Sofia is the capital and the largest city of Republic of Bulgaria. It has 1.3 million people. It is the 15th largest city of the European Union. Sofia is in the west of Bulgaria.
Sofia is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe; the history of Sofia dates back to the 8th century BC.
Many of the major universities, cultural institutions, and businesses of Bulgaria are concentrated in Sofia.
At 550 m (1,800 ft) above sea level, Sofia is the third highest capital in Europe (after the Andorran capital Andorra la Vella and the Spanish capital Madrid). It has a humid continental climate (Dfb in the Köppen climate classification).