The Military Geographic Service [1] is a unit of the Bulgarian Armed Forces responsible for meeting the obligations of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense in the field of cartography and geographic information. This includes the mapping and production of topographic maps of 1:25000 and lesser scale, maintaining the national geodetic network, and providing topographic and geographic data, digital products and information to the Armed Forces, government institutions and private users. [2] According to the 2006 Law of Geodesy and Cartography, the areas subject to such mapping comprise the country’s territory as well as the area of the Bulgarian base in Antarctica. [3]
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The capital and largest city is Sofia; other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country.
The Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria is the ministry charged with regulating the Bulgarian Armed Forces.
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.
The mapping activities of the Service are carried out by its Military Geographic Centre based in the city of Troyan in northern Bulgaria. Among the products of the Centre is the 2009 Bulgarian topographic map of Livingston Island, Desolation Island, Half Moon Island, Greenwich Island, Aitcho Islands, Robert Island, Rugged Island, Snow Island and Smith Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, [4] and the 2016 large scale topographic map of the Bulgarian Antarctic base St. Kliment Ohridski. [5]
Troyan is a town remembering the name of Roman Emperor Trajan, in Lovech Province in central Bulgaria with population of 21,997 inhabitants, as of December 2009. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Troyan Municipality. The town is about 162 kilometres away from the country capital Sofia. The river of Beli Osam passes through the heart of the town. The 2011 Census indicates that the population of the Trojan was 21.194 inhabitants. The racial distribution of the inhabitants is ethnic Bulgarians (87.29%), with minorities being Roma (1.23%) and Turks (1.03%). The ethnicity for 10,21% of inhabitants is not known. Donka Mihaylova of Bulgarian Socialist Party has been the town's mayor since 2011.
Desolation Island is one of the minor islands in the South Shetlands archipelago, Antarctica situated at the entrance to Hero Bay, Livingston Island. The island is V-shaped with its northern coast indented by Kozma Cove. Surface area 3.12 square kilometres (1.20 sq mi).
The Aitcho Islands are a group of minor islands on the west side of the north entrance to English Strait separating Greenwich Island and Robert Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, which are situated between Dee Island to the south and Table Island to the north. The group is separated from Dee Island and Sierra Island to the southwest by Villalón Passage. The area was visited by early 19th century sealers operating from nearby Clothier Harbour. During the austral summer the islands are often visited by Antarctic cruise ships with tourists who land to watch wildlife.
