Five Things To Know About Bulgaria

Sofia, April 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Apr, 2023 ) :Bulgaria's fifth general election in two years on Sunday is expected to produce yet another fragmented parliament.

From demographics and corruption to yoghurt and Rosa Damascena, here are five things to know about the country.

- Dwindling population - Bulgaria has one of the world's fastest shrinking populations.

At the fall of Communism in 1989, there were almost nine million inhabitants. But the country now has only 6.52 million people due to mass emigration, low birth rates and high mortality.

Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the European Union, at 73.6 years.

The lack of an adequately large workforce, worsened by a brain drain of educated professionals, is affecting economic growth.

- Endemic corruption - Bulgaria is among the worst-rated EU countries in the Corruption Perception Index compiled by NGO Transparency International.

Bribery is endemic in many areas of public life, including medicine, education, the police and the media.

There are frequent stories about the lavish lives led by the political elite -- flats acquired at knock-down prices, villas built with EU funds, and privileges for oligarchs.

The average monthly salary in the country is just 995 Euros ($1,083), or less than half the EU average.

For the elderly, pensions of a mere 340 euros mean they also struggle to make ends meet.

- Russophilia - Historically, Bulgarians have often oriented themselves towards Russia rather than the West.

Both countries are predominantly Slav and Orthodox Christian and use the Cyrillic script, which Bulgaria claims was invented on its soil.

Moscow also played a crucial role in the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878, and the country was the Soviet Union's most loyal satellite during communism.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the last government of the NATO member state found itself walking a tightrope.

From Ottoman times, Bulgaria inherited a 13-percent Muslim minority of ethnic Turks and Pomaks (Bulgarians who converted to islam under Ottoman rule). Roma make up between around nine and 12 percent of the population.

- Yoghurt and roses - The country prides itself on discovering yoghurt -- a claim challenged by neighbouring Turkey -- and has even given its name to the bacteria that is indispensable in making it: Lactobacillus bulgaricus (LBB).

Bulgarian medical student Stamen Grigorov discovered LBB in 1905 while studying food habits in the country's southern Rhodope mountains.

Another national emblem is the Rosa Damascena, whose oil is a must-have in almost all high-end perfumes.

Alongside Turkey and Morocco, Bulgaria is traditionally one of the world's leading exporters of rose oil. Bulgarians also make rose jam and even rose brandy from the delicate pink petals.

- Pagan roots - Bulgaria's festival Calendar includes many traces of its pre-Christian pagan past.

One example is the tradition of the "kukeri", who parade in elaborate monster costumes to chase away wicked winter spirits at the end of the season.

Another that has become associated with contemporary religious dates is that of the "nestinari", who dance over hot embers on the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen.