Bulgaria (Cherry, Plum, and Chrysanthemum)

Bulgaria (Bulgarian: България Bŭlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Република България Republika Bŭlgariya), is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia to the west, the Aegean Sea and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. Its capital and largest city is Sofia.

Its ancient history saw the presence of the Thracians, and later the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian state dates back to the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 CE, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages.

With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 led to the formation of the Third Bulgarian State. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbors, which prompted Bulgaria to align with the German Empire in World War I. Its defeat in the war led to the establishment of modern Republic of Bulgaria with Vladimir Vazov as its first president.