& climate

Bulgaria has a temperate-continental climate with moderate features which is characteristic for Central Europe, with hot summers, long, cold winters and very distinct seasons. Abundant snowfalls may occur throughout the country from December to mid-March, especially if you are in the mountainous areas of Bulgaria.The hottest are July and August and the coldest is Jannuary.

The natural landscape of Bulgaria is diverse, consisting of lowlands, plains, foothills and plateaus, river valleys, basins, and mountains of varying elevations. About 70% of the country’s territory is hilly land and 30% is mountainous. The average elevation of the country’s territory is 467 m, generally decreasing from south to north and from west to east. Table showing the distribution of the height zones in Bulgaria:

The longest river that Bulgaria has a bank on is the Danube (2,888 km), which spans most of the country's northern border. The longest one to run through the country (and also the deepest) is the Maritsa (480 km), while the longest river that runs so- lely in Bulgaria is the Iskar (368 km).

The Balkan Mountains divide Bulgaria into two nearly equal drainage systems. The larger system drains northward to the Black Sea, mainly by way of the River Danube. Map of drainage systems and drainage divide in Bulgaria (dark yellow - Aegean Sea drainage system, light yellow - Black Sea drainage system. The dashed line represents the border between the systems draining directly to the Black Sea or indirectly through the river Danube)

Lake Burgas, located near the Black Sea west of the city of Burgas, is the largest natural lake in Bulgaria, with an area of km², a length of 9.6 km and a width of 2.5 to 5 km. It is up to 31 meters deep. An important fish- producing reservoir in the past, Lake Burgas lost much of its economic importance after the construction of the petrochemical plant near the city, but has witnessed an increasing number of species and decreasing pollution in recent years.

The Seven Rila Lakes are a group of lakes of glacial origin (glacial lakes), situated in the northwestern Rila Mountains in Bulgaria. They are the most visited group of lakes in Bulgaria. The lakes are situated between 2,100 and 2,500 metres elevation above sea level. One of this lakes carries the name Okoto ("The Eye") after its almost perfectly oval form. Okoto is the deepest cirque lake in Bulgaria, with a depth of 37.5 m.

In the central part of the country lies the Balkan Mountain Range, where the highest peak is Botev (2,376 m). From south to north, its western area is crossed by the Iskar River, which forms a picturesque gorge more than 70 km long. The northern arm of the Balkan Mountains is mainly karst. Until 1950, when it was renamed in honour of Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev, the peak was called Yumrukchal. "Botev Peak" is the main facility of Bulgarian FM and TV broadcasting network.

Rila is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m. The massif is also the sixth highest mountain in Europe. Musala is the highest peak between the Alps and the Caucasus and the highest in Eastern Europe bar the Caucasus.