Bulgaria, a country of roughly 7.5 million people, lies on the Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe. Bulgaria"s history dates back thousands of years. In the late fourteenth century, the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire conquered the Balkans. Bulgarians lived under Turkish domination until the 1800s, when the Ottoman Empire weakened. Aided by Russia, Bulgaria gained partial independence in 1878 and full independence in 1908. However, after World War II, the Communist Party seized power in Bulgaria. Along with several other Eastern European nations, Bulgaria was part of the Soviet Bloc. Around 1990 Bulgarians ended their Communist regime and established a new, democratic republic. With the fall of Communism, Bulgaria flourished. Today, many tourists come to Bulgaria to enjoy its picturesque mountains, quaint villages, seaside resorts, and ancient ruins.