Since 1999 Bulgaria is divided into 28 oblasts (provinces or regions) that correspond aproximatly to the 28 okrugs that existet before 1987. From 1987 until 1999 Bulgaria was divided into 9 regions also called oblasts. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... An oblast (Russian, Ukrainian: о́бласть) is a name for the subnational entity of Bulgaria, Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. ... Province is a name for a secondary, or subnational entity of government in most countries. ... A region can be any area that has some unifying feature. ... Okrug is a term to denote administrative subdivision in some Slavic states. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

List of provinces

• Blagoevgrad
• Burgas
• Dobrich
• Gabrovo
• Khaskovo
• Kurdzhali
• Kyustendil
• Lovech
• Montana
• Pazardzhik
• Pernik
• Pleven
• Plovdiv
• Razgrad
• Ruse
• Shumen
• Silistra
• Sliven
• Smolyan
• Sofia Province
• Sofia city
• Stara Zagora
• Turgovishte
• Veliko Turnovo
• Varna
• Vidin
• Vratsa
• Yambol

Blagoevgrad province shown within Bulgaria Blagoevgrad (formerly Gorana Cumaya, Turkish Cuma-i Bala) is a province of south western Bulgaria. ... National Theatre, Sofia Alexander Nevski Cathedral The city of Sofia (Bulgarian: София), at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, has a population of 1,208,930 (2003), and is the capital of the Republic of Bulgaria. ...

1987-1999 regions

The new regions created in 1999 are indicated in parentheses next to the 1987 regions from which they were created.

• Burgas region (Burgas, Sliven, Yambol)
• Khashkovo region (Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Stara Zagora)
• Lovech region (Gabrovo, Lovech, Pleven, Turnovo)
• Montana region (Montana, Vidin, Vratsa)
• Plovdiv region (Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Smolyan)
• Ruse region (Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Turgovishte)
• Sofia region (Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pernik, Sofia region)
• Varna region (Dobrich, Shumen, Varna)