Sofia

Sofia (pop. 1,220,900), capital, largest city and commercial center of Bulgaria, in west-central Bulgaria between the Balkan Mountains in the north and the Vitosa Mountains in the south. Its industry includes machinery, textiles, and electrical equipment. Landmarks include the former royal palace, the parliament building, old mosques, churches, and synagogues. Sofia was settled by the Thracians; between the 1st and 4th centuries, Rome, Byzantium, and the first and second Bulgarian kingdoms were the ruling powers. In 1832 Turkish rule took hold until Russian's ascendance in 1878. Bulgaria achieved independence in 1879, with Sofia as its capital. Occupied by the Germans in World War II, it was taken by Soviet troops in 1944, and a Communist government was established and ruled until 1991.