The Country History
Bulgaria was initially a part of the Byzantine Empire. When the Byzantine Empire fell it became independent. The Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1396. Bulgaria remained a member of the empire until 1878 when it became partially independent. It achieved full independence in 1908. During the First and Second World Wars, Bulgaria allied itself with Germany.
After the Second World War Bulgaria became a People's Republic coming under the USSR's sphere of influence. The end of 1989 saw political changes in Bulgaria - the political parties and the parliamentary functions were restored. A new constitution was adopted, the political parties were re-established, the property, taken away in 1947, was reinstated, as was the land, privatisation started. The communist government came to an end in 1990. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. |
