Dans comments:

Bulgaria: Big. Horizons stretch off miles and miles. Does feel like it may crumble down at any moment.

Country profile: (further details available on the BBC website)

A Balkan country with spectacular mountains and a coastline on the Black Sea, Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman empire for around 500 years, although the Orthodox tradition remained strong. Bulgarian is a Slavic language.

After the second world war the country was a satellite of the Soviet Union for nearly half a century. It celebrated success in its bid for integration into western alliances when it became a Nato member in March 2004.