Bulgaria
POPULATION 7,928,901
EASTERN ORTHODOX 82.6 percent
MUSLIM 12.2 percent
ROMAN CATHOLIC 0.6 percent
PROTESTANT 0.5 percent
OTHER 4.1 percent
Country Overview
Introduction
The Republic of Bulgaria, situated in southeastern Europe, is bordered by Romania on the north, Greece and Turkey on the south, the Black Sea on the east, and Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro on the west. The region has always been a crossroads of different cultures and civilizations. Ancient local religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have been present there. Christianity left the greatest impact on Bulgarian culture and identity, dating back to the missionary work of Saint Paul in the first century C.E.
The Bulgarian state was founded in 681 C.E., and Christianity was accepted as a state religion in the ninth century. The influence of the neighboring Byzantine Empire (fourth and fifteenth centuries) is a crucial factor for the understanding of Bulgarian medieval culture and politics, though for certain periods the Bulgarian kingdom showed its own glory.
The five centuries of Ottoman domination (1396–1878) left a significant Muslim population in the country. Jews were the third biggest religious group until 1946. The modern Bulgarian state (established in 1878) has proclaimed Orthodox Christianity as the country's dominant religion. Catholic and Protestant minorities have also had their impact on Bulgarian history.
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