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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco; livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $2.7 billion expenditures: $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$10 billion (1997 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

One of the poorest countries of central Europe, Bulgaria has slowly been moving from its old command economy towards a market-oriented economy. The economy faced a major crisis in 1996, marked by a banking system in turmoil, a depreciating currency, and contracting production and foreign trade. Foreign exchange reserves dwindled to $518 million, while dramatically hiked interest rates added to the domestic debt burden and stifled growth. GDP fell by 11% in 1996, after experiencing 2.0% growth in 1995. Privatization of state-owned industries stagnated, although the first auction of a mass privatization program was undertaken in late 1996. Lagging progress on structural reforms led to postponement of IMF disbursements under a $580 million standby loan agreed to in July 1996. In November 1996, the IMF proposed a currency board as Bulgaria's best chance to restore confidence in the lev, eliminate unnecessary spending, and avoid hyperinflation. The board was set up on 1 July 1997. Its establishment was followed by a reduction in inflation and interest rates and by a rise in foreign investment. Simultaneously the government pledged to sell off some of the most attractive state assets. GDP in 1997 dropped 7.4%, but is expected to rebound to an estimated 2% in 1998. Other government objectives include: the completion of land reform, the privatization and strengthening of the banking system, and the modernization of the legal environment of business.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

12.087 million kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

4,821 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

41.449 billion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

leva (Lv) per US$1-1,740 (1997), 483.4 (1996), 70.7 (1995), 54.2 (1994), 27.1 (1993)

Exports [time series]

total value: $4.9 billion (f.o.b., 1997) commodities: machinery and equipment 15.2%; agriculture and food 18.9%; textiles and apparel 14.8%; metals, minerals, and fuels 26.5%; chemicals and plastics 20%; other 4.6% (1996) partners: OECD 50.0% (EU 37.2%); CIS and Central and Eastern Europe 32.4%; Arab countries 5.8%; other 11.8% (1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$35.6 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 12% industry: 31% services: 57% (1997 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$4,100 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

-7.4% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials 40.7%; machinery and equipment 18.4%; textiles and apparel 11.6%; agricultural products 7.5%; metals and ores 5.2%; chemicals and plastics 12.2%; other 4.4% (1996) partners: OECD 45.5% (EU 38.1%); CIS and Central and Eastern European countries 41.1%; Arab countries 1.8%; other 11.6% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-7.4% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

1% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

total: 3.57 million (1996 est.) by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture 18%, other 41% (1992)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 20, FM 15, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

almost two-thirds of the lines are residential; 67% of Sofia households have telephones (November 1988 est.) 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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

2,773,293 (1993 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

29 (Russian repeater in Sofia 1)

Televisions [time series]

2.1 million (May 1990 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

14% (1997 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate [time series]

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline [time series]

354 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

Geographic coordinates [time series]

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

12,370 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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 (all with Serbia), Turkey 240 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 37% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 16% forests and woodland: 35% other: 10% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

earthquakes, landslides

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 provinces (oblasti, singular-oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna

Constitution [time series]

adopted 12 July 1991

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Avis T. BOHLEN embassy: 1 Saborna Street, Sofia mailing address: Unit 1335, APO AE 09213-1335 telephone: [359] (2) 980-52-41 through 48

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Philip DIMITROV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-7969

Executive branch [time series]

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 election results: Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote-Petar STOYANOV 59.73%

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[359] (2) 981-89-77

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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)

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IIB, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MONUA, NAM (guest), NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or elected for a nine-year term

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members are popularly elected 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

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Sofia

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 3 March (1878)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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]); Bulgarian Business Bloc or BBB [Georgi GANCHEV]; People's Union [Anastasiya MOZER and Stefan SAVOV, cochairmen]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Troops, Internal Troops

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$418.6 million (1996)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

2.0% to 2.5% (1996)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 2,042,441 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 1,703,879 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower-military age) [time series]

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower-reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 61,643 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 16% (male 696,131; female 662,335) 15-64 years: 68% (male 2,756,695; female 2,812,192) 65 years and over: 16% (male 564,698; female 748,375) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

8.08 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

13.24 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 71.96 years male: 68.39 years female: 75.74 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99% female: 97% (1992 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

8,240,426 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.6% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.14 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

twenty bilateral agreements remain unsigned in a dispute over Bulgarian nonrecognition of Macedonian as a language distinct from Bulgarian

Illicit drugs [time series]

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; significant producer of amphetamines, much of which are consumed in the Middle East BURKINA FASO

Transportation

Airports [time series]

34 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 34 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 14 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 under 914 m: 10 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 36,720 km paved: 33,746 km (including 314 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,974 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,027,117 GRT/1,541,266 DWT ships by type: bulk 45, cargo 23, chemical tanker 4, container 2, oil tanker 9, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1 (1997 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,400 km (1992)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin

Railways [time series]

total: 4,292 km standard gauge: 4,047 km 1.435-m gauge (2,650 km electrified; 917 double track) other gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)

Waterways [time series]

470 km (1987)