| 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. |
| 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, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania
608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km |
| Coastline: |
354 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic
zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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:
39%
permanent crops: 1.8%
other: 59.2% (1998 est.) |
| 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-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 |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic location
near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to
Middle East and Asia |
| Population: |
7,537,929 (July
2003 est.) |
| 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.) |
| Median
age: |
total:
40.5 years
male: 38.4 years
female: 42.4 years (2002) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-1.09% (2003 est.)
|
| Birth
rate: |
8.02 births/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
14.34 deaths/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
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
total
population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
total:
13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male:
15.43 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
71.8 years
male: 68.26
years
female: 75.56 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.13 children
born/woman (2003 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 83.6%,
Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian,
Tatar, Circassian) (1998) |
| Religions: |
Bulgarian Orthodox
83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant,
Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (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.)
|
| 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 (from
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), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen
PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)
cabinet: Council
of Ministers 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;
deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister
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%, 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 |
| 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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: 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
FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77 |
| 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
- 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 - $49.23 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.8% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 13.7%
industry: 28.5%
services: 57.9% (2001) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
12.6% (2001 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): |
5.9% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
3.83 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
18% (2002 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $5.57 billion
expenditures:
$5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
|
| 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: |
2% (2002 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
41.38 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 47.8%
hydro: 8.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 44.1% |
| 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 (37257) |
| 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 (37257) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley,
sunflowers, sugar beets |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Debt
- external: |
$10.3 billion (yearend 2002) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$300 million (2000 est.) |
| Currency: |
lev (BGL) |
| Currency
code: |
BGN |
| 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 |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
|
| 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 (2002) |
| Highways: |
total: 37,286 km
paved: 35,049 km (including
324 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)
|
| Waterways: |
470 km (1987) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496
DWT
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.) |
| Airports: |
216 (2002) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 128
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438
to 3,047 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 1
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) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2002)
|
This page was last updated on 18 December,
2003 |
Armenia