under the Ottoman system, Bulgarians were considered an inferior class of people and were subjected to heavy taxes; Bulgarian culture was suppressed and the educated clergy fled to other countries.[30] The nobility was eliminated, the peasantry was enserfed to Ottoman masters,[29] and the population lost its national consciousness.[31]
Throughout the nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule, the Bulgarian people attempted to re-establish their state by organising several revolts, most notably the First (1598) and Second Tarnovo Uprisings (1686) and Karposh's Rebellion (1689).[29] In the 18th century, the Enlightenment in Western Europe provided influence for the initiation of a movement known as the National awakening of Bulgaria.[29] It restored national consciousness and became a key factor in the liberation struggle, resulting in the 1876 April Uprising. Up to 30,000 Bulgarians were killed as Ottoman authorities put down the rebellion. The massacres prompted the Great Powers to take action.[33] They convened the Constantinople Conference in 1876, but their decisions were rejected by the Ottomans. This allowed the Russian Empire to seek a solution by force without risking military confrontation with other Great Powers, as had happened in the Crimean War.[33] In 1877 Russia declared war on the Ottoman empire and defeated its forces with the help of Bulgarian volunteers. The Treaty of San Stefano was signed on 3 March 1878, setting up an autonomous Bulgarian principality on the territories of the Second Bulgarian Empire.[34][35]
The other Great Powers immediately rejected the treaty out of fear that such a large country in the Balkans might threaten their interests. The subsequent Treaty of Berlin provided for a much smaller autonomous state comprising Moesia and the region of Sofia, leaving large populations of Bulgarians outside the new country.[34][36] This played a significant role in forming Bulgaria's militaristic approach to foreign affairs during the first half of the 20th century.[37] The Bulgarian principality won a war against Serbia and incorporated the semi-autonomous Ottoman territory of Eastern Rumelia in 1885, proclaiming itself an independent state on 22 September 1908.[38]
In the years following independence, Bulgaria increasingly militarised and was often referred to as "the Balkan Prussia".[39][40] Between 1912 and 1918, Bulgaria became involved in three consecutive conflicts—two Balkan Wars and World War I. After a disastrous defeat in the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria again found itself fighting on the losing side as a result of its alliance with the Central Powers in World War I. Despite fielding more than a quarter of its population in a 1,200,000-strong army[41][42] and achieving several decisive victories at Doiran and Monastir, the country capitulated in 1918. The war resulted in significant territorial losses, a total of 412,000 casualties, and a wave of more than 253,000[43] refugees who put additional strain on the already ruined national economy.[44]
The political unrest resulting from these losses led to the establishment of a royal authoritarian dictatorship by tsar Boris III (1918–1943). Bulgaria entered World War II in 1941 as a member of the Axis but declined to participate in Operation Barbarossa and saved its Jewish population from deportation to concentration camps.[45] The sudden death of Boris III in the summer of 1943 pushed the country into political turmoil as the war turned against Germany and the Communist guerilla movement gained momentum.[46] Following strikes and unrest, in September 1944 the Communist-dominated Fatherland Front took power, ending the alliance with Germany and joining the Allied side until the war ended.[47]
The left-wing uprising of 9 September 1944 led to the abolition of monarchic rule, but it was not until 1946 when a single-party people's republic was established.[49] It became a part of the Soviet sphere of influence under the leadership of Georgi Dimitrov (1946–1949), who laid the foundations for a rapidly industrialising stalinist state. By the mid-1950s standards of living rose significantly, while political repressions were lessened.[50][51] The Soviet-style planned economy saw some market-oriented policies emerging on an experimental level under Todor Zhivkov (1954–1989).[52] His daughter Lyudmila bolstered national pride by promoting Bulgarian heritage, culture and arts worldwide.[53] In an attempt to erase the identity of the ethnic Turk minority, an assimilation campaign was launched in 1984. This resulted in the emigration of some 300,000 of them to Turkey.[54][55]
Under the influence of the collapsing Eastern Bloc, on 10 November 1989 the Communist Party gave up its political monopoly, Zhivkov resigned, and Bulgaria embarked on a transition to a parliamentary democracy.[56] The first free elections in June 1990 were won by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP, the freshly-renamed Communist Party).[57] A new constitution that provided for a relatively weak elected President and for a Prime Minister accountable to the legislature was adopted in July 1991. The new system initially failed to improve living standards or create economic growth—the average quality of life and economic performance remained lower than under Communism well into the early 2000s.[58] A 1997 reform package restored economic growth, but living standards continued to suffer.[59] After 2001 economic, political and geopolitical conditions improved greatly,[60] and Bulgaria achieved high Human Development status.[61] It became a member of NATO in 2004 and of the European Union in 2007.[62][63]
Bulgaria occupies a portion of the eastern Balkan peninsula, bordering five countries—Greece and Turkey to the south, Macedonia and Serbia to the west, and Romania to the north. The land borders have a total length of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi), and the coastline has a length of 354 kilometres (220 mi).[64] Its total area of 110,994 kilometres (68,968 mi) ranks it as the world's 105th-largest country.[65][66] Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are 43° N 25° E.[67]
The most notable topographical features are the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains.[64] The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while the Danube defines the border with Romania. The Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches the Black Sea coast.[64]
The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of the country. The mountainous southwest of the country has two alpine ranges—Rila and Pirin, which border the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east.[64] Bulgaria is home to the highest point of the Balkan peninsula, Musala, at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft)[68] and its lowest point is sea level. Plains occupy about one-third of the territory, while plateaus and hills occupy 41 per cent.[69] The country has a dense network of about 540 rivers, most of which are relatively small and with low water levels.[70] The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of 368 kilometres (229 mi). Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south.[64]
Bulgaria has a dynamic climate, which results from its being positioned at the meeting point of Mediterranean and continental air masses and the barrier effect of its mountains.[64] Northern Bulgaria averages 1 °C (34 °F) cooler and registers 200 millimetres (7.9 in) more annually than the regions south of the Balkan mountains. Temperature amplitudes vary significantly in different areas. The lowest recorded temperature is −38.3 °C (−36.9 °F), while the highest is 45.2 °C (113.4 °F).[71] Precipitation averages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per year, and varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) in Dobrudja to more than 2,500 millimetres (98.4 in) in the mountains. Continental air masses bring significant amounts of snowfall during winter.[72]
Bulgaria adopted the Kyoto Protocol[74] and achieved the protocol's objectives by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2009 by 30 per cent.[75] However, pollution from factories and metallurgy works and severe deforestation continue to cause major problems to the health and welfare of the population.[76] Urban areas are particularly affected by energy production from coal-based powerplants and automobile traffic,[77][78] while pesticide usage in the agriculture and antiquated industrial sewage systems produce extensive soil and water pollution with chemicals and detergents.[79] Bulgaria is the only EU member which does not recycle municipal waste,[80] although an electronic waste recycling plant opened in June 2010.[81] The situation has improved in recent years, and several government-funded programmes have been put into place in an attempt to reduce pollution levels.[79]
Bulgaria's biodiversity is conserved in three national parks, 11 nature parks[82] and 17 biosphere reserves.[83] Nearly 35 per cent of its land area consists of forests,[84] where some of the oldest trees in the world, such as Baikushev's Pine and the Granit oak,[85] grow. Its flora encompass more than 3,800 species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered.[86] The fauna is represented prominently by the brown bear and the jackal,[87] while the Eurasian lynx and the Eastern imperial eagle have small, but growing populations.[88]
Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy in which the most powerful executive position is that of prime minister.[60] The political system has three branches—legislative, executive and judicial, with universal suffrage for citizens at least 18 years old. Elections are supervised by an independent Central Election Commission that includes members from all major political parties. Parties must register with the commission prior to participating in a national election.[89] Normally, the prime minister-elect is the leader of the party receiving the most votes in parliamentary elections.[60]
Political parties gather in the National Assembly, which consists of 240 deputies elected to four-year terms by direct popular vote. The National Assembly has the power to enact laws, approve the budget, schedule presidential elections, select and dismiss the Prime Minister and other ministers, declare war, deploy troops abroad, and ratify international treaties and agreements. The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has the authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override the presidential veto by a simple majority vote of all members of parliament.[60] Boyko Borisov of the centre-right party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) became prime minister on 27 July 2009,[90] while GERB-backed Rosen Plevneliev was elected president in 2011, after receiving 52.5 per cent of the votes on the second round against 47.5 per cent for his Socialist Party opponent Ivaylo Kalfin.[91] As of 2012, GERB has 117 seats in the National Assembly and no permanent political allies, thus ruling as a minority government.[92]
Bulgaria has a typical civil law legal system.[94] The judiciary is overseen by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and Supreme Court of Cassation are the highest courts of appeal and oversee the application of laws in subordinate courts.[89] The Supreme Judicial Council manages the system and appoints judges. Bulgaria's judiciary, along with other institutions, remains one of Europe's most corrupt and inefficient.[95][96][97][98]
Law enforcement is carried out by organisations mainly subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior.[99] The National Police Service (NPS) combats general crime, maintains public order and supports the operations of other law enforcement agencies.[100] NPS fields 27,000 police officers in its local and national sections.[101] The Ministry of Interior also heads the Border Police Service and the National Gendarmerie—a specialised branch for anti-terrorist activity, crisis management and riot control. Counterintelligence and national security are the responsibility of the State Agency for National Security, established in 2008.[102]
Bulgaria is a unitary state.[103] Since the 1880s, the number of territorial management units has varied from seven to 26.[104] Between 1987 and 1999 the administrative structure consisted of nine provinces (oblasti, singular oblast). A new administrative structure was adopted in parallel with the decentralisation of the economic system.[105] It includes 27 provinces and a metropolitan capital province (Sofia-Grad). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The provinces subdivide into 264 municipalities.
Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected municipal councils. Bulgaria is a highly centralised state, where the national Council of Ministers directly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily dependent on it for funding.[89]
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Bulgaria became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since 1966 has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council three times, most recently from 2002 to 2003.[106] Bulgaria was also among the founding nations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 1975. It joined NATO on 29 March 2004, signed the European Union Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005,[62][107] and became a full member of the European Union on 1 January 2007.[63] Euro-Atlantic integration became a priority for the country since the fall of Communism, although the Communist leadership also had aspirations of leaving the Warsaw Pact and joining the European Communities by 1987.[108][109][110] Bulgaria's relationship with its neighbours since 1990 has generally been good. The country also plays an important role in promoting regional security.[111] Bulgaria has an active tripartite economic and diplomatic collaboration with Romania and Greece,[112] maintains strong relations with EU members, the United States and Russia, and continues to improve its traditionally good ties with China[113] and Vietnam.[114] The HIV trial in Libya, which followed after the imprisonment of several Bulgarian nurses in Benghazi in 1998, had a significant impact on relations between Bulgaria, the European Union, and Libya. It resulted in the release of the nurses by Muammar Gaddafi's government, which was granted a contract to receive a nuclear reactor and weapons supplies from France in exchange.[115]
Bulgaria hosted six KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and 200 support personnel for the war effort in Afghanistan in 2001, which was the first stationing of foreign forces on its territory since World War II.[116] International military relations were further expanded in April 2006, when Bulgaria and the United States signed a defence cooperation agreement providing for the usage of Bezmer and Graf Ignatievo air bases, the Novo Selo training range, and a logistics centre in Aytos as joint military training facilities.[117] The same year Foreign Policy magazine listed Bezmer Air Base as one of the six most important overseas facilities used by the USAF due to its proximity to the Middle East.[118] A total of 756 troops are deployed abroad as part of various UN and NATO missions. Historically, Bulgaria deployed significant numbers of military and civilian advisors in Soviet-allied countries, such as Nicaragua[119] and Libya (more than 9,000 personnel).[120]
Domestic defence is the responsibility of the all-volunteer military of Bulgaria, consisting of land forces, navy and air force. The land forces comprise of two mechanised brigades and eight independent regiments and battalions; the air force operates 106 aircraft and air defence systems in six air bases, and the navy operates a variety of ships, helicopters and coastal defence measures.[121]
Following a series of reductions beginning in 1990, the number of active troops contracted from 152,000 in 1988[122] to about 32,000 in the 2000s,[123] supplemented by a reserve force of 302,500 soldiers and officers and 34,000 paramilitary servicemen.[124] The inventory is mostly of Soviet origin, such as MiG-29 fighters, SA-10 Grumble SAMs and SS-21 Scarab short-range ballistic missiles. By 2020 the government will spend $1.4 billion for the deployment of new fighter jets, communications systems and cyber warfare capabilities.[125] Total military spending in 2009 cost $819 million.[126]
Bulgaria has an industrialised market economy[127] in the upper middle income range,[128] where the private sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of GDP.[129] From a largely agricultural country with a predominantly rural population in 1948, by the 1980s Bulgaria had transformed into an industrial economy with scientific and technological research as its top priorities.[130] The loss of COMECON markets in 1990 and the subsequent "shock therapy" of the planned system caused a sharp drop in industrial and agricultural production, ultimately followed by an economic collapse in 1997.[131][132] After 2000, Bulgaria experienced rapid economic growth,[131] even though its income level remained one of the lowest within the EU with a gross average monthly wage of 754 leva (386 euro) in March 2012.[133] Wages, however, account for only half of the total household income.[134] Bulgarian PPS GDP per capita stood at 44 per cent of the EU average in 2010 according to Eurostat data,[135] while the cost of living was 51 per cent of the average.[136] The currency is the lev, which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 levа for one euro.[137] Bulgaria is not part of the eurozone and the financial crisis has pushed the accession date beyond 2015 according to some economic analysts.[138]
Unemployment rate increased to 12.6 per cent in April 2012 and GDP growth contracted from 6.2 (2008) to −5.5 per cent (2009) amid the late-2000s financial crisis.[139][140] The crisis had a negative impact mostly on industry, causing a 10 per cent decline in the national industrial production index, a 31 per cent drop in mining, and a 60 per cent drop in "ferrous and metal production".[141] Positive growth was restored in 2010, reaching 0.2 per cent.[140] However, by the end of 2011, investments were diminishing and consumption was dropping steadily due to rising unemployment.[142]
Corruption remains a serious problem in the country as it is ranked 86th in the Corruption Perceptions Index and its rankings are gradually worsening.[143] At the same time Bulgaria ranks 28th in the Economic Freedom of the World index,[144] has the lowest personal and corporate income tax rates in the European Union,[145] and the second-lowest public debt of all member states at 16.3 per cent of GDP in 2011.[146] In 2011, GDP (PPP) was estimated at $101 billion, with a per capita value of $13,597.[2] Sofia and the surrounding Yugozapaden planning area are the most developed region of the country with a per capita PPS GDP of $24,647 in 2009.[147] The service sector accounts for 64.6 per cent of GDP, followed by industry with 30.1 per cent and agriculture with 5.3 per cent.[148] The labour force is about 2.5 million people.[149] Bulgaria is a net receiver of funds from the EU. The absolute amount of received funds was 589 million euro in 2009.[150]
Local iron, copper, coal and lead deposits are vital for the domestic manufacturing sector.[151] Major industries include extraction of metals and minerals, production of chemicals, machinery and vehicle components,[152] petroleum refinement[153] and steel.[154] The mining sector and its related industries employ a total of 120,000 people and generate about five per cent of the country's GDP.[155] The country is Europe's fourth-largest gold producer and sixth-largest coal producer.[155][156] Almost all top export items of Bulgaria are industrial commodities such as oil products ($2.24 billion), copper products ($1.59 billion), medicaments ($493 million) and military equipment ($358 million).[157][158]
In contrast with the industrial sector, agriculture has declined for the past decade. Production in 2008 amounted to only 66 per cent of that between 1999 and 2001,[158] while cereal and vegetable yields dropped by nearly 40 per cent after 1990.[159] Bulgaria, however, remains a net agricultural and food exporter, and two-thirds of its exports are to OECD countries.[160] The country is the largest global producer of perfumery essential oils such as lavender and rose oil.[116][161] A five-year modernisation and development programme was launched by the government in 2007, aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector with a total investment of 3.2 billion euro.[162]
In recent years Bulgaria has emerged as an attractive tourist destination with some of Europe's least expensive resorts and the last remaining beaches outside the reach of the tourist industry.[163][164] Lonely Planet ranked Bulgaria among its top 10 travel destinations for 2011.[165] More than 40 per cent of its 9,000,000 annual visitors were Greeks, Romanians and Germans.[166] Main destinations include the capital Sofia, the medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo,[167] coastal resorts Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets.
Bulgaria has one of Europe's lowest scientific research budgets at 0.25 per cent of GDP in 2010.[168][169] Chronic underinvestment in the sector since 1990 forced many scientific professionals to leave the country.[170] As a result, Bulgaria scores low in terms of innovation, competitiveness and high-value added exports.[171][172]
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) is the leading scientific institution and employs most Bulgarian researchers in its numerous branches. Principal areas of research and development are energy, nanotechnology, archaeology and medicine.[168] Bulgaria became the 6th country in the world to have an astronaut in space with Georgi Ivanov's flight on Soyuz 33 in 1979. It has deployed its own experiments on various missions, such as RADOM-7[173] dosimeters on the International Space Station and Chandrayaan-1, and space greenhouses (a Bulgarian development) on the Mir space station.[174][175] In 2011 the government announced plans to reboot the space programme by producing a new microsatellite and joining the European Space Agency.[176]
In the 1980s Bulgaria became known as the "Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc" due to its large-scale computing technology exports to COMECON states.[177] The country ranked third in the world in 2011 by total number of ICT specialists, outperforming countries with far larger populations,[178] and operates the only supercomputer in the Balkan region, an IBM Blue Gene/P at the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications.[179][180]
Although it has relatively few reserves of fossil fuels, Bulgaria's well-developed energy sector and strategic geographic location make it a key European energy hub.[181] Nearly 34 per cent of its electricity is produced by the nuclear power station at Kozloduy[182] and public opinion strongly supports nuclear energy development.[183] The rapid expansion of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power stations[184] make Bulgaria one of the fastest-growing wind energy producers in the world.[185] The country aims to produce 16 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.[186]
The national road network has a total length of 40,231 kilometres (24,998 mi),[187] of which 39,587 kilometres (24,598 mi) are paved, but nearly half fall into the lowest international rating for paved roads.[188] Railroads are a major mode of freight transportation, although highways carry a progressively larger share of freight. Bulgaria has 6,238 kilometres (3,876 mi) of railway track[188] and currently a total of 461 km of high-speed lines are under construction with expected completion in 2013.[189][190][191] Rail links are available with Romania, Greece and Serbia, and express trains serve direct routes to Kiev, Minsk, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.[192] Sofia and Plovdiv are the country's air travel hubs, while Varna and Burgas are the principal maritime trade ports.[188] Varna is also scheduled to be the first station on EU territory to receive natural gas through the South Stream pipeline.[193]
The telecommunications network is generally antiquated and requires substantial modernisation. Telephone service is available in most villages, and a central digital trunk line connects most regions.[188] Currently there are three active mobile phone operators—Mtel, GLOBUL and Vivacom.[194] The number of Internet users has increased rapidly since 2000—from 430,000 their number grew to 1.55 million in 2004, and 3.4 million (48 per cent penetration rate) in 2010.[195] Bulgaria has the fastest average Broadband Internet speed in the world after South Korea.[196]
According to the 2011 census, the population of Bulgaria was 7,364,570 people, down from a peak of nine million in 1989. Bulgaria has had negative population growth since the early 1990s,[197] when the collapse of the economy caused some 937,000 people—mostly young adults—to emigrate by 2005.[198] The population continues to decrease and the current growth rate is one of the lowest in the world.[199]
Bulgarians are the main ethnic group and comprise 84.8 per cent of the population. Turkish and Roma minorities comprise 8.8 and 4.9 per cent, respectively; some 40 smaller minorities comprise 0.7 per cent, and 0.8 per cent do not self-identify with an ethnic group.[200] Romani people are considered second-class citizens by some Bulgarians[201] and approximately 70,000 of them are engaged in criminal activities.[202] Trafficking among Romani people is also widespread due to their bride market traditions.[203] Roma integration programmes funded by the European Union have so far been unsuccessful.[204] All ethnic groups use Bulgarian, the only language with official status, and a native language for 85.2 per cent of the population.[205] The oldest Slavic written language, Bulgarian is distinguishable from the other languages in this group through certain grammatical peculiarities such as the lack of noun cases and infinitives, and a suffixed definite article.[206][207]
Bulgaria regards itself officially as a secular state. The Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but designates Orthodoxy as a "traditional" religion.[208] A majority of the population (76 per cent) self-identify as Orthodox Christian.[205] The Bulgarian Orthodox Church gained autocephalous status in 927 AD,[209][210] and currently has 12 dioceses and over 2,000 priests.[211] Other religious denominations include Islam (10 per cent), Roman Catholicism (0.8 per cent) and Protestantism (1.1 per cent); 0.2 per cent practice other beliefs and 11.8 per cent do not self-identify with a religion.[205]
Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98.6 per cent, with no significant difference between the sexes. Bulgaria has traditionally had high educational standards.[201] The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science funds all public educational establishments, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process.[212] The State provides free education in government schools, except for higher education.[201] The educational process spans through 12 grades, where grades one through eight are primary and nine through twelve are secondary level.[212] High schools can be technical, vocational, general or specialised in a certain discipline, while higher education consists of a 4-year bachelor degree and a 1-year Master's degree.[213]
Average life expectancy is 73.6 years, below the European Union average.[214] The primary causes of death are similar to those in other industrialised countries, mainly cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and respiratory diseases.[215] Bulgaria has a universal healthcare system financed by taxes and contributions.[215] The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) pays a gradually increasing portion of the costs of primary healthcare. Healthcare expenditures in the national budget increased to 4.3 per cent between 2002 and 2004, and the NHIF accounted for more than 60 per cent of annual expenditures.[216] The healthcare budget amounted to 4.2 per cent of GDP in 2010, or about 1.3 billion euro.[217] The number of doctors is above the EU average with 181 physicians per 100,000 people,[218] although there is a severe shortage of nurses and other medical personnel, and the quality of most medical facilities is poor.[219]
Most Bulgarians (72.5 per cent) reside in urban areas.[1] Bulgaria has the highest home ownership rate in the world; about 97 per cent of the population live in privately owned and owner-occupied homes.[220] There is also a very high rate of household appliance ownership, such as television sets (97.9 per cent of all households), refrigerators (93.3) and telephones (90.6), and relatively high rates for computers (42.9) and automobiles (41.9 per cent). The average rates in all categories are substantially higher in Sofia, the 12th-largest city in the European Union with a population of more than 1,200,000 people.[221][222]
Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Celtic influences.[223][224][225] Traces of Gothic culture also appeared in Antiquity, as evidenced by the Wulfila Bible—the first book written in a Germanic language, created in Nicopolis ad Istrum in the 4th century.[226][227]
A vast amount of uncovered archaeological sites are spread throughout the country; their total number is the third-largest in Europe after Italy and Greece.[228] In 1972 the oldest golden treasure in the world was discovered in a necropolis near Varna, consisting of coins, weapons and jewellery dating to 4,600 BC.[229] The site revealed evidence of the first European civilisation.[116] Other objects testifying for the early development of advanced culture on Bulgaria's lands are Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in the world,[230] and the first Christian monastery in Europe, established in 344 AD.[231] Nine historical and natural objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of Nesebar.[232] Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin,[233] is included in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.[234] Fire is an essential element of Bulgarian folklore, used to banish evil spirits and diseases. Bulgarian folklore personifies illnesses as witches and has a wide range of creatures, including lamya, samodiva (veela) and karakondzhul.[235] Some of the customs and rituals against these spirits have survived and are still practiced, most notably the kukeri and survakari.[236] Martenitsa is also widely celebrated.[237]
Both the First and the Second Bulgarian empires functioned as the centre of Slavic culture during much of the Middle Ages, exerting considerable cultural influence over the Eastern Orthodox world by means of the Preslav, Ohrid and Tarnovo literary schools.[238][239][240] The Cyrillic alphabet, used as a writing system to many languages in Eastern Europe and Asia, originated in the Preslav Literary School around the 9th century.[241] The medieval advancement in the arts and letters ended with the Ottoman conquest when many masterpieces were destroyed, and artistic activities did not re-emerge until the National Revival in the 19th century.[242] After the Liberation, Bulgarian literature quickly adopted European literary styles such as Romanticism and Symbolism. Since the beginning of the 20th century, several Bulgarian authors, such as Ivan Vazov, Pencho Slaveykov, Peyo Yavorov, Yordan Radichkov and Tzvetan Todorov have gained prominence.[243][244] In 1981 Bulgarian-born writer Elias Canetti was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.[245]
Bulgarian folk music is by far the most extensive traditional art and has slowly developed throughout the ages as a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. It contains Far Eastern, Oriental, medieval Eastern Orthodox and standard Western European tonalities and modes.[246] The music has a distinctive sound and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such as gadulka, gaida (bagpipe), kaval and tupan. One of its most distinguishing features is extended rhythmical time, which has no equivalent in the rest of European music.[116] The State Television Female Vocal Choir is the most famous performing folk ensemble, and received a Grammy Award in 1990.[247] Bulgaria's written musical composition can be traced back to the early Middle Ages and the works of Yoan Kukuzel (c. 1280–1360).[248] Classical music, opera and ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladigerov and Georgi Atanasov and singers Ghena Dimitrova and Boris Hristov.[249][250][251][252] Bulgarian performers have gained popularity in several other genres like progressive rock (FSB), electropop (Mira Aroyo) and jazz (Milcho Leviev).
The religious visual arts heritage includes frescoes, murals and icons, many produced by the medieval Tarnovo Artistic School.[253] Vladimir Dimitrov, Nikolay Diulgheroff and Christo are some of the most famous modern Bulgarian artists.[242] Film industry remains weak: in 2010, Bulgaria produced three feature films and two documentaries with public funding. Cultural events are advertised in the largest media outlets, including the Bulgarian National Radio, and daily newspapers Dneven Trud and 24 Chasa.[254]
Bulgarian cuisine is similar to those of other Balkan countries and demonstrates a strong Greek and Turkish influence.[255] Yogurt, lukanka, banitsa, shopska salad, lyutenitsa and kozunak are among the best-known local foods. Oriental dishes such as moussaka, gyuvech, and baklava are also present. Meat consumption is lower than the European average, given a notable preference for a large variety of salads.[255] Rakia is a traditional fruit brandy which was consumed in Bulgaria as early as the 14th century.[256] Bulgarian wine is known for its Traminer, Muskat and Mavrud sorts, of which up to 200,000 tonnes are produced annually.[257][258] Until 1989, Bulgaria was the world's second-largest wine exporter.[259]
Bulgaria performs well in sports such as wrestling, weight-lifting, boxing, gymnastics and tennis.[260] The country fielded one of the leading men's volleyball teams, ranked sixth in the world according to the 2011 FIVB rankings.[261] Football is by far the most popular sport.[260] Some famous players are Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov and Hristo Stoichkov, twice winner of the European Golden Shoe and the most successful Bulgarian player of all time.[262] Prominent domestic football clubs include PFC CSKA Sofia[263][264] and PFC Levski Sofia. The best performance of the national team at FIFA World Cup finals came in 1994, when it consecutively eliminated Mexico and Germany and finished fourth.[260] Bulgaria participates in most Olympic competitions since its first appearance at the 1896 games, when it was represented by Charles Champaud.[265] The country has won a total of 218 medals: 52 gold, 86 silver, and 80 bronze,[266] which puts it in 24th place in the all-time ranking.
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2011) |
Country | Russia |
---|---|
Residence | Miami, USA |
Born | (1982-06-08) June 8, 1982 (age 30) Moscow, Soviet Union |
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
Weight | 65 kg (140 lb; 10.2 st) |
Turned pro | September 6, 1999 |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Career prize money | $10,083,429 |
Singles | |
Career record | 489–272 |
Career titles | 10 WTA, 4 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 3 (May 15, 2006) |
Current ranking | No. 29 (May 21, 2012) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | QF (2006, 2010) |
French Open | SF (2003, 2005) |
Wimbledon | QF (2005, 2008) |
US Open | QF (2004, 2005) |
Other tournaments | |
Championships | RR (2005, 2006, 2008) |
Olympic Games | 2R (2004) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 311–148 |
Career titles | 19 WTA, 1 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 3 (March 21, 2005) |
Current ranking | No. 16 (May 7, 2012) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | SF (2011) |
French Open | SF (2005) |
Wimbledon | QF (2004, 2005, 2007) |
US Open | F (2010) |
Other Doubles tournaments | |
WTA Championships | W (2004) |
Last updated on: October 10, 2011. |
Nadezhda Viktorovna Petrova (Надежда Викторовна Петрова; born June 8, 1982 in Moscow, Soviet Union) is a Russian professional tennis player.
Overall, she has won 28 WTA Titles, ten in singles and eighteen in doubles. In singles, Petrova has reached a career high ranking of World No. 3 in May 2006 and has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2003 and 2005. In doubles, she won the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in 2004 with Meghann Shaughnessy. As of 7 May 2012 (2012 -05-07)[update], Petrova is ranked World No. 31 in singles and World No. 16 in doubles.
Contents |
Petrova was born in Moscow. Her parents were both very athletic – her father Viktor was a leading hammer thrower, while her mother Nadezhda Ilyina won a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the 400 meter relay. Both her parents are still athletics coaches. As a child, Nadia did a lot of travelling around the world with her parents. She eventually settled in Egypt, where she trained with Mohammed Seif and her parents. Petrova states hard courts as her favourite surface, however, she has been most successful on clay courts. She is currently coached by Vladimir Platenik
Petrova is an all-court aggressive player who is capable of hitting winners off both wings, but particularly off her back-hand and which she hits flat and with slice. Petrova's serve is considered her biggest asset and one of the best serves in the women's game. In 2010 she hit the most aces on the tour with 306. She had an impressive 70% of first serve points won and also won over 74% of her service games. As an accomplished doubles player, Petrova's volleying skills are considered exceptional and she is not afraid to come into the net to finish off points. Petrova's main weakness is her movement around the court as she is often slow to retrieve balls and can sometimes struggle to defend well during rallies. Also, her forehand is sometimes erratic and can produce many unforced errors. Petrova states hard courts as her preferred surface, however, she has been most successful on clay courts where she can dictate play easier because it gives her more time on the ball.
As a junior, Petrova won the 1998 French Open, beating Jelena Dokić in the final.[1] The same year she finished runner-up at the Orange Bowl to Elena Dementieva and she also finished runner-up at the junior 1999 US Open to Lina Krasnoroutskaya. In May 1998, she played her first WTA tournament at the J&S Cup as a wildcard entrant. She also received a wildcard for her home event in Moscow, the Kremlin Cup, where she picked up her first top twenty win over Iva Majoli. By the end of 1999, Petrova had reached the top 100.
In 2000, she reached the third round of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the Ericsson Open, beating Julie Halard-Decugis for her first top ten win before losing to Lindsay Davenport. She finished the season at No. 50. She reached the fourth round of both French Open and the US Open in 2001 and her ranking hit a high of No. 38 during the season. However, her 2002 season was marred by injuries causing her ranking to drop out of the top 100.
At the 2003 Australian Open, Petrova defeated Gréta Arn 6–2, 6–1 and then defeated 21st seed Ai Sugiyama 6–4, 6–4 in the second round. Petrova then lost in three sets to World No. 15 Patty Schnyder 6–2, 4–6, 6–3 in the third round.
Petrova was ranked World No. 76 going into the 2003 French Open. In the first round she beat the three-time champion and World No. 12 Monica Seles 6–4, 6–0. She then defeated Silvija Talaja 6–1, 6–1 and Marissa Irvin 6–1, 6–1 to reach the fourth round. Here, Petrova stunned 7th seed Jennifer Capriati 6–3, 4–6, 6–3. In the quarter-finals, Petrova won again in three sets over 21st seed Vera Zvonareva 6–1, 4–6, 6–3 to reach her first ever Grand Slam Semi-Final. Petrova faced World No. 2 Kim Clijsters and despite having a set point in the first set, Petrova was beaton in straight sets 7–5, 6–1. Despite this, Petrova's ranking increased to World No. 30.
Petrova reached the semi-finals of S'Hertogenbosch, defeating Elena Dementieva en-route but lost to World No. 3 Justine Henin in three sets. At the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, Petrova was seeded 29th and made it to the third round before losing to Venus Williams 6–1, 6–2.
Petrova was seeded 19th at the 2003 US Open and defeated 14th seed Amanda Coetzer 6–0, 6–1 in the third round. In the fourth round, Petrova lost to 3rd seed Lindsay Davenport 6–0, 6–7(6), 6–2. Petrova continued her success by reaching the semi-finals of Zurich, beating World No. 8 and US Open finalist before losing to Henin 6–4, 6–4.
The following week in Linz, Petrova beat Paola Suárez and Patty Schnyder to reach her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour final. However she fell to Ai Sugiyama 7–5, 6–4.
Petrova ended 2003 ranked World No. 12 with a 45–23 singles record.
Petrova reached her second WTA final at Gold Coast, losing once again to Ai Sugiyama 1–6, 6–1, 6–4. She was upset in the first round of the Australian Open to Anikó Kapros, losing 6–3, 6–3.
In March 2004, she hit the top ten at No. 9 after reaching the semifinals of the Tier 1 NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami. She reached the semifinals at the Bausch & Lomb Championships, beating second-seeded Serena Williams before losing to Lindsay Davenport. After this, her ranking elevated to a career high of No. 7. However, she failed to defend her semifinal points from the 2003 French Open, losing to Marlene Weingärtner in the third round 6–3, 6–2.
At the US Open, she pulled off the biggest win of her career by defeating World No. 1 and defending champion Justine Henin 6–3, 6–2 in the fourth round. It was Petrova's first victory over a world No. 1. She lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 7–6, 6–3.
Petrova reached the semi-finals of Linz, losing to Elena Bovina in three sets. She also reached the semi-finals of Philadelphia, losing to Vera Zvonareva.
Petrova finished the year ranked World No. 12 with a 40–25 singles record.
Petrova reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, losing to the eventual champion Serena Williams, 6–1, 3–6, 6–3. She reached her third career final at the Qatar Total German Open in May, beating Mary Pierce, Amélie Mauresmo and Jelena Janković, before losing to Justine Henin. Her ranking rose to No. 9, where she stayed for the next two years before dropping out in May 2007.
At the French Open, Petrova reached her second Grand Slam Semi-Final but lost to Henin 6–2, 6–3, but her ranking rose one place to No. 8. A few weeks later at Wimbledon, she reached the quarterfinals before losing to Maria Sharapova 7–6, 6–3. After Wimbledon, she reached five straight quarterfinals at Los Angeles, Toronto, the US Open, Luxembourg, and Filderstadt.
Petrova finally won her first title at the Generali Ladies Linz held in Linz, Austria. She beat Patty Schnyder in the final.
Her successful season meant she qualified for the Sony Ericsson Championships in Los Angeles. She ended 2005 ranked World No. 9, her first top ten finish.
At the Australian Open, Petrova was seeded 6th and defeated Sophie Ferguson, Martina Müller, Maria Elena Camerin and Elena Vesnina on her way to her first quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She lost to fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova 7–6(4), 6–4 in the quarterfinals.
At the Qatar Total Open held in Doha, Petrova picked up her first title of the year and second overall by beating second-ranked and top-seeded Amélie Mauresmo 6–3, 7–5 in the final. The victory took her ranking to No. 7. She followed it with a quarterfinal showing at the NASDAQ-100 Open, losing to Mauresmo 6–3, 6–1.
Petrova then began her run that would take her to three titles, winning fifteen straight matches. At the Bausch & Lomb Championships, she defeated Francesca Schiavone in the final to pick up her third title in the past six months. One week later, she won her second straight title and fourth overall at the Family Circle Cup with a victory over Patty Schnyder.[2]
She next entered the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin, defeating Justine Henin.[3] With this win, she ascended to her career high of No. 3.
However, Petrova was defeated in the first round of the French Open by Akiko Morigami 6–2, 6–2. This may have been caused by an ankle injury Petrova suffered during training before the tournament. She then withdrew from Wimbledon and did not win a match in the U.S. Open Series, going 0–3. At the US Open, Petrova was upset in the third round by Tatiana Golovin.
At the Stuttgart, Petrova won her first tournament title since the Tier I Qatar Telecom German Open in May 2006. She then continued her return to form by reaching the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, losing to Russian Anna Chakvetadze.
At the Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid in November 2006. Her lone victory was over top-ranked Amélie Mauresmo 6–2, 6–2. She finished the year at No. 6.
At the Australian Open, she reached the third round before falling to Serena Williams, the eventual champion, after holding a 5–3 second set lead.
At the Open Gaz de France in Paris, Petrova picked up her seventh tour title and first of the season by beating Lucie Šafářová. Petrova reached the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, losing to Justine Henin. Petrova then reached the final in Amelia Island, losing to Tatiana Golovin.
She was the eleventh-seeded player at the French Open but lost to Květa Peschke 7–5, 5–7, 6–0. After the loss, she claimed that the low back pain had been bothering her. It was her second consecutive first round loss at the French Open because of injury.
At Wimbledon, Petrova lost to Ana Ivanović 6–1, 2–6, 6–4 in the fourth round.
In the 2007 Fed Cup tie against the USA on July 14/15, Petrova played a pivotal role in securing the victory for her team. While losing on the first day against Venus Williams, she won her singles match against Meilen Tu on the second day and then teamed with Elena Vesnina to beat Williams and Lisa Raymond in the decisive doubles rubber.[4]
At the JPMorgan Chase Open, Petrova reached her third final of the year, losing to Ana Ivanović in straight sets.
At the US Open, Petrova was seeded seventh but lost to Ágnes Szávay 6–4, 6–4. The loss meant that she had not gone past the fourth round of any Grand Slam tournament all year, the first time since 2002.
She finished 2007 ranked No. 14, her lowest year-end ranking in five years.
Petrova started her 2008 season on a two-match losing streak going into the Australian Open, losing in the first round in Gold Coast as the number 2 seed to Tathiana Garbin 5–7, 7–5, 6–3 and in Sydney 7–5, 6–3 to Sybille Bammer. She still managed to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open though as the 14th seed with wins over Nicole Pratt, Anne Kremer and Ekaterina Makarova all in straight sets.. There she played Agnieszka Radwańska of Poland, who beat her 1–6, 7–5, 6–0. Petrova held a 6–1, 3–0 lead and looked on form for an easy victory. In the third set, she won just four points.
At the Open Gaz de France in Paris, Petrova was the defending champion and seeded 5th but lost in the first round to Kateryna Bondarenko 7–6(4), 3–6, 6–4. Petrova retired in her first–round match at the 2008 Qatar Total Open against Anabel Medina Garrigues due to an upset stomach while trailing 2–6, 2–1. At Dubai, she lost 6–4, 6–4 to Katarina Srebotnik.
Petrova's injuries continued to strike at her when she was forced to retire in the second round of Miami with a right quad strain while trailing 2–1 in the first set against Zheng Jie.
At the 2008 German Open in Berlin, Petrova returned to action as the 16th seed and defeated Katarina Srebotnik 7–6(5), 3–6, 7–6(2) in the first round before losing in the second round to Maria Kirilenko 6–3, 6–3. Petrova was once again defeated by Kirilenko in the first round of Rome, but this time in three sets, 3–6, 7–5, 6–4. At her final warm-up tournament in Istanbul, Nadia was seeded third and got past Lilia Osterloh 6–1, 6–2 in the first round and Marta Domachowska 6–2, 6–2 in the second round. She lost to Akgul Amanmuradova 7–6(0), 1–6, 6–4 in the quarter-finals.
These losses put Petrova in poor stead going into the French Open. As the twenty-fifth seed, she beat Aravane Rezaï and Alisa Kleybanova in straight sets before being thrashed by Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–2, 6–1.
Petrova's grass season began at Eastbourne, where she reached her first final of the year showing good form. She was beaten in a close match by Pole Agnieszka Radwańska 6–4, 6–7(11), 6–4.
At Wimbledon, Petrova was the number 21 seed and was on the right track after wins over Olga Govortsova 6–4, 6–4 and Mara Santangelo 6–4, 7–5. Petrova then pulled off an excellent win over the in-form teenager and 16th seed Victoria Azarenka 7–6(11), 7–6(4) in the third round. In the fourth round she faced unseeded Alla Kudrayatseva who just came off a win over 3rd seed Maria Sharapova; Petrova won 6–1, 6–4 to reach her second quarterfinal at Wimbledon. This was also the first time that Petrova had reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2006 Australian Open. She lost a cracker two and a half hour marathon match against the fifth seed Elena Dementieva 6–1, 6–7(6), 6–3. Petrova rallied from 6–1, 5–2 down and saved match points throughout the second set but eventually lost the match in the third set. Her ranking improved to World No. 17 after the tournament.
Bouncing back from a first-round defeat at Stanford to Dominika Cibulková, Petrova reached the quarterfinals at Los Angeles, defeating 5th seed Vera Zvonareva 6–4, 7–5 en route before losing to Jelena Janković 7–5, 6–4. At Montreal, she again suffered a surprise defeat to Cibulková in the third round, this time losing 7–6(2), 6–2.
Nadia then played in Cincinnati, as she did not gain entry into the Olympics because she was not in the top four ranked Russian players at the time. After easy wins over Galina Voskoboeva, Julie Ditty and Lilia Osterloh, Petrova once again found herself up against Maria Kirilenko for a place in the final. This time though, Petrova was victorious, coming back from a set down to win 1–6, 6–2, 6–1. Petrova then thrashed Nathalie Dechy 6–2, 6–1 in the final to win her first title of the year and the eighth of her career.
Petrova was in good form heading into the final Grand Slam Tournament of the year at the US Open. Petrova was seeded 19th and beat Olivia Sanchez 6–2, 6–4 in the first round and Hsieh Su-wei 6–4, 6–2 in round two. Petrova was ousted 4–6, 6–4, 6–3 by the 16th seed Flavia Pennetta in the third round.
Petrova bounced back to good form at the 2008 Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic. Seeded 4th, Nadia defeated fifth seed Francesca Schiavone 6–4, 6–3 in the quarter-finals but she lost in the semi-finals to second seed and eventual champion Patty Schnyder 7–5, 6–1.
At the 2008 Toray Pan Pacific Open, Petrova was unseeded but beat two top–ten players, Ana Ivanović, the second seed 6–1, 1–6, 6–2 in the second round and Agnieszka Radwańska 6–3, 6–0 to reach the semifinals, where she lost 6–1, 6–0 to Dinara Safina, the eventual champion. At Stuttgart, she reached her third final of the season, after an impressive run, beating Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, Patty Schnyder, Li Na and Victoria Azarenka in straight sets but failed to win the title, this time losing to Jelena Janković, the World No. 2 6–4, 6–3. Despite not winning the title, Petrova's ranking moved back into the top 15 to World No. 14 as a result of reaching the final.
Petrova was a quarter-finalist at her home event, the 2008 Kremlin Cup in Moscow, beating teenager Caroline Wozniacki before losing to compatriot and third seed Elena Dementieva 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(6). She was also a quarter–finalist at the Linz, losing 6–3, 6–2 to Radwańska.
At her final tournament of the season in Quebec City, she won her second title of the year beating lucky loser Angela Haynes 6–3, 6–1 in the semifinals and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 4–6, 6–4, 6–1 in the final. This title also secured her status as the second alternate for the WTA Tour Championships should a player withdraw. This scenario did indeed happen, and Petrova came in replacing Serena Williams. She lost her only match to Dementieva 6–4, 4–6, 6–4.
Petrova finished the 2008 season ranked World No. 11.
Petrova started 2009 playing at the 2009 Medibank International Sydney where she was seeded seventh. She lost in the first round to Alizé Cornet 6–2, 6–4. Petrova was seeded tenth at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She lost to seventh–seeded Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round 7–5, 6–4. However, this caused her ranking to move back into the top ten for the first time since early 2007 to World No. 10. She later reached World No. 9.
Petrova did not play in the Indian Wells, a Premier Mandatory event due to injury. In Miami Nadia entered as the no. 9 seed, but lost to world no. 54 Ekaterina Makarova in the third round, 7–5, 6–1.
Petrova next headed to Ponte Vedra Beach as the top seed where she defeated Olga Govortsova, Madison Keys (who had just won her first ever main draw match) and Alona Bondarenko. She fell in the semi final to eventual finalist Aleksandra Wozniak, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2. Petrova fell in the second round at Charleston to Melinda Czink in three sets 3–6, 6–4, 7–5. At the 2009 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgard, Petrova was seeded sixth but lost in the second round to Flavia Pennetta 6–2, 6–2. She next went to the Rome Masters as the number eight seed where she had a first round bye before defeating giant killer Carla Suárez Navarro. In the third round Petrova was ousted by María José Martínez Sánchez 6–4, 6–7 (5) 6–4.
Petrova was seeded eleventh at the 2009 French Open in Paris where she reached the semi-finals in 2003 and 2005. She defeated Lauren Embree in the first round 6–1, 6–2. She lost in the second round to world no. 102 Maria Sharapova by 6–2, 1–6, 8–6.
At the 2009 AEGON International, Petrova was seeded seventh and defeated Ana Ivanović in the first round in three sets 6–1, 4–6, 6–4 where she came back from a double break down in the final set to win. However, she was defeated in the second round by fellow Russian Vera Dushevina 7–5, 0–1 where she was forced to retire due to a lower back injury after taking the first set.
Petrova's next tournament was Wimbledon, the third grand slam of the year where she was the tenth seed. She beat Anastasiya Yakimova in the first round 6–1. 6–1. Petrova won her second round match against Shahar Pe'er 6–3, 6–2. She then came from a set down to beat Gisela Dulko 3–6, 6–3, 6–4. Petrova lost to #8 Victoria Azarenka, in three sets, in the fourth round.
Petrova began her 2009 US Open Series campaign at Stanford where she was seeded 5th. After defeating her doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands in three sets in the first round, Petrova lost again to Sharapova 6–1, 6–2 in just over an hour. In Los Angeles, she was also seeded 5th but lost to 10th seed Flavia Pennetta 6–3, 6–3 in the third round. Petrova then headed to Cincinnati where she was the defending champion and the tenth seed. She was unable to defend her title, losing in the first round to Alona Bondarenko 6–2, 6–3. This caused her ranking to slip out of the top ten to World No.12. Petrova next played in Toronto as the tenth seed where her poor form continued as she fell again to Maria Sharapova in the first round. Continuing her campaign on the 2009 US Open Series, she then received a wildcard as the 4th seed at the New Haven but again lost to compatriot Anna Chakvetadze in the first round.
Her next tournament was the final Grandslam of the year, the 2009 US Open. Petrova was the thirteenth seed and defeated Katarina Srebotnik and Julie Coin in the first and second round in straight sets. Petrova then got past World No. 22 Zheng Jie, 6–4, 6–1. Petrova was defeated in the fourth round by unseeded American Melanie Oudin 1–6, 7–6(2), 6–3. However, her ranking improved one spot higher to World No. 12.
Petrova then headed to Quebec to defend her title at the 2009 Bell Challenge. Petrova was the top seed and advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over Carly Gullickson and Madison Brengle in straight sets. Here, Petrova faced 5th seed Melinda Czink and was a set down when she was forced to retire due to a viral illness. Czink would go on to win the title. However, Nadia quickly returned to action in Tokyo as the number 13 seed but continued a dismal season, losing in the second round to Magdaléna Rybáriková 6–2, 6–2. She slipped to World No. 17 as a result of this bad form.
Nadia then participated at China Open, a Premier Mandatory tournament, where she was the thirteenth seed. She beat her compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva 6–1, 5–7, 6–2 in the first round and World No. 24 Daniela Hantuchová 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 in the second round. She played one of her best matches in 2009 by beating Serena Williams in a thriller three sets match, by 6–4, 3–6, 7–6(5), in the third round despite the fact that Williams was just about to snitch back the World No. 1 ranking from Dinara Safina the following week due to the Russian's second round loss. Petrova then survived another three setter against Peng Shuai (who earlier beat Jelena Janković and Maria Sharapova) in the quarterfinals. This was only Petrova's second semi-final of the year but she lost to the reigning French Open Champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, by 6–1, 6–3.
Petrova then competed at Kremlin Cup as the fifth seed. She defeated Yana Buchina 6–2, 6–0 in the first round but fell to Alona Bondarenko in the second round.
Petrova finished her poor year with a 30–21 singles record and she finished the year ranked World No. 20. It was by far her worst year on tour as she captured no titles for the first time since 2004. Her highlights of the year are reaching the semi-finals in Ponte Vedra Beach and Beijing and reaching the quarterfinals in Quebec City.
Petrova's started her year at the Brisbane International in Australia. After drawing comeback queen Justine Henin as the number two seed, Petrova lost in a close 5–7, 5–7 match. She then competed in the Medibank International Sydney but lost again in the opening round to 39 year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 3–6, 7–5, 4–6.
Seeded 19th at the 2010 Australian Open, Petrova reached the third round by defeating Edina Gallovits 6–3, 6–4 and Kaia Kanepi 6–4, 6–4. In the third round, Petrova caused a huge upset as she crushed the 15th seed Kim Clijsters in a 52-minute onslaught, winning 6–0, 6–1. Clijsters was the bookmaker's second favourite to win the tournament. She followed that with another upset in the 4th round over 3rd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova with a score of 6–3, 3–6, 6–1. This was the second time in Petrova's career that she had reached the Quarterfinals at the Australian Open. She fell to former World No. 1 Justine Henin 6–7, 5–7 in a tight match after leading 3–0 in the second set.
After a first round defeat to Stefanie Vögele in Dubai, Petrova next competed at the Premier Mandatory events in Indian Wells and Miami. At the 2010 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Petrova was seeded 16th. After receiving a bye to the second round, she dispatched Patty Schnyder 6–3,5–7,6–4, and then Shuai Peng 6–1, 7–5, before losing in the fourth round to second seed Caroline Wozniacki 6–3, 3–6, 6–0. At the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Petrova was again seeded 16th but fell in the third round to 19th seed Daniela Hantuchová 6–2, 6–4.
Petrova began her clay court season in Charleston and won her first two matches in straight sets against Vania King and Aleksandra Wozniak before losing to Wozniacki in the quarter-finals.
On European clay, Petrova was seeded 14th at the Italian Open. She advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Tathiana Garbin, Katarina Srebotnik and Alexandra Dulgheru but lost here to World No. 58 Ana Ivanović 6–2, 7–5. Petrova was seeded 16th at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open. where she beat Elena Vesnina 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6–2, 7–5 to advance to the third round. Here, Petrova had a fantastic win as she upset World No. 1 Serena Williams 4–6, 6–2, 6–3. However she fell to World No. 30 Lucie Šafářová in the quarter-finals.
Petrova was seeded 19th at the 2010 French Open. She defeated Zhang Shuai 6–0, 6–3 in the first round and the talented Ágnes Szávay 6–1, 6–2 in the second round. In the third round, Petrova fell a set behind against the in-form 15th seed and recent Madrid champion Aravane Rezaï before coming back to take the second set. In the third set, Petrova saved three match points as Rezaï served for the match at 5–4 before Petrova came back to serve for the match herself at 7–6 where she too held three match points. Rezaï, however, broke back and the match was abandoned due to bad light. The match was completed the following day where Petrova eventually won, causing the upset 6–7(2), 6–4, 10–8. She continued her success in the fourth round where she stunned the World No. 2 Venus Williams 6–4, 6–3. Petrova led by a set in the quarter-final against fifth seed Elena Dementieva but required treatment twice by the trainer during the match and limped to the finish line with Dementieva winning 2–6, 6–2, 6–0. Despite this loss, Petrova's quarter-final run caused her ranking to increase to World No. 13.
Beginning the grass court season in Eastbourne, Petrova was unseeded and came back from a set down to win on a final set tie-break to beat Karolina Šprem in the first round. In the second round, Petrova was heavily defeated 6–2, 6–0 by eventual champion Ekaterina Makarova. Petrova was seeded 12th at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated Tatjana Malek 6–4, 6–3 in the first round and Yung-Jan Chan 6–3, 6–4 in the second. Petrova then fell to 17th seed Justine Henin in the third round, 6–1 6–4. This caused her ranking to slip to World No. 19.
Petrova next played at the 2010 Mercury Insurance Open in San Diego in her first event of the 2010 US Open Series. Unseeded, she was defeated in three sets in the first round to World No. 32 Yaroslava Shvedova 5–7, 6–4, 6–1. Petrova was seeded 15th at the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati but was forced to retire due to heat stress while trailing 7–6(4), 5–3 to Christina McHale.
Petrova was seeded 18th at the 2010 Rogers Cup in Montreal and won a tough opener against Lucie Šafářová, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3. In the second round, Petrova faced former World No. 1 Dinara Safina and despite serving 15 aces, she was defeated 7–5, 4–6, 6–4. Petrova is currently playing in her final event of the US Open Series in New Havan at the 2010 Pilot Pen Tennis where she received a wild-card to play as the 8th seed. In the first round she came from a set down to beat Varvara Lepchenko 1–6, 7–5, 6–1. She then defeated her former doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6–3, 6–2 to advance to the quarter-finals and then had an impressive 6–2, 6–1 victory over 2nd seed Samantha Stosur for her fourth top ten win of the season. She defeated Maria Kirilenko 2–6 6–2 6–2 in her semi-final match, but was beaten by Caroline Wozniacki in the final 6–3, 3–6, 6–3.
Petrova was seeded 17th at the 2010 US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year. Despite her recent final appearance in New Havan, Petrova suffered a shock first round defeat in the hands of a tough opponent in World No. 38 Andrea Petkovic 2–6, 6–4, 6–7(4). However, partnering with Liezel Huber, she had her best run in a grandslam by reaching the final where they faced Yaroslava Shvedova and Vania King. Despite having a championship point, they eventually lost by 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(4) in the final, after the match got postponed due to rain.
Petrova bounced back in singles at the 2010 Hansol Korea Open in Seoul. As the top seed, Petrova's first round opponent, was the World No. 41 Jarmila Groth who had captured her first WTA title the previous week in Guangzhou. However, Petrova came through comfortably 6–3, 6–2. She then defeated Vania King 6–3, 6–4 to advance to the quarter-finals where she thrashed Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6–2, 6–1. She then fell to Klára Zakopalová.
Petrova was the 15th seed at the 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open, but fell to Roberta Vinci in the first round. Nadia ended her cooperation with her coach Vladimir Platenik. She finished the 2010 season ranked World No. 15.
As the 3rd seed, Petrova fell to Petra Kvitová 7–6(3) 6–3 in the first round of the 2011 Brisbane International. She also fell in the first round of the 2011 Medibank International Sydney, this time to Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová 6–2 6–2. At the Australian Open, Petrova defeated Ksenia Pervak of Russia 6–2 6–1. In the second round, she faced wildcard Alicia Molik 6–4 6–1. Her third round match against Ekaterina Makarova resulted in a tough three setter where she lost 2–6 6–3 8–6. For the 2011 French Open Petrova was seeded 26th, and lost in the first round 6–7 (5–7), 6–3, 6–4, to Anastasia Rodionova of Australia.[5] Petrova then reached the 4th round of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, falling to Victoria Azarenka. Following Wimbledon, Petrova won the inaugural 2011 Citi Open, beating Shahar Pe'er for her first title since 2008 . at cincinnati she lost to Andrea Petkovic 7–5, 6–1 in the quarters.
Petrova was seeded 29th at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She reached only the second round by defeating Andrea Hlaváčková 6–3 3–6 6–0, but fell easy to Italian Sara Errani 2–6 2–6.
Petrova has also had success in doubles, reaching a career high of No. 3 in the doubles rankings. She has eighteen doubles titles, eight of them with Meghann Shaughnessy including the prestigious year-ending WTA Tour Championships in 2004, where they beat Cara Black and Rennae Stubbs in the final. She also has victories at the Tier I events in Moscow, Key Biscayne, Berlin, Rome, and Montreal, with all but the Montreal title being with Meghann Shaughnessy and the aforementioned other one being with Martina Navrátilová. In 2002 and 2003, she also reached the finals of three Tier I events with Jelena Dokić. In 2010, Petrova is partnered with a top 10 doubles player Samantha Stosur and Liezel Huber. In 2011, Petrova partnered with Liezel Huber and Anastasia Rodionova. Petrova and Kirilenko will playing together during 2012 Olympic season.
Tournament | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | W–L | |
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Grand Slam Tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||
Australian Open | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | 2R | A | 3R | 1R | 4R | QF | 3R | 4R | 4R | QF | 3R | 2R | 27–13 | |
French Open | A | A | A | LQ | 1R | 4R | A | SF | 3R | SF | 1R | 1R | 3R | 2R | QF | 1R | 3R | 24–12 | |
Wimbledon | A | A | A | 2R | 2R | 4R | A | 3R | 4R | QF | A | 4R | QF | 4R | 3R | 4R | 29–11 | ||
US Open | A | A | LQ | LQ | 2R | 2R | 1R | 4R | QF | QF | 3R | 3R | 3R | 4R | 1R | 3R | 24–12 | ||
Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 4–4 | 8–4 | 0–1 | 12–4 | 9–4 | 16–4 | 6–3 | 7–4 | 11–4 | 10–4 | 10–4 | 5–3 | 3–2 | 102–47 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nadia Petrova |
Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by Daniela Hantuchová |
WTA Most Improved Player of the Year 2004 |
Succeeded by Maria Sharapova |
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Persondata | |
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Name | Petrova, Nadia |
Alternative names | |
Short description | Tennis player |
Date of birth | June 8, 1982 |
Place of birth | Moscow, Soviet Union |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
Coordinates: 42°45′N 25°30′E / 42.75°N 25.5°E / 42.75; 25.5
Bulgaria i/bʌlˈɡɛəriə/ (Bulgarian: България, IPA: [bɤ̞ɫˈɡarijɐ]), is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and the Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 14th-largest country. Its location has made it a historical crossroad for various civilisations and as such it is the home of some of the earliest metalworking, religious and other cultural artifacts in the world.
Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history was marked by the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian ethnicity and state dates back to the First Bulgarian Empire, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five hundred years. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 resulted in the Third Bulgarian State, recognised in 1908. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a Communist republic with a single-party system until 1989, when the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections. After 1990 Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and a market-based economy.