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Background:
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 The
Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local
Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first
Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled
with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans,
but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by
the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878
but, having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, it
fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a
People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990,
when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World
War II and began the contentious process of moving toward
political democracy and a market economy while combating
inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms
and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual
integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began
accession negotiations in 2000. |
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Location:
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Southeastern
Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total:
110,910 sq km
water: 360 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than Tennessee |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and
Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km |
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Coastline:
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354 km |
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Climate:
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temperate; cold,
damp winters; hot, dry summers |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains
with lowlands in north and southeast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m |
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, copper,
lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land:
39%
permanent crops: 1.8%
other: 59.2% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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8,000 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes,
landslides |
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution
from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage,
heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from
air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from
heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur
85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from
Europe to Middle East and Asia |
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Population:
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7,517,973 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
14.4% (male 553,801; female 526,856)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,533,784; female 2,615,968)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 535,954; female 751,610)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
40.5 years
male: 38.4 years
female: 42.4 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.92% (2004
est.) |
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Birth rate:
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9.65 births/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.25
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
21.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 71.75 years
male: 68.14 years
female: 75.59 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% -
note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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346 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Bulgarian 83.9%,
Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian,
Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001) |
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Religions:
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Bulgarian
Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish
0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 3.4% (1998) |
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Languages:
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Bulgarian,
secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.2% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria |
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Government type:
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parliamentary
democracy |
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Capital:
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Sofia |
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Administrative divisions:
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28 provinces (oblasti,
singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo,
Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik,
Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra,
Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora,
Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol |
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Independence:
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3 March 1878
(from Ottoman Empire) |
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National holiday:
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Liberation Day, 3
March (1878) |
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Constitution:
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adopted 12 July
1991 |
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Legal system:
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civil law and
criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002);
Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of
Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24
July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24
July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen
PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National
Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last
held 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA
2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister)
nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated
by the prime minister
election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president;
percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV
45.87% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA
June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2
42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party -
NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of
January 2004 - NMS2 108, UtdDF 49, CfB 48, MRF 20,
independents 15 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation;
Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for
nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the
chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and
22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices,
prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice
system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for
five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by
bodies of the judiciary) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Bulgarian
Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for
Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei
STANISHEV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed
DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon
SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda
MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI];
United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF
and other center-right parties) |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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agrarian
movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of
Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous
regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various
agendas |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW
embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of
State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77 |
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Economy - overview:
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Bulgaria, a
former communist country striving to enter the European Union,
has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth
since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the
then socialist government. As a result, the government became
committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning.
A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at
the end of 2001 has supported government efforts to overcome
high rates of poverty and unemployment. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $57.13 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.4% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $7,600 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
12.5%
industry: 27.8%
services: 59.7% (2002) |
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Population below poverty line:
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13.4% (2002 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.6% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3.83 million
(2000 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 26%,
industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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13.5% (2003) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$6.68 billion
expenditures: $6.69 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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electricity, gas
and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and
equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined
petroleum, nuclear fuel |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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41.38 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
47.8%
hydro: 8.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 44.1% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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32.52 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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603 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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94,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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4 million cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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5.804 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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vegetables,
fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers,
sugar beets |
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Exports:
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$7.337 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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clothing,
footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels |
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 15.5%,
Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%, US 4.8%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$9.723 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuels, minerals,
and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores;
chemicals and plastics; food, textiles |
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Imports - partners:
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Russia 14.6%,
Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%, Turkey
5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$12.6 billion
(yearend 2003) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$300 million
(2000 est.) |
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Currency:
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lev (BGL) |
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Currency code:
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BGN |
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Exchange rates:
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leva per US
dollar - 1.73 (2003), 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000),
1.84 (1999)
note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the
post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999
lev |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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2,868,200 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,597,500 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: extensive but antiquated
domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are
residential; telephone service is available in most villages;
a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects
switching centers in most of the regions, the others are
connected by digital microwave radio relay
international: country code - 359; direct dialing to 58
countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 31, FM 63,
shortwave 2 (2001) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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39 (plus 1,242
repeaters) (2001) |
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Internet country code:
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.bg |
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Internet hosts:
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32,986 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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630,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2003) |
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Highways:
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total:
37,286 km
paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,237 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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470 km (1987) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,425 km; oil
339 km; refined products 156 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Burgas, Lom,
Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 60
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 757,972 GRT/1,115,238 DWT
by type: bulk 37, cargo 7, chemical tanker 4, container
2, petroleum tanker 3, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3,
short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 45 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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212 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 127
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 91 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 85
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 72 (2003 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy, Air
and Air Defense Forces |
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Military manpower - military age:
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19 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 1,829,203 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 1,530,657 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
52,811 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$356 million
(FY02) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.6% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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major European
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a
lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market;
limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering
of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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