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Introduction | Bulgaria

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

Location: | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates: | 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 110,910 sq km water: 360 sq km land: 110,550 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries: | total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Coastline: | 354 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: | temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: | mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources: | bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use: | arable land: 40.02% permanent crops: 1.92% other: 58.06% (2001)
Irrigated land: | 8,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | earthquakes, landslides
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
Geography - note: | strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

People | Bulgaria

Population: | 7,517,973 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: | 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.)
Median age: | total: 40.5 years male: 38.4 years female: 42.4 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: | -0.92% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: | 9.65 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: | 14.25 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate: | -4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (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 (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | 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
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.75 years male: 68.14 years female: 75.59 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 346 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality: | noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups: | Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001)
Religions: | Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 3.4% (1998)
Languages: | Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

Government | Bulgaria

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria
Government type: | parliamentary democracy
Capital: | Sofia
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
Independence: | 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: | Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution: | adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system: | civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | 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), Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), and Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and 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 and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
Legislative branch: | 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%, UDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of January 2005 - NMS2 98, CfB 49, UtDF 28, MRF 20, UDF 14, New Time 13, BANU 11, independents 7
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)
Political parties and leaders: | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; 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]; 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 DSB)
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
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, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: | 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
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5230
Flag description: | three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control)

Economy | Bulgaria

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. 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.
GDP: | purchasing power parity - $57.13 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 4.3% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 11.4% industry: 30% services: 58.6% (2003)
Investment (gross fixed): | 19.6% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line: | 13.4% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 4.5% highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 26.4 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.3% (2003 est.)
Labor force: | 3.333 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 14.3% (2003)
Budget: | revenues: $8.121 billion expenditures: $8.121 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Public debt: | 48% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture - products: | vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
Industries: | electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate: | 6.3% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production: | 41.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 32.52 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports: | 6.79 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports: | 830 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production: | 603 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA (2001)
Oil - imports: | NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves: | 8.1 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: | 4 million cu m (2001 est.)
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 - proved reserves: | 3.724 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance: | $-1.666 billion (2003)
Exports: | $7.337 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities: | clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners: | Italy 14.1%, Germany 10.9%, Greece 10.5%, Turkey 9.2%, France 5.1%, US 4.5% (2003)
Imports: | $9.723 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities: | fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
Imports - partners: | Germany 14.4%, Russia 12.6%, Italy 10.3%, Greece 6.7%, Turkey 6.2%, France 5.7% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: | $6.705 billion (2003)
Debt - external: | $12.05 billion (2003)
Economic aid - recipient: | $300 million (2000 est.)
Currency: | lev (BGL)
Currency code: | BGN
Exchange rates: | leva per US dollar - 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (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
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Bulgaria

Telephones - main lines in use: | 2,868,200 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 2,597,500 (2002)
Telephone system: | 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)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
Radios: | 4.51 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions: | 3.31 million (1997)
Internet country code: | .bg
Internet hosts: | 53,421 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 200 (2001)
Internet users: | 630,000 (2002)

Transportation | Bulgaria

Railways: | 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)
Highways: | total: 37,286 km paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)
Waterways: | 470 km (2004)
Pipelines: | gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: | Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Merchant marine: | 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 (2004 est.)
Airports: | 212 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 128 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 92 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
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.)
Heliports: | 1 (2003 est.)

Military | Bulgaria

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces
Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months (2004)
Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,829,203 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,530,657 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 52,811 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $356 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues | Bulgaria

Disputes - international: | none
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 10 February, 2005