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
land: 110,550 sq km
water: 360 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: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 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
Data code: BU
Government type: republic
Capital: Sofia
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular—oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna
Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence 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 Petar STOYANOV (since 22 January 1997); Vice President Todor KAVALDZHIEV (since 22 January 1997)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Ivan Kostov (since 19 May 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandur BOZHKOV (since 12 February 1997), Evgeniy BAKURDZHIEV (since 21 May 1997), Veselin METODIEV (since 21 May 1997)
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 27 October and 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister
election results: Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote—Petar STOYANOV 59.73%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 19 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party—UDF 52%, BSP 22%, ANS 7%, Euro-left 5.5%, BBB 4.95%; seats by party—UDF 137, BSP 58, ANS 19, Euro-left 14, BBB 12
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms
Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Georgi PURVANOV, chairman]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF (an alliance of pro-Democratic parties) [Ivan KOSTOV]; Euro-left [Aleksandur TOMOV]; Alliance for National Salvation or ANS (coalition led mainly by Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Ahmed DOGAN]); People's Union [Anastasiya MOZER and Stefan SAVOV, cochairmen]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Democratic Alliance for the Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union—United or BZNS; Bulgarian Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov" Bulgarian Agrarian National Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO; agrarian movement; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUA, NAM (guest), NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Philip DIMITROV
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-7969
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Avis T. BOHLEN
embassy: 1 Saborna Street, Sofia
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 980-52-41 through 48
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%
nuclear: 44.1%
other: 0% (2001)
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
Telephones: 2,773,293 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: almost two-thirds of the lines are residential
domestic: extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; telephone service is available in most villages
international: direct dialing to 36 countries; satellite earth stations—1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); Intelsat available through a Greek earth station
Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 93, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 33 (in addition, there are two relays of Russian program OK-1 and two relays of TV-5 Europe) (1997)
Televisions: 2.1 million (May 1990 est.)
Internet country code: .bg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 200 (2001)
Internet users: 585,000 (2001)
Railways:
total: 4,292 km
standard gauge: 4,047 km 1.435-m gauge (2,650 km electrified; 917 km double track)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)
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
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 92 (2002)
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)
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