Location
CEE-SPI 2010 will be held at the
Hilton Sofia 1 Bulgaria blvd., Sofia, BG 1421 |
Tel: 359-2-9335000 Fax: 359-2-9335111 |
|
Why Sofia?
Sofia was founded three thousand years ago, by an ancient Thracian tribe, the ‘Serdi’, and known as Serdica until the beginning of the ninth century. Nowdays Sofia is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of the mountain massif Vitosha, and is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of the country.
Sofia is also the country`s financial hub, City of Sofia - center buildingshome to the Bulgarian National Bank, the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, as well as some of the country`s largest commercial banks. Construction, trade and transport are other important sectors of the local economy. Increasingly Sofia is attracting attention as an outsourcing location for Western European and American multinationals.Sofia is also the headquarters for major Bulgarian and international companies operating in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe.
Dramatically ringed by the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Vitosha Mountains to the south, the capital stands on an open plain 550m above sea level. Owing to its altitude, the summers are moderately hot and the winters cold and snowy, making spring and autumn the best times in which to visit. Since ancient times the city was famous for the abudance of cold and thermal mineral water springs in and around it. The water is still available today and is praised for its numerous qualities. Springs may be found in the city center, as well as in the neighbourhoods: Kniazevo, Gorna Bania, Bankia, Ovcha Kupel and Ivaniane.
Why Bulgaria?
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the River Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east.
The National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria estimates the country's population for 2009 at 7,606,000 people
The country joined NATO on 29 March 2004 and signed the European Union Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005. It became a full member of the European Union on 1 January 2007
Bulgaria has been through mammoth changes in the last few years, with many of the cities and resorts undergoing construction booms galore, tempting buyers from Western Europe with relatively cheap property and stunning landscapes.
Bulgaria's beautiful beach and ski resorts are expanding quickly as a result and have lured visitors away from more expensive European destinations with low-priced lift passes and accommodation options. The main cities have shrugged off their weary Communist-era image and have become vibrant and attractive, with well-kept boulevards, varied shopping and lively nightlife.
Among Bulgaria's most advanced scientific branches computer technology features highly, and in the 1980s the country became known as the Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc. According to the Brainbench Global IT IQ report, Bulgaria ranks first in Europe in terms of IT-certified specialists per capita and 8th in the world in total ICT specialists, out-performing countries with far larger populations. In addition, Bulgaria operates one of the most powerful supercomputers in Eastern Europe, an IBM Blue Gene/P, which entered service in September 2008.
Last Change: 26.03.2010
