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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.bg

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

706,648 (2009) country comparison to the world: 45

Internet users [time series]

2.647 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 63

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 greatly 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) (2008)

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

2.258 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 55

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

10.633 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 59

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: $22.24 billion expenditures: $20.74 billion (2008 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

5.77% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 111 4.58% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

10.86% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 85 10% (31 December 2007)

Current account balance [time series]

-$12.65 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 170 -$8.716 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$51.46 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 53 $42.62 billion (31 December 2007)

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

30.7 (2007) country comparison to the world: 109 26.4 (2001)

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 a 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]

31.08 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 57

Electricity - exports [time series]

8.441 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

3.097 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

40.25 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53

Exchange rates [time series]

leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.3171 (2008 est.), 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004)

Exports [time series]

$22.71 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $18.58 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

Greece 9.9%, Germany 9.2%, Turkey 8.9%, Italy 8.5%, Romania 7.2%, Belgium 5.9%, France 4.1% (2008)

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$49.9 billion (2008)

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

$93.98 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 67 $88.66 billion (2007 est.) $83.48 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

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

agriculture: 7.3% industry: 30.5% services: 62.2% (2008 est.)

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

$12,900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 $12,100 (2007 est.) $11,300 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

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

6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 6.2% (2007 est.) 6.3% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 25.5% (2007)

Imports [time series]

$35.64 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $28.65 billion (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 14.6%, Germany 11.8%, Italy 7.9%, Ukraine 7.3%, Romania 5.6%, Turkey 5.5%, Greece 5.4%, Austria 4.1% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1.5% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 115

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]

12.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 9.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

33.4% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

Labor force [time series]

2.67 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 107

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 7.5% industry: 35.5% services: 57% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$8.858 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 68 $21.79 billion (31 December 2007) $10.32 billion (31 December 2006)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

3.4 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 198

Natural gas - imports [time series]

3.1 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41

Natural gas - production [time series]

300 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 88

Oil - consumption [time series]

124,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Oil - exports [time series]

76,570 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Oil - imports [time series]

189,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53

Oil - production [time series]

3,357 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

15 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 83

Population below poverty line [time series]

14.1% (2003 est.)

Public debt [time series]

14.1% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 41.9% of GDP (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$17.93 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55 $17.54 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$1.292 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $559 million (31 December 2007 est.)

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

$42.91 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $33.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$32.04 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 52 $25.18 billion (31 December 2007)

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

$14.29 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 40 $15.58 billion (31 December 2007)

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

$19.67 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 42 $17.03 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate [time series]

6.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 7.7% (2007 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 110,879 sq km country comparison to the world: 104 land: 108,489 sq km water: 2,390 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 Latchezar 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 Boyko BORISSOV (since 27 July 2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Simeon DJANKOV and Tsvetan TSVETANOV (since 27 July 2009); 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) 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, 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]

independent judiciary comprised of judges, prosecutors and investigating magistrates who are appointed, promoted, demoted, and dismissed by a 25-member Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 members, half of whom are elected by the National Assembly and the other half by the bodies of the judiciary for a 5-year term in office); three levels of case review; 182 courts of which two Supreme Courts act as the last instance on civil and criminal cases (the Supreme Court of Cassation) and appeals of government decisions (the Supreme Administrative Court)

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 Sabranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5 July 2009 (next to be held mid-2013) election results: percent of vote by party - GERB 39.7%, BSP 17.7%, MRF 14.4%, ATAKA 9.4%, Blue Coalition 6.8%, RZS 4.1%, other 7.9%; seats by party - GERB 116, BSP 40, MRF 38, ATAKA 21, Blue Coalition 15, RZS 10

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]; Agrarian National Union or ANU [Stefan LICHEV]; Blue Coalition (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF and DSB); Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; 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]; Gergyovden [Petar STOYANOVICH]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Liberal Initiative for Democratic European Development or LIDER [Khristo KOVACHKI]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; Movement Forward (LIDER, IMRO, ANU, Gergyovden); National Movement for Stability and Progress or NDSV [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Order, Law, Justice or RZS [Yane YANEV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Martin DIMITROV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Agrarians [Anastasia MOZER]

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: 1,351,312 females age 16-49: 1,381,017 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 38,263 female: 36,374 (2009 est.)

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

Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2009)

Military expenditures [time series]

2.6% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended January 2008; Air Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 13.8% (male 509,544/female 484,816) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,426,060/female 2,508,772) 65 years and over: 17.7% (male 518,711/female 756,784) (2009 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

9.51 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204

Death rate [time series]

14.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

4.5% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 90

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.) country comparison to the world: 141

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

100 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

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

346 (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 17.87 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 115 male: 21.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 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: 73.09 years country comparison to the world: 111 male: 69.48 years female: 76.91 years (2009 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: 41.4 years male: 39.2 years female: 43.6 years (2009 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian

Net migration rate [time series]

-3.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Population [time series]

7,204,687 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Population growth rate [time series]

-0.79% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 231

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: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.41 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 192

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 71% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 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; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions (2008)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

212 (2009) country comparison to the world: 29

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 132 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 under 914 m: 97 (2009)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 80 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 73 (2009)

Heliports [time series]

3 (2009)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 74 country comparison to the world: 59 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 2,926 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2008)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

Burgas, Varna

Railways [time series]

total: 4,294 km country comparison to the world: 38 standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified) narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)

Roadways [time series]

total: 40,231 km country comparison to the world: 89 paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways) unpaved: 644 km (2005)

Waterways [time series]

470 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 83