1985 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1985 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
mainly self-sufficient; main crops — grain, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, sheep, hogs, poultry, cheese, sunflower seeds
Area
1 10,912 km2; slightly larger than Ohio; 41% arable; 33% forest; 15% other; 11% other agricultural
Branches
legislative (National Assembly); judiciary, Supreme Court
Capital
Sofia
Coastline
354 km People
Communists
825,81 1 party members (April 1981) Mass organizations and front groups: Fatherland Front, Dimitrov Communist Youth Union, Central Council of Trade Unions, National Committee for Defense of Peace, Union of Fighters Against Fascism and Capitalism, Committee of Bulgarian Women, All-National Committee for BulgarianSoviet Friendship
Crude steel
2.8 million metric tons produced (1983), 313 kg per capita
Elections
held every five years for National Assembly; last election held on 7 June 1981; 99.96% of the electorate voted Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Communist Party, Todor Zhivkov, General Secretary; Bulgarian National Agrarian Union, a puppet party, Petur Tanchev, secretary of Permanent Board
Electric power
9,524,000 kW capacity (1984); 43.899 billion kWh produced (1984), 4,900 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
85.3% Bulgarian, 8.5% Turk, 2.6% Gypsy, 2.5% Macedonian, 0.3% Armenian, 0.2% Russian, 0.6% other
Exports
$11.9 billion (f.o.b., 1983); 48% machinery and equipment; 17% agricultural products; 11% fuels, mineral raw materials, and metals; 10% manufactured consumer goods; 14% other
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 140,000 metric tons (1982)
GNP
$35.4 billion, 1983 (1981 dollars), $3,977 per capita; 1983 real growth rate, 0.1%
Government leaders
Todor ZHIVKOV, Chairman, State Council (President and Chief of State; since July 1971); Georgi (Grisha) Stanchev F1LIPOV, Chairman, Council of Ministers (Premier; since June 1981)
Imports
$1 1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1983); 46% fuels and minerals, 34% machinery and equipment, 5% chemicals, 4% manufactured consumer goods, 11% other (1982)
Labor force
3,997,615(1983); 42.6% industry and commerce, 23.3% agriculture, 1.5% government, 32.6% other Government
Land boundaries
1,883km Water
Language
Bulgarian; secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Legal system
based on civil la w system, with Soviet law influence; new constitution adopted in 1971 Judicial review of legislative acts in the State Council; legal education at University of Sofia; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm
Literacy
95% (est.)
Major industries
food processing, machine building, chemicals, metallurgical products, electronics, textiles and clothing
Major trade partners
$23.3 billion in 1983; 57% with USSR, 21% with other Communist countries, 22% with non-Communist countries
Member of
CEMA, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMO, IPU, 1TC, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO; Warsaw Pact, International Organization of Journalists, International Medical Association, International Radio and Television Organization Economy
Monetary conversion rate
1.03 leva=US$l (June 1984)
National holiday
National Liberation Day, 9 September
Nationality
noun — Bulgarian(s); adjective— Bulgarian
Official name
People's Republic of Bulgaria
Political subdivisions
27 okrugs (districts); capital city of Sofia has equivalent status
Population
8,980,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 0.2%
Religion
regime promotes atheism; religious background of population is 85% Bulgarian Orthodox, 13% Muslim, 0.8% Jewish, 0.7% Roman Catholic, 0.5% Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian and other
Shortages
some raw materials, metal products
Suffrage
universal and compulsory over age
Type
Communist state