Balkans
The Balkans are usually said to comprise Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia, while Greece and Turkey are often excluded. Its total area is usually given as 666,700 square km (257,400 square miles) and the population as 59,297,000 (est. 2002).
Bulgaria
The Balkan mountains run laterally through the middle of the country. The mountainous southwest has two distinct alpine ranges—Rila and Pirin, which border the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east. Musala, at , is the highest point in both Bulgaria and the Balkan peninsula, and the Black Sea coast is the country's lowest point. Plains occupy about one third of the territory, while plateaux and hills occupy 41%. Most rivers are short and with low water levels. The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of . Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south.