The aim of the present study is to determine the degree of tourist utilization of protected areas, in particular Natural Monuments, in relation to alternative forms of tourism using selected criteria and indicators. A categorization of natural monuments according to the degree of their tourist utilization is proposed, and their distribution by class within mountainous regions is presented. The correlation analysis reveals a significant relationship between the variables „tourism attractiveness“, „general infrastructure“, „basic facilities“, and „tourism infrastructure“. The correlation coefficient is positive for all pairs of variables. Attention is drawn to the importance of natural monuments in Bulgaria for various forms of alternative tourism: ecotourism, hiking tourism, speleotourism, rock climbing, cycling tourism, photo tourism, cultural tourism, and religious tourism. It could be concluded that natural monuments are the main resource for one of the rapidly developing alternative forms of tourism ecotourism. At the same time, it is noted that a single NM may be suitable for more than one type of alternative tourism, which proves their intertwining and mutual complementarity once again.

The paper analyses general and in work poverty in Bulgaria, based on several poverty related indicators such as poverty line, population at risk of poverty, and working poor. The analysis relies on National Statistical Institute data at national and regional (NUTS 3) level, for different periods depending on data availability. The results show that while general poverty has decreased in recent years, the share of the working poor population remains stable and has even increased. The largest share of persons below the poverty line is formed by persons of lower educational level, while the working poor population is mostly represented by the category of part time employees, as well as single parents living in households with dependent children. Until 2021 the largest share of people below the poverty line was that of the elderly (65+), whereas in recent years their share has been overtaken by the youngest population (aged 0-17). The regional analysis shows significant disparities regarding the selected indicators: while some regions exhibit high regional poverty line combined with relatively low share of people below that line, other regions exhibit low poverty line and relatively high share of poor population. The lack of public data on working poor by NUTS region seriously hampers the more thorough analysis of that category of employed persons in regional aspect.

This article examines the role of local festivals as a factor contributing to the territorial resilience of local communities in Bulgaria. Building upon the concepts of community resilience, territorial capital, social capital, and place-based development, the study explores how local festivals extend beyond their cultural and symbolic functions to become mechanisms for strengthening social cohesion, stimulating local economies, and enhancing the adaptive capacity of communities. The empirical analysis is based on data from a nationally representative sociological survey conducted in 2023 among 800 respondents living in settlements where local festivals are regularly organized. The analytical framework combines exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Games–Howell post hoc tests to identify the principal dimensions of the perceived impact of local festivals and to examine spatial differences across settlement types. Comparative analysis further reveals statistically significant spatial differences in public perceptions across settlement types, with the perceived contribution of local festivals to social cohesion, local development, and the adaptive capacity of communities increasing as settlement size decreases. These findings highlight the importance of the spatial context for interpreting the role of local festivals and provide empirical evidence supporting their integration into regional and local development policies. The findings demonstrate that local festivals generate multidimensional effects encompassing social cohesion, institutional cooperation, economic vitality, and community resilience. Factor analysis identifies several latent dimensions describing the contribution of festivals to local development, while comparative analysis reveals significant territorial differences. Residents of small towns and villages perceive local festivals as substantially more important for strengthening community solidarity, supporting local economic activities, preserving cultural identity, and addressing demographic challenges than residents of the capital city. These results suggest that the developmental functions of local festivals become increasingly significant as settlement size decreases. The study contributes to the growing literature on territorial resilience by proposing an empirical framework that conceptualizes local festivals as a form of territorial capital. It demonstrates that their developmental role is spatially differentiated and closely related to the socio-economic characteristics of local communities. The findings also provide evidence supporting the integration of local cultural initiatives into regional and local development policies aimed at strengthening the resilience and long-term sustainability of peripheral territories.

Differences in labour force demographic trends across the country’s statistical regions are tracked and assessed and regional features in labour supply are highlighted. A comparative analysis of the trends in the key demographic and socioeconomic indicators related to labour force reproduction during the period 2003–2025 was conducted based on six characteristics: sex, age, education, economic activity, employment, unemployment, and place of residence. Economic burden rates have been calculated in order to assess the extent of labour force burden created by dependents outside working age. The results of the analysis show that the statistical regions can be broadly divided into three groups based on the extent of change in the demographic and key socioeconomic parameters of the labour force during the period under review. Suggestions based on the grouping of regions have been made that might improve the characteristics of the labour force. The suggestions concern the design and implementation of policies and programs for economic growth programs and improving of the labour force quality as well as the development of specific regional programs to increase employment and economic activity levels in each of the statistical regions.

Wetlands are among the most dynamic and environmentally sensitive natural systems, characterized by complex interactions between hydrological processes, vegetation, relief, and surrounding land-cover patterns. Their spatial structure may vary considerably in response to fluctuations in water regimes, which makes the availability of up-to-date spatial information particularly important for their assessment, monitoring, and sustainable management. The Srebarna wetland system, located in northeastern Bulgaria along the Danube River, represents a protected wetland of high ecological and conservation significance and is characterized by a heterogeneous spatial configuration of open water, extensive hydrophytic vegetation, periodically dried areas, and surrounding terrestrial landscapes. In this context, the integration of satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides an effective framework for detailed and reproducible spatial characterization of its contemporary landscape structure. The aim of the present study is to develop and apply an integrated approach for spatial modelling and quantitative assessment of the contemporary landscape structure of the Srebarna wetland system as of 25 July 2025. The analysis is based on Sentinel-2 Level-2A multispectral satellite data, a digital elevation model (DEM), and CORINE Land Cover (CLC) 2018 data integrated within a GIS environment. The Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were calculated from the Sentinel-2 imagery to support the differentiation and spatial characterization of open water and vegetation. NDWI was subsequently used for the automated extraction of the water surface, providing a satellite-derived representation of the spatial extent of open water at the time of image acquisition. NDVI, together with natural-colour Sentinel-2 imagery and expert interpretation, supported the characterization of vegetation patterns and the differentiation of the principal components of the wetland landscape. To provide a broader spatial context, CORINE Land Cover 2018 was used as baseline land-cover information for the territories adjacent to the wetland, with the original CLC classes aggregated into broader categories corresponding to the scale and objectives of the study. The resulting thematic spatial layers were integrated within GIS to construct a comprehensive model of the contemporary landscape structure of the Srebarna wetland system. The model demonstrates the pronounced spatial dominance of hydrophytic formations within the investigated wetland area, followed by dried areas and the open water body, while the surrounding territory is represented through the generalized land-cover categories derived from CLC 2018. The automatically extracted water surface was additionally compared spatially with the water body represented in the final integrated landscape model, allowing the correspondence and differences between the satellite-derived and interpreted spatial representations to be assessed. The proposed methodological framework combines multispectral satellite imagery, spectral indices, automated water-surface extraction, GIS-based spatial analysis, land-cover information, and expert interpretation within a unified workflow. The study demonstrates the applicability of this integrated approach for detailed spatial characterization of the current state of the Srebarna wetland system without implying temporal change from a single satellite observation. The developed spatial model provides a reference representation of the wetland landscape as of 25 July 2025 and establishes a methodological basis for subsequent multi-temporal analyses and monitoring of changes in water extent, vegetation patterns, and the overall landscape structure. The results may also provide useful spatial information for future environmental assessment, conservation planning, and long-term monitoring of this protected wetland system.

Brestnitsa Karst Geosystem (BKG) was formed in the Pre-Balkans in Northern Bulgaria. It is developed in Mesozoic organogenic limestones with a very high carbonate content. A complete karst morphological complex has been formed in the relief of the geosystem, which is the result of the combination of autogenous and allogenic types of karst. The BKG region is located in the transitional area between the subtropical and temperate climate. The karst aquifer is recharged by infiltration through the aeration zone of precipitation, irrigation and waste household and fecal waters from livestock farms and inflow of river waters and periodic surface runoff of precipitation waters into sinkholes. The specific structure of the karst geosystem is the reason why its water cycle is very sensitive to global changes of both natural and anthropogenic types and is highly vulnerable to pollution (mechanical, chemical, bacteriological). This is a serious problem, because the geosystem drains into the karst spring Glava Panega, which is the highest flow concentrated spring in Bulgaria. Its waters are used for industrial and drinking-domestic water supply. The aim of this study is to track and analyze the consequences of global changes on the water cycle through application of a geosystem approach and the original model for integrated monitoring of karst geosystems (MIKS). Special attention is paid to the sources of anthropogenic pressure influenced by socio-economic changes in regional, national and global aspects and their impact on the pollution of karst waters.

In this article, the Matrix is understood as an independent ontological phenomenon consisting of a) a machine, b) rules (algorithms), and c) signs and images. The Matrix possesses the attributes of subjectivity. The Matrix generates and organizes information to the detriment of humanity, leveling and stultifying the individual (I). It emerged in history alongside the birth of society and has undergone a long process of formation, development, and refinement. Today, it has reached the «stage» of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, which the article examines as antitheses of the landscape organization of human existence. The Matrix, functioning within or alongside the landscape, is in constant conflict with the landscape, as the latter prevents the Matrix from fulfilling its primary existential task-depersonalizing the Self. The landscape possesses the following «antimatrix» abilities and properties: It limits the speed of generation, circulation, and storage of information structured by the Matrix. It renormalizes infinity into impossibility. It positions subjectivity as personality (the landscape nature of the Self). It visualizes personality (the property of faciality). It guarantees the Self freedom of choice and free will (the axiom of choice). It constitutes the diversity of being as such. In the near future, the Matrix will enter (has entered?) a very severe conflict with the Landscape, the outcome of which is currently unpredictable. Hopes for the progress of history, society, and science (including geography) «based» on artificial intelligence and virtual reality (so-called transhumanism) are existentially short-sighted and naive.