Language in Bulgaria

The official language of Bulgaria is Bulgarian. 8.5 million people within the country speak Bulgarian. There are two main dialects of Bulgarian: the eastern dialect is used as the language for literacy.

Until 1878, Bulgaria was ruled under the Ottoman Empire. The Bulgarian language survived in the country and the gypsies, Turks, and Macedonians who lived in the cities heavily influenced the language. Language can be a complicated matter in Bulgaria.

There are about one million people in Bulgaria speak Turkish.

About 250,000 Macedonians live in Bulgaria, and speak Macedonian. Macedonian is used only as a spoken language in Bulgaria and is not taught in schools. The Macedonian language is very similar to the Bulgarian language

The language of the gypsies is called Romani. Romani is used only as a spoken language in Bulgaria

Currency

The “Lev” is the official currency of Bulgaria. At this time, the Lev exchange is in the process to become part of the EU membership process. In 2007, Bulgaria will start to adopt the euro as its currency and the Lev will slowly be phased out, being completely unusable by 2010.

When visiting Bulgaria you can exchange cash at banks or change bureaus. You can also exchange money for daily rates at airports, as well as at the exchange desks of different banks. Many hotels will also be able to change your money.