The Bulgarian language is a member of the Eastern Slavic group of languages, along with Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian. It is spoken by more than 7 million people worldwide, and is the official language of Bulgaria. The language is similar to the other members of this group, such as Russian and Serbian, but has several distinct features, including a different alphabet and vowels.

The majority of the population of Bulgaria is ethnic Bulgarian, with a minority of Turks (8%), Roma (8%) and Vlachs (4%) in various parts of the country. Foreigners are also a considerable proportion of the population, as many come to work in the various sectors of the economy or to spend long summers in the mountains and beaches.

Despite being an ancient people, Bulgarians are quite open to ideas and influences from outside their borders. They have adopted and developed in their own way much of the culture, traditions and technologies of the world’s greatest civilizations. Some peoples choose to shut themselves off and reject everything foreign, whereas others are eager to learn from any source of knowledge and advance their own culture in parallel. Clearly, the latter type of people were the ones that became the Bulgarians.

Bulgaria has a relatively advanced industrial sector and an efficient agricultural production. The country is also a major transport and communications hub. Its main exports are raw materials and metals, chemical products, energy, textiles and clothing. The country’s social-democratic constitution, adopted in 1991, provides for a multiparty parliamentary republic with free elections and universal adult suffrage. Its chief of state is an elected president, and the head of government is a prime minister chosen by the largest parliamentary group. The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government, and regional governors are appointed by the council of ministers.

In general, the country has high standards of education. Both public and private schools are well-equipped, and students receive a thorough education that prepares them for professional careers or higher studies. However, low teacher morale and adherence to classical teaching methods have hindered development in some technical fields.

A significant portion of the country’s GDP is spent on education. Bulgaria’s high enrolment rate reflects the importance placed on education by parents and the government, although women lag behind men in educational achievement. In Bulgaria, both men and women own property and share decision making in family-based kin groups. They also play an active role in community organizations.

Bulgarians are very tactile people, and hugs or kisses are common greetings. They often touch each other while talking, and eye contact is important when discussing serious issues. They tend to be more reserved than Americans when speaking publicly, but are generally very friendly with visitors. They tend to respect personal space, but can be quite talkative with friends and family. It is considered rude to be loud or obnoxious in public. In some rural areas, people may speak in a more rough and tumble manner.