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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.bg

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

513,470 (2008)

Internet users [time series]

1.899 million (2007)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

2.3 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

9.897 million (2007)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Central bank discount rate [time series]

4.58% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

10% (31 December 2007)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

lev (BGN)

Current account balance [time series]

-$8.53 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$34.88 billion (30 June 2007)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

31.6 (2005)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

30.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

7.534 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

3.054 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

43.15 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

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

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$39.61 billion (2007 est.)

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

$86.71 billion (2007 est.)

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

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

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

$11,800 (2007 est.)

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

6.2% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

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 [time series]

14% (2007 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

9.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

29.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.593 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$10.32 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

5.6 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

5.179 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

109,600 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

50,530 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports [time series]

158,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - production [time series]

3,661 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

15 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Public debt [time series]

10.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$17.38 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$559 million (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$33.91 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$25.18 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money (Stock of money) [time series]

$15.58 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money (Stock of quasi money) [time series]

$17.03 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate [time series]

7.7% (2007 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

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

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 [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-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

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

5,880 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Europe

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Total renewable water resources [time series]

19.4 cu km (2005)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

adopted 12 July 1991

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Latechezar PETKOV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Executive branch [time series]

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

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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 [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

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

International organization participation [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

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

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 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 [time series]

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

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

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

Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

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

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

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

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

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

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

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

Military expenditures [time series]

2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

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)

People

Age structure [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Death rate [time series]

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

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.5% of GDP (2005)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

100 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

346 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

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

Literacy [time series]

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

Median age [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian

Net migration rate [time series]

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

Population [time series]

7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.813% (2008 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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 [time series]

1.4 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

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; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions

Transportation

Airports [time series]

214 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Heliports [time series]

4 (2007)

Merchant marine [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

Burgas, Varna

Railways [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Waterways [time series]

470 km (2007)