when was bulgaria founded

Bulgaria was founded in the year 681 AD. This year marks the establishment of the Bulgarian state under Khan Asparuh after his Bulgar tribes crossed the Danube, conquered local Slavic tribes, and defeated the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire recognized Bulgarian control of the region through a treaty signed in 681, which is considered the official foundation of present-day Bulgaria. This founding established the First Bulgarian Empire and the city of Pliska as its capital. Earlier, in 632 AD, the Bulgars had formed an independent state known as Great Bulgaria north of the Black Sea under Kubrat, but this entity disintegrated due to external pressure. The key foundational moment for Bulgaria as a nation-state is thus 681 AD when the state south of the Danube was established and recognized.