2003 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: 14.2% (male 549,142; female 520,057) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 2,551,548; female 2,632,978) 65 years and over: 17% (male 535,165; female 749,039) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

216 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 1

total

128

under 914 m

92 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

88 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 10

under 914 m

74 (2002)

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. 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. Geography Bulgaria

Birth rate

8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

revenues

$5.57 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

lev (BGL)

Currency code

BGN

Death rate

14.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$10.3 billion (yearend 2002)

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA

consulate(s)

New York

Disputes - international

joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Romania based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920

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. 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.

Electricity - consumption

32.52 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

6.79 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

830 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

41.38 billion kWh (2001)

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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Ethnic groups

Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998)

Exchange rates

leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84 (1999), 1.76 (1998)

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 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%

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

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)

Exports

$5.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%, US 4.8% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 234-7973

[359] (2) 981-89-77

chancery

1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 387-0174

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Bulgaria

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

13.7%

industry

28.5%

services

57.9% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.8% (2002 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 (2002) Military Bulgaria

Highways

paved

35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)

total

37,286 km

unpaved

2,237 km (2000)

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

highest 10%

22.8% (1997)

lowest 10%

4.5%

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 18 December, 2003

Imports

$6.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%, Turkey 5% (2002)

Independence

3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2002 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

11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

15.43 deaths/1,000 live births

total

13.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.9% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.bg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

200 (2001)

Internet users

585,000 (2001) Transportation Bulgaria

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

3.83 million (2000 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km

total

1,808 km

Land use

arable land

39%

other

59.2% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

1.8%

Languages

Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

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 - 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 March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF 50, CfB 48, MRF 20, independents 12

elections

last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.56 years (2003 est.)

male

68.26 years

total population

71.8 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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 NM

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

42.4 years (2002)

male

38.4 years

total

40.5 years

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 42, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)

total

69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496 DWT

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior), Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$356 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.7% (FY02) Transnational Issues Bulgaria

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

1,854,049 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

1,551,485 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

54,107 (2003 est.)

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 (37257)

Natural hazards

earthquakes, landslides

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

603 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

8.1 million bbl (37257)

Pipelines

gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; 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)

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Population

7,537,929 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

12.6% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

-1.09% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin

Radio broadcast stations

AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios

4.51 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)

standard gauge

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

total

4,294 km

Religions

Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

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

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

3,186,731 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.054 million (2001)

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

1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

18% (2002 est.)

Waterways

470 km (1987)