2005 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 14.1% (male 539,005/female 512,762) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,516,368/female 2,599,524) 65 years and over: 17.2% (male 531,008/female 751,682) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets

Airports

213 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

128 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 92 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

85 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 72 (2004 est.)

Area

land

110,550 sq km

total

110,910 sq km

water

360 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Tennessee

Background

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. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria 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 the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004. Geography Bulgaria

Birth rate

9.66 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$9.619 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

revenues

$9.67 billion

Capital

Sofia

Climate

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline

354 km

Constitution

adopted 12 July 1991

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Bulgaria

conventional short form

Bulgaria

Currency (code)

lev (BGL)

Currency code

BGN

Current account balance

$682.9 million (2004 est.)

Death rate

14.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$16.1 billion (November 2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador James William PARDEW

embassy

16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407

FAX

[359] (2) 937-5230

mailing address

American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740

telephone

[359] (2) 937-5100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA

consulate(s)

Los Angeles

consulate(s) general

Chicago and New York

FAX

[1] (202) 234-7973

telephone

[1] (202) 387-0174

Disputes - international

none

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26.4 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

$300 million (2000 est.)

Economy - overview

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. Minerals, including coal, copper, and zinc play an important role in industry. In 1997, macroeconomic stability was reinforced by the imposition of a fixed exchange rate of the lev against the German D-mark and the negotiation of an IMF standby agreement. Low inflation and steady progress on structural reforms improved the business environment; Bulgaria has averaged 4% growth since 2000 and has begun to attract significant amounts of foreign direct investment. Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria.

Electricity - consumption

32.71 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

8.3 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

960 million kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

43.07 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

47.8%

hydro

8.1%

nuclear

44.1%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Musala 2,925 m

lowest point

Black Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Ethnic groups

Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)

Exchange rates

leva per US dollar - 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000) 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

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly

chief of state

President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)

election results

Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67

elections

president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ivaylo KALFIN (since 16 August 2005)

Exports

$9.134 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels

Exports - partners

Italy 13.1%, Germany 11.6%, Turkey 9.3%, Belgium 6.1%, Greece 5.6%, US 5.3%, France 4.9% (2004)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Bulgaria

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; note - the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed Economy Bulgaria

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

11.5%

industry

30.1%

services

58.4% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,200 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$61.63 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia People Bulgaria

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Heliports

1 (2004 est.) Military Bulgaria

Highways

paved

34,111 km (including 328 km of expressways)

total

37,077 km

unpaved

2,966 km (2002)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% - note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

346 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.5% highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)

Illicit drugs

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 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$12.23 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials

Imports - partners

Germany 15.1%, Italy 10.2%, Russia 7.9%, Greece 7.5%, Turkey 6.9%, France 4.4% (2004)

Independence

3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)

Industrial production growth rate

5.2% (2004 est.)

Industries

electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel

Infant mortality rate

female

16.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

24.31 deaths/1,000 live births

total

20.55 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.1% (2004 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code

.bg

Internet hosts

53,421 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

200 (2001)

Internet users

630,000 (2002) Transportation Bulgaria

Investment (gross fixed)

18.6% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

8,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

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)

Labor force

3.398 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 11%, industry 32.7%, services 56.3% (3rd quarter 2004 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km

total

1,808 km

Land use

arable land

40.02%

other

58.06% (2001)

permanent crops

1.92%

Languages

Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Legal system

civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%, MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, ATAKA 21, UDF 20, DSB 17, BPU 13

elections

last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held June 2009)

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.87 years (2005 est.)

male

68.41 years

total population

72.03 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

98.2% (2003 est.) Government Bulgaria

male

99.1%

total population

98.6%

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 1,661,211 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,302,037 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males

51,023 (2005 est.)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

42.66 years (2005 est.)

male

38.59 years

total

40.66 years

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 34, cargo 13, chemical tanker 4, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3

registered in other countries

45 (2005)

total

64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 757,972 GRT/1,115,238 DWT

Military branches

Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$356 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.6% (2003) Transnational Issues Bulgaria

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months (2004)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Nationality

adjective

Bulgarian

noun

Bulgarian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

5.804 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

5.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

4 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

3.724 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Natural hazards

earthquakes, landslides

Natural resources

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Net migration rate

-4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

603 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

8.1 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2004)

Political parties and leaders

Attack National Union [Volen Siderov]; ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

Population

7,450,349 (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

13.4% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.89% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Burgas, Varna

Public debt

41.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios

4.51 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

245 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)

standard gauge

4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)

total

4,294 km

Religions

Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$7.526 billion (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

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 (2005 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

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

general assessment

extensive but antiquated

international

country code - 359; direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Telephones - main lines in use

2,868,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2,597,500 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions

3.31 million (1997)

Terrain

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Total fertility rate

1.38 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

12.7% (2004 est.)

Waterways

470 km (2004)