"Sofia Pride Sofia Pride Parade is a peaceful march of LGBT people and their relatives and friends, which combines social and political protest with entertaining elements. It takes place every year in the month of June in Bulgaria's capital Sofia since 2008. The first Sofia Pride parade was held on June 28, 2008,on the same date as the Stonewall riots in New York City that occurred in 1969. Same-sex sexual activity became legal on May 1, 1968. Between 1968 and the collapse of communism in 1989, the country was ruled by a dictator, citizens were not free and therefore no"
"Bulgaria Bulgaria (; , '), officially the Republic of Bulgaria (, ', ), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The capital and largest city is Sofia; other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. With a territory of , Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country. One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Neolithic Karanovo culture, which dates back to 6,500 BC. In the 6th to 3rd century BC"
"many of the major local universities, cultural institutions and commercial companies. Sofia is one of the top 10 best places for start-up business in the world, especially in information technologies. Sofia was Europe's most affordable capital to visit in 2013. The population of Sofia declined down from 70,000 in the late 18th century, through 19,000 in 1870, to 11,649 in 1878 and began increasing. Sofia hosts some 1.23 million residents within a territory of 492 km, a concentration of 17.5% of the country population within the 200th percentile of the country territory. The urban area of Sofia hosts some 1.54"
"UEFA. Bulgaria Bulgaria (; , '), officially the Republic of Bulgaria (, ', ), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The capital and largest city is Sofia; other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. With a territory of , Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country. One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Neolithic Karanovo culture, which dates back to 6,500 BC. In the 6th to 3rd century"
"is pronounced by Bulgarians with a stress on the 'i'. Sofia City Province has an area of 1344 km. Sofia's development as a significant settlement owes much to its central position in the Balkans. It is situated in western Bulgaria, at the northern foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the Sofia Valley that is surrounded by the Balkan mountains to the north. The valley has an average altitude of . Unlike most European capitals, Sofia does not have any large rivers or bridges, but is surrounded by comparatively high mountains on all sides. Three mountain passes lead to the city,"
"including Eleven Startup Accelerator, LAUNCHub and Neveq. Historically, after World War II and the era of industrialisation under socialism, the city and its surrounding areas expanded rapidly and became the most heavily industrialised region of the country. The influx of workers from other parts of the country became so intense that a restriction policy was imposed, and residing in the capital was only possible after obtaining Sofianite citizenship. However, after the political changes in 1989, this kind of citizenship was removed. In 2015 Globalization and World Cities Research Institute ranked Sofia as Beta- world city. As of 12 September 2018"
"people are 46.8%, another 34.2% of the families are made up by three people, whereas most of the households (36.5%) consist of only one person. Sofia was declared the national capital in 1879. One year later, in 1880, it was the fifth-largest city in the country after Plovdiv, Varna, Ruse and Shumen. Plovdiv remained the most populous Bulgarian town until 1892 when Sofia took the lead. The city is the hot spot of internal migration, the capital population is increasing and is around 17% of the national, thus a small number of people with local roots remain today, they dominate"
"several. , <ref> Sofia Airport Sofia Airport () is the main international airport of Bulgaria located east from the centre of the capital city Sofia. In 2017 the airport surpassed 6 million passengers for the first time and handled a total of 6,490,096 passengers, a 30.3% increase compared to 4,980,387 passengers handled in 2016. The airport serves as the home base for BH Air, Bulgaria Air, and Bulgarian Air Charter and as a base for both Ryanair and Wizz Air. The Vrazhdebna Air Base of the Bulgarian Air Force is also located at the airport. The airport was initially built"
"a horseriding club (St George club). Sofia was designated as European Capital of Sport in 2018. The decision was announced in November 2014 by the Evaluation Committee of ACES Europe, on the grounds that “the city is a good example of sport for all, as means to improve healthy lifestyle, integration and education, which are the basis of the initiative.” Population growth over the years (in thousands): According to 2018 data, the city has a population of 1,238,438 and the whole Sofia Capital Municipality of 1,325,429.The first census carried out in February 1878 by the Russian Army recorded a population"
"the south and west are dominated by some of Bulgaria's highest mountains such as Rila, Pirin and the Rhodopes, as well as smaller and/or lower mountains and valleys in the west, such as Vitosha, Belasitsa, Osogovo, the Sofia Valley, the Sub-Balkan valleys and the Kraishte region. Southern Bulgaria covers an area of 62,414 square kilometres and has a population of 5,085,872 (63% of Bulgaria's entire population), with a population density of 81.5 people per km². The three largest cities are the national capital Sofia, the largest city in Thrace, Plovdiv, and the major Black Sea port of Burgas. Administratively, Southern"
"Sofia Airport Sofia Airport () is the main international airport of Bulgaria located east from the centre of the capital city Sofia. In 2017 the airport surpassed 6 million passengers for the first time and handled a total of 6,490,096 passengers, a 30.3% increase compared to 4,980,387 passengers handled in 2016. The airport serves as the home base for BH Air, Bulgaria Air, and Bulgarian Air Charter and as a base for both Ryanair and Wizz Air. The Vrazhdebna Air Base of the Bulgarian Air Force is also located at the airport. The airport was initially built in the late"
"of the national capital Sofia and is crossed over by the runway of Sofia International Airport. In the southern parts of the valley the Iskar has an inclination of 6.7‰ that decreases to 0.06‰ in the northern reaches of the valley near the town of Novi Iskar. Upstream in Sofia Valley the sediment that the Iskar carries consists mainly of rough gravel while downstream it is mainly sand. The river enters the Balkan Mountains at the town of Novi Iskar and forms a long and spectacular gorge, whose slopes reach a height of 200 m up to 500 m at"
"well above other cities in the country. Nominal GDP in 2014 was 32.8 billion leva ($19.1 billion) The average per capita annual income was 6,890 leva ($4,019) in 2014, and average monthly wages in June 2018 were $880, the highest nationally. Services dominate the economy, accounting for 85.9% of gross value added. In 2015, Forbes listed Sofia as one of the top 10 places in the world to launch a startup business, because of the low corporate tax (10%), the fast internet connection speeds available – one of the fastest in the world, and the presence of several investment funds,"
"the revolutions of 1989 and allowed multi-party elections. Bulgaria then transitioned into a democracy and a market-based economy. Since adopting a democratic constitution in 1991, the sovereign state has been a unitary parliamentary republic with a high degree of political, administrative, and economic centralisation. The population of seven million lives mainly in Sofia and the capital cities of the 27 provinces, and the country has suffered significant demographic decline since the late 1980s. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, NATO, and the Council of Europe; it is a founding state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in"
"eclectic, uniting several Classical themes, with a fourth floor instead of a baluster, as well as Roman and Byzantine style decorations on the doors, windows and corbels. Sofia Court House The Sofia Court House (, ""Sadebna palata"") is a building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, accommodating several courts in the city. Stylistically a simplistic yet monumental structure, it is located on 2 Vitosha Boulevard, surrounded by Alabin Street, Laveleye Street and Positano Street. The need for a common building to house all the courts in Sofia was raised in 1926 with the foundation of the Judicial Buildings fund. Construction"
"chairlift and one slope working. Sofia Municipality is identical to Sofia City Province, which is distinct from Sofia Province, which surrounds but does not include the capital itself. Besides the city proper, the 24 districts of Sofia Municipality encompass three other towns and 34 villages. Districts and settlements have their own governor who is elected in a popular election. The assembly members are chosen every four years. The common head of Sofia Municipality and all the 38 settlements is the mayor of Sofia. The current mayor Yordanka Fandakova is serving a third consecutive term, having won the 2015 election at"
"the free exercise of any religion. Bulgaria has not experienced any significant ethnic or religious confrontation, unlike the case in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The religious communities in the country coexist peacefully. In fact, the capital Sofia is known for its so-called Square of Religious Tolerance; the St Nedelya Church, St Joseph Cathedral, Banya Bashi Mosque and Sofia Synagogue are located within metres of each other in the very centre of the city. The results of the Bulgarian census of 2011, in which the indication of answer regarding the question for confession was optional, are as follows: The results"
"Sofia, New Mexico Sofia is a small unincorporated community in Union County, northeast New Mexico, United States. It lies at , at an elevation of . Sofia, named after the Bulgarian capital Sofia, was established in 1911 as the oldest Bulgarian agricultural colony in the United States. The community's founders were brothers Dimitar and Ivan Kostadinov who leased of land. In 1912, the name of the colony was chosen on a meeting; alternatives that were considered were Georgetown and Tarnovo (after the medieval Bulgarian capital). Gancho Belchev, Ivan Stoyanov, Hristo Naumov, Kosta Dimitrov, Risto Pochev and Kolyu Iliev arrived in"
"(574 euro) (December, 2017). The national currency is the lev (plural leva), pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 leva for 1 euro. The lev is the strongest and most stable currency in Eastern Europe. The strongest sectors in the economy are energy, mining, metallurgy, machine building, agriculture and tourism. Primary industrial exports are clothing, iron and steel, machinery and refined fuels. The trading partners with largest contribution to the import/export are Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Greece, Russia, France, Spain, Poland, Netherlands, China, Hungary and Belgium. Sofia is the capital and economic heart of Bulgaria and home to"
"they had been leasing. Several of the farmers chose to sell the land they had acquired and returned to Bulgaria in the 1920s. The colony declined after World War II. Sofia, New Mexico Sofia is a small unincorporated community in Union County, northeast New Mexico, United States. It lies at , at an elevation of . Sofia, named after the Bulgarian capital Sofia, was established in 1911 as the oldest Bulgarian agricultural colony in the United States. The community's founders were brothers Dimitar and Ivan Kostadinov who leased of land. In 1912, the name of the colony was chosen on"
"Sofia Court House The Sofia Court House (, ""Sadebna palata"") is a building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, accommodating several courts in the city. Stylistically a simplistic yet monumental structure, it is located on 2 Vitosha Boulevard, surrounded by Alabin Street, Laveleye Street and Positano Street. The need for a common building to house all the courts in Sofia was raised in 1926 with the foundation of the Judicial Buildings fund. Construction began in 1929 and finished in 1940. While it was the first structure in this strict monumental style in the city, it was followed by the Bulgarian"
"Slovenia Slovenia ( ; ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ""RS""), is a sovereign state located in southern Central Europe at a crossroads of important European cultural and trade routes. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. It covers and has a population of 2.07 million. One of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is a parliamentary republic and a member of the United Nations, of the European Union, and of NATO. The capital and"
"Sofia is ranked among the 100 financial top centres worldwide. Up until 2007 Sofia experienced rapid economic growth. In 2008, apartment prices increased dramatically, with a growth rate of 30%. In 2009, prices fell by 26%. In January 2015 Sofia was ranked 30th out of 300 global cities in terms of combined growth in employment and real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2013–2014. This was the highest rank amongst cities in Southeast Europe. The real GDP (PPP) per capita growth was 2.5% to $33,105 (28,456 euro) and the employment went up by 3.4% to 962,400 in 2013–2014. With"
"was also noticed in the city. Air pollution is a problem in Sofia due to its location in the Sofia valley, which is surrounded by mountains that reduce the ability of the air to self-clean. The air is polluted mostly by particulate matters and nitrogen oxides. Sofia has the most polluted air of any capital in the EU. Sofia has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ""Dfb"") with an average annual temperature of . Winters are relatively cold and snowy. In the coldest days temperatures can drop below , most notably in January. The lowest recorded temperature is (24"
"and employees had to find portable electric and oil heaters to heat their enclosures. Sofia Zoo Sofia Zoo in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was founded by royal decree on 1 May 1888, and is the oldest and largest zoological garden in southeastern Europe. It covers and, in March 2006, housed 4,850 animals representing 840 species. Initially, the zoo was located in the park of the former royal palace, with the primary attraction being a Eurasian black vulture caught in Bulgaria and exhibited in a cage in the garden. Later, pheasants and deer were added to the collection, but since"
"National Gallery of Foreign Art, the National Art Academy, the Bulgarian Parliament, a park honoring Ivan Vazov with his monument and gravestone, the Sofia Opera and Ballet, and a park where one can buy handmade textiles, icons, and antiques in a small flea market. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (, ""Hram-pametnik ""Sveti Aleksandar Nevski"""") is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and it is one of the largest Christian church buildings, as well as one of Sofia's"
"volunteers since 2017. The European Commission has taken Bulgaria to court over its failure to curb air pollution. Sofia has been an area of continuous human habitation since at least the 30th millennium BC. The city itself has a history of nearly 7000 years, with the great attraction of the hot water springs that still flow abundantly in the centre of the city. The neolithic village in Slatina dating to the 5th–6th millennium BC is documented. Remains from another neolithic settlement around the National Art Gallery are traced to the 3rd–4th millennium BC, which has been the traditional centre of"
"Largo, Sofia The Largo (, definite form Ларгото, ""Largoto"") is an architectural ensemble of three Socialist Classicism edifices in central Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, designed and built in the 1950s with the intention of becoming the city's new representative centre. Today it is regarded as one of the prime examples of Socialist Classicism architecture in Southeastern Europe, as well as one of the main landmarks of Sofia. The ensemble consists of the former Party House (former headquarters of the now defunct Bulgarian Communist Party), now used as administrative offices by the National Assembly of Bulgaria, in the centre, and"
"was announced in 2014 and the construction began in October 2015. It was inaugurated on 13 September 2016. Sofia Ring Road The Sofia ring road (, ""Sofiyski okolovrasten pat"") is an important thoroughfare surrounding Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The ring road is around 60 km long and has recently been upgraded on several sections, with plans to further improve it on the remaining sections. The Sofia ring road is divided into four sections (arcs), at south, north, west and east. A major part of southern arc has been significantly upgraded in several stages between 2007 and 2012, providing now"
"Olympia Sofia Olympia Sofia (Олимпия София) is a Bulgarian women's football club from the capital city Sofia, currently playing in the Bulgarian AFG, the top division of Bulgarian women's football. In 2010–11 season the team wоn the Bulgarian Women's Cup for the first time in its history. In the final match, played on 15 June 2011, Olympia defeated the Bulgarian league champions NSA Sofia 2–3 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium. Galina Tasseva<br> Natalia Dolgova<br> Evdokia Raeva<br> Silvia Staneva<br> Eva Ivanova<br> Elena Boichinova<br> Magdalena Gankova<br> Ljubov Barutchijska<br> Bistra Mladenova<br> Katrin Kurteva<br> Julia Atanassova<br> Margaritha Moscopoulou<br> Korneliya Naydenova<br> Kalinka Ilieva<br> Ljubka"
"Sofia Zoo Sofia Zoo in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, was founded by royal decree on 1 May 1888, and is the oldest and largest zoological garden in southeastern Europe. It covers and, in March 2006, housed 4,850 animals representing 840 species. Initially, the zoo was located in the park of the former royal palace, with the primary attraction being a Eurasian black vulture caught in Bulgaria and exhibited in a cage in the garden. Later, pheasants and deer were added to the collection, but since the exhibits and facilities of the time proved inadequate to accommodate a pair of"
"art. Sofia is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bulgaria alongside coastal and mountain resorts. Among its highlights is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, one of the symbols of Bulgaria, constructed in the late 19th century. It occupies an area of and can hold 10,000 people. Vitosha Boulevard, also called ""Vitoshka"", is a pedestrian zone with numerous cafés, restaurants, fashion boutiques, and luxury goods stores. Sofia's geographic location, in the foothills of the weekend retreat Vitosha mountain, further adds to the city's specific atmosphere. A large number of sports clubs are based in the city. During the Communist era"
"century, Bulgaria has hosted many religions, ethnic groups and nations. The capital city Sofia is the only European city that has peacefully functioning, within walking distance of 300 metres, four Places of worship of the major religions: Eastern Orthodox (St Nedelya Church), Islam (Banya Bashi Mosque), Roman Catholicism (St. Joseph Cathedral), and Orthodox Judaism (Sofia Synagogue, the third-largest synagogue in Europe). This unique arrangement has been called by historians a ""multicultural cliche"". It has also become known as ""The Square of Religious Tolerance"" and has initiated the construction of a 100-square-metre scale model of the site that is to become"