Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 24, FM 93, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios [time series]

NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

2,773,293 (1993 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

33 (in addition, there are two relays of Russian program OK-1 and two relays of TV-5 Europe) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

2.1 million (May 1990 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco; livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $4.1 billion expenditures: $3.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki

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

$9.3 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$NA

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

In April 1997, the current ruling Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) government won pre-term parliamentary elections and introduced an IMF currency board system which succeeded in stabilizing the economy. The triple digit inflation of 1996 and 1997 has given way to an official consumer price increase of 1% in 1998. Following declines in GDP in both 1996 and 1997, the economy grew an officially estimated 4% in 1998. In September 1998, the IMF approved a three-year Extended Fund Facility, which provides credits worth approximately $864 million, designed to support Bulgaria's reform efforts. The government's structural reform program includes: (a) privatization and, where appropriate, liquidation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs); (b) liberalization of agricultural policies, including creating conditions for the development of a land market; (c) reform of the country's social insurance programs; and, (d) reforms to strengthen contract enforcement and fight crime and corruption.

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

41.08 billion kWh (1996)

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

2.045 billion kWh (1996)

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

1.55 billion kWh (1996)

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

41.575 billion kWh (1996)

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

fossil fuel: 51.17% hydro: 6.1% nuclear: 42.73% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

leva (Lv) per US$1--1,685.10 (January 1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997), 177.89 (1996), 67.17 (1995), 54.13 (1994) note: the official rate is pegged to the euro as of 1 January 1999

Exports [time series]

$4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

machinery and equipment; metals, minerals, and fuels; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles (1997)

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

Italy 12%, Germany 10%, Turkey, Greece, Russia (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity--$33.6 billion (1998 est.)

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

agriculture: 26% industry: 29% services: 45% (1997 est.)

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

purchasing power parity?$4,100 (1998 est.)

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

4% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 24.7% (1992)

Imports [time series]

$4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles (1997)

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

Russia 28%, Germany 11%, Italy, Greece, US (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

3.57 million (1996 est.)

Labor force - by occupation (Labor force--by occupation) [time series]

NA

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

12.2% (1998 est.)

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-Environmental Protocol, 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto 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

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Sofia

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]

BU

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Avis T. BOHLEN embassy: 1 Saborna Street, Sofia mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5740

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Philip DIMITROV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s): New York

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; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister election results: Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote--Petar STOYANOV 59.73%

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, 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

Judicial branch [time series]

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

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 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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 3 March (1878)

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

Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP (coalition led mainly by Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS 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

Background [time series]

A Slavic state, Bulgaria achieved independence in 1908 after 500 years of Ottoman rule. Bulgaria fought on the losing side in both World Wars. After World War II it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. Communist domination ended in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, and Bulgaria began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy. In addition to the problems of structural economic reform, particularly privatization, Bulgaria faces the serious issues of keeping inflation under control and unemployment, combatting corruption, and curbing black-market and mafia-style crime.

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]

$226.8 million (1997)

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

2.2% (1997)

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

males age 15-49: 2,028,930 (1999 est.)

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

males age 15-49: 1,693,597 (1999 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: 59,887 (1999 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 16% (male 674,643; female 641,943) 15-64 years: 68% (male 2,744,634; female 2,800,816) 65 years and over: 16% (male 570,766; female 761,970) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

8.71 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

13.2 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Bulgarian 85%, Turk 9%, other 6%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

12.37 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.27 years male: 68.72 years female: 76.03 years (1999 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]

-0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

8,194,772 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.52% (1999 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 total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.23 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

Airports [time series]

61 (1998 est.)

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

total: 56 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 under 914 m: 25 (1998 est.)

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

total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 36,724 km paved: 33,786 km (including 314 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,938 km (1997 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,005,092 GRT/1,508,614 DWT ships by type: bulk 44, cargo 20, chemical tanker 4, container 2, oil tanker 8, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 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 km double track) narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)

Waterways [time series]

470 km (1987)