Bulgarian Nature
Bulgarian Flora 
Because of its geographical location, varied climate and geology, Bulgaria has a very rich flora, with over 3800 species of higher plants including Central European, Mediterranean, Pontic, Pannonian, Steppe and Oriental elements. Compared to other European countries, Bulgaria's flora boasts a relatively large percentage of endemics, with 170 endemic species and 100 endemic subspecies. The highest concentration of these are found in the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) and Rhodope (Rodopi) Mountains. As well as the vascular plants, the Bulgarian flora also comprises some 4000 species of algae, 670 species of mosses and 600 species of lichens. It is also interesting to mention here the great diversity of fungi species in Bulgaria. At present, well over 5000 species of fungi, fungi-like species and slime-moulds have been recorded in Bulgaria. |
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Bulgarian Fauna 
As with the flora, Bulgaria's faunistic richness results from a combination of climatic and geographical factors. In terms of its diversity, Bulgaria's fauna ranks amongst the richest in Europe, and the country is thought to be home to almost one quarter of species so far found on the continent. Up to now, almost 30,000 species had been discovered in Bulgaria, but many experts believe that the final total is likely to about 56,000. So far, just under 800 species of vertebrates have been recorded with the remaining 97% made up of invertebrate species. |
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Bulgarian Protected Territories 
Bulgaria has a long tradition of nature conservation. Its first protected area, the 'Silikosiya' reserve,
was established in the Strandzha Mountains as early as 1931. Over the subsequent decades, a whole network of
parks, reserves and protected territories has been established, and these now encompass some 5% of the country's
territory. These include 3 National Parks, 10 Nature Parks, 55 'Strict' Nature Reserves, 35 'Maintained' Nature
Reserves, 457 Natural Monuments and 175 Protected Sites.
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