1988 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; Macedonia question with Greece and Yugoslavia

Climate

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Coastline

354 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Ohio

about the size of Colorado

Environment

subject to earthquakes, landslides; deforestation

recent droughts and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities, population distribution, economy; overgrazing; deforestation

Ethnic divisions

85.3% Bulgarian, 8.5% Turk, 2.6% Gypsy, 2.5% Macedonian, 0.3% Armenian, 0.2% Russian, 0.6% other

more than 50 tribes; principal tribe is Mossi (about 2.5 million); other important groups are Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Infant mortality rate

20.2/1,000 (1983)

182/1,000 (1984)

Labor force

4,113,546 (1983); 34% industry, 22% agriculture, 44% other

90% agriculture; 10% industry, commerce, services, and government; about 30,000 are wage earners; about 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment

Land boundaries

1,883 km total

3,307 km total

Land use

34% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes 11% irrigated

10% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 37% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 27% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Language

Bulgarian; secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

French (official); tribal languages belong to Sudanic family, spoken by 50% of the population

Life expectancy

men 69, women 74

42

Literacy

95% (est.)

7%

Member of

ASEAN, ESCAP (associate member), IMO, INTERPOL, QIC, UN

Nationality

noun — Bulgarian(s); adjective— Bulgarian

noun — Burkinabe; adjective — Burkinabe

Organized labor

four principal trade union groups represent less than 1% of population

Population

8,960,749 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.08%

8,276,272 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.42%

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

65% indigenous beliefs, about 25% Muslim, 10% Christian (mainly Catholic)

Special notes

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

landlocked

Terrain

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and south

mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in south

Territorial sea

12 nm

Total area

110,910 km2; land area: 110,550 km2

274,200 km2; land area: 273,800 km2

Administrative divisions

27 okrugs (districts); capital city of Sofia has equivalent status

30 provinces; 250 departments

Branches

legislative (National Assembly); judiciary, Supreme Court

President is an army officer; military council of unknown number; 21-member military and civilian Cabinet; judiciary

Capital

Sofia

Ouagadougou

Communists

932,055 party members (April 1986) 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 Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship

small Communist party front group; some sympathizers

Elections

held every five years for National Assembly; last election held in June 1986; more than 99% of 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

political process suspended; no talk of returning to constitutional rule Political parties and leaders: all political parties banned following November 1980 coup

Government leaders

Todor Khristov ZHIVKOV, Chairman, State Council (President and Chief of State; since July 1971); Georgi Ivanov ATANASOV, Chairman, Council of Ministers (Premier; since March 1986)

Cdr. Thomas SANKARA, President (since August 1983)

Legal system

based on civil law system, with Soviet law influence; new constitution adopted in 1971; judicial review of legislative acts in the State Council; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

based on French civil law system and customary law

Member of

CEMA, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMO, IPU, ITC, 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

AfDB, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), Entente, FAO, GATT, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, Niger River Commission, OAU, OCAM, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

National Liberation Day, 9 September

Independence Day, 4 August

Official name

People's Republic of Bulgaria

Burkina Faso (since August 1984)

Other political or pressure groups

committees for the defense of the revolution, watchdog/political action groups established by current regime throughout the country in both organizations and communities

Suffrage

universal and compulsory over age 18

none

Type

Communist state

military; established by coup on 4 August 1983

Agriculture

rice, pepper; imports most food

mainly self-sufficient; main crops — grain, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, sheep, hogs, poultry, cheese, sunflower seeds

cash crops — peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops — sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; food deficiency

Aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF (1970-84), $1.8 billion; US authorized, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $223 million; Communist countries (1970-85), $64 million

Budget

revenues, $2,109 million; expenditures, $1,219 million; surplus $890 million (1985)

revenues, $220 million; current expenditures, $148 million; development expenditures, $161 million (1983)

Crude steel

2.9 million metric tons produced (1985), 324 kg per capita

Electric power

163,000 kW capacity; 470 million kWh produced, 2,000 kWh per capita (1986)

11,298,000 kW capacity; 45,000 million kWh produced, 4,956 kWh per capita (1986)

73,000 kW capacity; 159 million kWh produced, 22 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$3.1 billion (1985); 98-99% crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and petroleum products

$ 13.8 billion (f.o.b., 1986 est.); 54% machinery and equipment; 19% agricultural products; 10% fuels, mineral raw materials, and metals; 10% manufactured consumer goods; 7% other

$110 million (f.o.b., 1983); livestock (on the hoof), peanuts, shea nut products, cotton, sesame

Fiscal year

calendar year

calendar year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 121,000 metric tons (1983)

catch 7,000 metric tons (1983 est.)

GDP

$3.422 billion, $14,750 per capita (1985)

$1.1 billion, $170 per capita; real growth, - 1.3% (1983)

GNP

$57.8 billion, $6,460 per capita; real growth rate, - 0.8% (1985)

Imports

$640 million (1985); includes machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, beverages, tobacco, and other; most consumer goods imported

$14.1 billion (f.o.b., 1986 est.); 47% fuels and minerals, 33% machinery and equipment, 5% chemicals, 4% manufactured consumer goods, 11% other (1982)

$230 million (f.o.b., 1983); textiles, food, and other consumer goods, transport equipment, machinery, fuels

Major industries

food processing, machine and metal building, electronics, chemicals

agricultural processing plants, brewery, bottling, and brick plants; a few other light industries

Major industry

crude petroleum, liquefied natural gas, construction

Major trade partners

exports — (crude petroleum and liquefied natural gas) roughly two-thirds to Japan; imports — Singapore 24%, Japan 20%, US 16% (1985)

56% USSR, 19% other Communist countries, 25% nonCommunist countries

Ivory Coast and Ghana; overseas trade mainly with France and other EC countries; preferential tariff to EC and franc zone countries

Monetary conversion rate

2.16 Brunei dollars=US$l (March 1986) inflation under 2.0% (1985/86)

0.95 leva=US$l (July 1986)

about 331.24 Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$l (November 1986)

Natural resources

oil, natural gas

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, lignite, lumber

manganese, limestone, marble, gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates

Shortages

some raw materials; scattered energy and food shortages in 1985

Airfields

3 total, 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

380 total; 15 with runways 2,500 m or longer

Branches

Royal Brunei Armed Forces, including air wing, navy, and ground forces; British Gurkha Battalion; Royal Brunei Police; Gurkha Reserve Unit

Bulgarian People's Army, Frontier Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces, Bulgarian Navy

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

65 major transport aircraft

Freight carried

rail — 82.9 million metric tons, 18.1 billion metric tons/km; highway— 914 million metric tons, 17.1 billion metric tons/km; waterway — 4.0 million metric tons, 2.0 billion metric tons/km (1985)

Highways

1,090 km total; 370 km paved (bituminous treated) and another 52 km under construction, 720 km gravel or unimproved

36,336 km total; 33,042 km hard surface (including 211 km superhighways); 3,294 km earth roads (1984)

Inland waterways

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 meters

471 km (1981)

Military budget

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, $197.6 million; about 17% of central government budget 125km

est. for fiscal year ending 31 December 1986, 1.2 billion leva; 6.0% of total budget Burkina

Military manpower

males 15-49, 61,000; 37,000 fit for military service; about 3,300 reach military age (18) annually

males 15-49, 2,156,000; 1,808,000 fit for military service; 65,000 reach military age (19) annually

Pipelines

crude oil, 135 km; refined products, 418 km; natural gas, 920 km

crude, 193 km; refined product, 418 km; natural gas, 1,400 km

Ports

1 major (Muara), 4 minor

3 major (Varna, Varna West, Burgas), 6 minor; principal river ports are Ruse and Lorn

Railroads

13 km 0.610-meter narrowgauge private line

4,278 km total; all government owned (1984); about 4,033 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 245 km narrow gauge; 823 km double track; 2,053 km electrified

Telecommunications

service throughout country is adequate for present needs; international service good to adjacent Sabah and Sarawak; radiobroadcast coverage good; 27,000 telephones (11.0 per 100 popl.); Radio Brunei broadcasts from 4 AM/FM stations and 1 TV station; 52,000 radio receivers; 1 satellite station Defense Forces

15 AM, 14 FM, 13 TV stations; 1 Soviet TV relay; 2,002,000 TV sets; 2,100,000 receiver sets; at least 1 satellite ground station Defense Forces