2008 Edition

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 from the Ottoman Empire 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. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.

Area

total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline

354 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 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-Sulfur 94, 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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 6.92 cu km/yr (3%/78%/19%) per capita: 895 cu m/yr (2003)

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

Irrigated land

5,880 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km

Land use

arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes, landslides

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Total renewable water resources

19.4 cu km (2005)

Age structure

0-14 years: 13.8% (male 514,238/female 489,608) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 2,449,812/female 2,532,845) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 520,962/female 755,210) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

9.58 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

14.3 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

346 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 18.51 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.83 years male: 69.22 years female: 76.66 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.7% female: 97.7% (2001 census)

Median age

total: 41.1 years male: 38.9 years female: 43.4 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian

Net migration rate

-3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Population

7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.813% (2008 est.)

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)

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: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

Capital

name: Sofia geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Constitution

adopted 12 July 1991

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria local long form: Republika Balgariya local short form: Balgariya

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Nancy McELDOWNEY embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Latechezar PETKOV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174

Executive branch

chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005) and Meglena PLUGCHIEVA (since 25 April 2008) 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 a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); 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 PARVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PARVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67

FAX

[1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

[359] (2) 937-5320

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

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

International organization participation

ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held in June 2009) 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%, other 8.7%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13, independents 4; note - seats by party as of January 2008 - CfB 82, NMS2 36, MRF 34, Bulgarian New Democracy 16, DSB 16, UDF 16, BPU 13, ATAKA 11, independents 16

National holiday

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Political parties and leaders

ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Attack National Union [Volen SIDEROV]; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Tsvetan TSVETANOV]; 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 Stability and Progress or NMSS [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Petar STOYANOV]; 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 other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $16.84 billion expenditures: $15.35 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.58% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10% (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

lev (BGN)

Currency code

BGN

Current account balance

-$8.53 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$34.88 billion (30 June 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

31.6 (2005)

Economic aid - recipient

$742 million (2005-06 est.)

Economy - overview

Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, has experienced strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996. Successive governments have demonstrated commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but have failed so far to rein in rising inflation and large current account deficits. Bulgaria has averaged more than 6% growth since 2004, attracting significant amounts of foreign direct investment, but corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.

Electricity - consumption

30.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports

7.534 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.054 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

43.15 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003)

Exports

$18.44 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Turkey 11.5%, Germany 10.3%, Italy 10.2%, Greece 9.1%, Belgium 6.2%, Romania 4.9% (2007)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 6.2% industry: 32.3% services: 61.5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,800 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.2% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$39.61 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$86.71 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.4% (2005)

Imports

$28.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Russia 12.3%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 8.7%, Ukraine 7.2%, Turkey 6.9%, Greece 6.2%, Romania 4.5%, Austria 4.3% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate

14% (2007 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

9.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

29.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

2.593 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 8.5% industry: 33.6% services: 57.9% (2nd qtr. 2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$10.32 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

5.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

5.179 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption

109,600 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

50,530 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports

158,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - production

3,661 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

14.1% (2003 est.)

Public debt

10.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$17.38 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$559 million (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$33.91 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$25.18 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$15.58 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$17.03 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

7.7% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.bg

Internet hosts

513,470 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

200 (2001)

Internet users

1.899 million (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios

4.51 million (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population domestic: 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; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

2.3 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular

9.897 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions

3.31 million (1997)

Airports

214 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 131 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 95 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 83 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 72 (2007)

Heliports

4 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 74 by type: bulk carrier 37, cargo 14, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 65 (Germany 63, Ireland 1, Russia 1) registered in other countries: 31 (Comoros 2, Malta 5, Panama 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15, Slovakia 6) (2008)

Pipelines

gas 2,500 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Burgas, Varna

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 (2006)

Roadways

total: 40,231 km paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways) unpaved: 644 km (2005)

Waterways

470 km (2007)

Bulgarian Armed Forces

Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,701,979 females age 16-49: 1,691,092 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,364,029 females age 16-49: 1,401,348 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 39,477 female: 37,339 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)

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 18 December, 2008