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photo 1: © Plamen Ivanov

Bulgaria Balkan Crossroads Sitting at the crossroads of Europe Mountains diversity. The uniqueness of many of and Asia, has one of the habitats and species in the area A mosaic of mountains stretches Europe’s richest stores of natural has been recognised by the European across Bulgaria south of the fertile wealth. The fertile Danube lowlands Commission, which, for purposes of and hilly Danube plains. stretch across the northern third of The Balkan developing the EU’s network of con- (Stara Planina or „Old Bulgaria, while a mosaic of mountains Mountains servation areas (the so-called Natura Mountains“) run east to west. Further covers much of the rest of the coun- 2000 network), has designated south into the range, try’s territory, almost reaching to the Rila Mountain a separate, special Black Sea biogeo- Musala Peak marks the highest peak Black Sea coast in the east. graphic region. on the Balkan Peninsula (2,925m) between the Alps and Transcaucasia. The diversity of landscapes, mixture Danube islands of habitats, combined with Bulgaria’s The rugged in Mountains position on the crossroads of different Nearly half of Bulgaria‘s territory drains the southwest of Bulgaria include biological infuences, give Bulgaria an into the Danube River, which eventu- a national park (40,000 ha) that is exceptionally rich diversity of species. ally flows into the Black Sea. The included in the UNESCO list of World Endemic plant species constitute Danube marks the border between Natural Heritage sites. Equally famous Bulgaria and Romania (about 470 km), for their beauty are the Rhodope with steep and rigid banks on the and Mountains. The former Area: 110,912 km² (roughly half Bulgarian side contrasting with low, stretch south along Bulgaria’s border the size of the United Kingdom). marshy areas on the Romanian side. with Greece, separating the Aegean The 75 islands in the Danube river Sea from the Thracian Lowland of Terrain: mostly mountains with that belong to Bulgaria contain some central Bulgaria. The latter abut the lowlands in north and southeast. of the richest wetland habitats in nation’s capital of Sofia, offering Elevation extremes: lowest the Danube basin. Covering a total resort to the 1.2 million inhabitants of point: Black Sea 0 m, highest area of 10 713 hectares, the islands Bulgaria’s largest city. point: Musala 2,925 m. offer refuge and food for migratory arable land: 43 %, and threatened bird species such as Land use: Black Sea permanent crops: 2 %, permanent the dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus The attractive Black Sea coast, which pastures: 14 %, forests and wood- crispus), ferruginous duck (Aytya stretches along the entire length of land: 38 %, other: 3 %. nyroca), pigmy cormorant (Phalac- Bulgaria‘s eastern border (378 km), rocorax pygmeus), and red-breasted Protected areas: 3 National is marked by imposing steep rocky goose (Branta ruficolis). Parks (150,362.3 ha), 11 Nature cliffs in the north and Parks (247,604 ha), 90 Reserves soft sandy beaches (81,496 ha), 146 Protected Sites in the south. Despite ( 39,000.2 ha), 473 Nature Monu- the heavy impact of ments (23,318.3 ha) – total of 5 % tourism on the Black of the country’s territory. Sea, the region still preserves a rich and Population: 7,707,495 (July unique biological 2001 est.). Capital: Sofia – population photo 2: © A. Vorauer/WWF 1,220,000. For further information contact:

WWF Danube Carpathian Programme Bulgarian Country Office 67 Tzanko Tzerkovski Str., Entr. 3, App. 3 1421 Sofia, Bulgaria Phone/Fax: +359 2 9640545, Tel. +359 2 964 05 46 photo 3: © A. Vorauer/WWF [email protected] about 5 % of the total flora, a high pro- Logging and animal poaching occur portion compared with other, larger in protected areas, endangering European countries. birds such as the white stork and the Useful links: black vulture. Tourism developments, National and Nature Forests especially for winter tourism, are also a major problem. At the moment, Parks in Bulgaria: Forests, which cover almost a third several ski runs and ski facilities are www.bg-parks.net of Bulgaria’s total land areas (3.4 mil- being illegally constructed in the heart lion ha), provide space for more than of Pirin National Park, a UNESCO Portal of the Bulgarian 60 % of the endangered animal spe- World Heritage Site. Environmental NGOs: cies in Bulgaria. In contrast to many www.bluelink.net other European countries, where orig- Other infrastructure projects, espe- cially for transportation and water, also inal stands have been largely replaced Ministry of Environment: by species that can yield the greatest pose major threats. Environmental www.moew.government.bg economic returns, the greater part of groups are fiercely resisting the Bul- Bulgarian forests (ca. 70 %) still have garian government’s plans to build the motorway through the Ministry of Agriculture a largely natural composition of spe- and Forests: cies. gorge, an area of exceptional biologi- cal diversity that would be devastated www.mzgar.government.bg The process of forest land restitution by the project. Less damaging alterna- that was begun after the 1989 revolu- tive routes for the project, which could National Forestry Board: tion is still in progress, so it is still too involve EU funds, have thus far been www.nug.bg early to judge what impact the change rejected. in ownership will have on the biologi- Green Balkans (NGO): cal diversity of Bulgaria’s forests. EU Accession www.greenbalkans.org Bulgaria’s formal accession to the Nature conservation WWF Danube Carpathian European Union, which is expected to Programme: Nature conservation in Bulgaria happen sometime around 2007, can reaches back to the late 19th century. be expected to bring some clear ben- www.carpathians.org The country’s first two nature reserves efits for nature protection, including were designated in 1933, and the increasing the percentage of territory following year saw the establishment with protected status from the present At the same time, though, the country’s of Vitosha People’s Park, the first 5 % to between 10 and 15 %. Strength- accession to the EU is introducing National Park on the Balkan peninsula. ened controls and better incentives new threats and accelerating existing Despite this tradition, as in many should also ensure that protection is challenges that could outweigh any post-communist countries, the lure in fact applied in practice and not just benefits. For example, the EU’s agri- of fast cash outweighs economically on paper. culture and development programmes sus t ainable could prove devastating for Bulgaria’s development. natural heritage unless they are funda- mentally reformed.

Photo 1: The Kresna Gorge, threatened by construction of the

Photo 2: Agil Frog

Photo 3: Danube river, city of Tutrakan – fishing harbour photo 4: © A. Vorauer/WWF

Photo 4: Iskar river / 2003 with support | Produced Ministryand Water the Austrian from Federal Environment [email protected] Forests, of Agriculture, Beckmann, 2003. Layout: Author: Andreas