|
Länder
|
|
Background:
|
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. Today, reforms
and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration
into the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004. |
|
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, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608
km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km |
|
Coastline:
|
354 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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:
29.94%
permanent crops: 1.9%
other: 68.16% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
5,880 sq km (2003) |
|
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-Sulfur 85, 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, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location near
Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and
Asia
|
|
Population:
|
7,385,367 (July 2006
est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 13.9%
(male 527,881/female 502,334)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,496,054/female 2,579,680)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 527,027/female 752,391) (2006
est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 40.8 years
male: 38.7 years
female: 42.9 years (2006 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.86% (2006 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
9.65 births/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
14.27 deaths/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-4.01 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
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: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 19.85
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population:
72.3 years
male: 68.68 years
female: 76.13 years (2006 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.38 children born/woman
(2006 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
less than 0.1% (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 83.9%, Turk
9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar,
Circassian) (2001 census)
|
|
Religions:
|
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%,
Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census) |
|
Languages:
|
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish
9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) |
|
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
local long form: Republika Balgariya
local short form: Balgariya
|
|
Government type:
|
parliamentary democracy
|
|
Capital:
|
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 |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
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 |
|
Independence:
|
3 March 1878 (as an
autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908
(complete independence from the Ottoman Empire) |
|
National holiday:
|
Liberation 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 Georgi PURVANOV (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)
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 11 and 18 November 2001 (next to be held in
2006); 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 PURVANOV elected president; percent of
vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%; Sergei STANISHEV
elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67 |
|
Legislative branch:
|
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 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%; seats by
party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, UDF 20, ATAKA 17, DSB 17, BPU 13,
independents 4 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
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)
|
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
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 People's Union
or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or
BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; 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 Simeon II or NMS2
[Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; 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 pressure groups and leaders:
|
Confederation of
Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor
Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups
with various agendas |
|
International organization participation:
|
ACCT, Australia Group,
BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
|
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission:
Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA
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
|
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission:
Ambassador John Ross BEYRLE
embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State,
5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 937-5230 |
|
Flag description:
|
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 |
|
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. Minerals, including coal, copper, and zinc,
play an important role in industry. In 1997, macroeconomic stability was
reinforced by the imposition of a fixed exchange rate of the lev against
the German D-mark and the negotiation of an IMF standby agreement. Low
inflation and steady progress on structural reforms improved the
business environment; Bulgaria has averaged 4% growth since 2000 and has
begun to attract significant amounts of foreign direct investment.
Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the
presence of organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$71.54 billion (2005
est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$25.79 billion (2005
est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
5.5% (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$9,600 (2005 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 9.3%
industry: 30.4%
services: 60.3% (2005 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
3.34 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 11%
industry: 32.7%
services: 56.3% (3rd qtr. 2004 est.)
|
|
Unemployment rate:
|
11.5% (2005 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
13.4% (2002 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
31.9 (2001) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
5% (2005 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
23.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $11.18
billion
expenditures: $10.9 billion; including capital expenditures of
$NA (2005 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
31.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products:
|
vegetables, fruits,
tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock |
|
Industries:
|
electricity, gas, water;
food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical
products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
7.3% (2005 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
38.07 billion kWh (2003)
|
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 47.8%
hydro: 8.1%
nuclear: 44.1%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
31.75 billion kWh (2003)
|
|
Electricity - exports:
|
5.449 billion kWh (2003)
|
|
Electricity - imports:
|
1.8 billion kWh (2003)
|
|
Oil - production:
|
2,908 bbl/day (2003)
|
|
Oil - consumption:
|
107,000 bbl/day (2003
est.)
|
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA bbl/day |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA bbl/day |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
8.1 million bbl (1
January 2002)
|
|
Natural gas - production:
|
1 million cu m (2003
est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
5.401 billion cu m (2003
est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
5.8 billion cu m (2001
est.)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
5.947 billion cu m (1
January 2002)
|
|
Current account balance:
|
-$3.133 billion (2005
est.)
|
|
Exports:
|
$11.67 billion f.o.b.
(2005 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities:
|
clothing, footwear, iron
and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Italy 12%, Turkey 10.5%,
Germany 9.8%, Greece 9.5%, France 4.6% (2005) |
|
Imports:
|
$15.9 billion f.o.b.
(2005 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and equipment;
metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw
materials |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Russia 15.6%, Germany
13.6%, Italy 9%, Turkey 6.1%, Greece 5%, France 4.7% (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$8.695 billion (2005
est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$15.32 billion (2005
est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$300 million (2000 est.)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
lev (BGL) |
|
Currency code:
|
BGN |
|
Exchange rates:
|
leva per US dollar -
1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001)
|
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
2,726,800 (2004) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
4,729,700 (2004) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment:
extensive but antiquated
domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
telephone service is available in most villages; 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; direct dialing to 58
countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2
(2001)
|
|
Radios:
|
4.51 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
39 (plus 1,242 repeaters)
(2001)
|
|
Televisions:
|
3.31 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.bg |
|
Internet hosts:
|
95,539 (2005) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
200 (2001) |
|
Internet users:
|
630,000 (2002) |
|
Airports:
|
217 (2006) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 132
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 96 (2006) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 85
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 72 (2006)
|
|
Heliports:
|
4 (2006) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km;
refined products 156 km (2004) |
|
Railways:
|
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 (2005) |
|
Roadways:
|
total: 102,016 km
paved: 93,855 km (including 328 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,161 km (2003) |
|
Waterways:
|
470 km (2006) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 75 ships
(1000 GRT or over) 872,653 GRT/1,294,877 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 17, chemical tanker 4, container
6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, Russia 1)
registered in other countries: 41 (Cambodia 1, Comoros 1, Malta
13, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17, Slovakia 7, unknown
1) (2006)
|
|
Ports and terminals:
|
Burgas, Varna |
|
Military branches:
|
Bulgarian Armed Forces:
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force (2006) |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years of age for
compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation
- 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of
professional soldiers; conscription into the Army to end as of 1 January
2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces will become fully
professional by end of 2006 (2006) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males age 18-49:
1,661,211
females age 18-49: 1,660,982 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49:
1,302,037
females age 18-49: 1,365,126 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males age 18-49:
51,023
females age 18-49: 48,651 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$356 million (FY02) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
2.6% (2003) |
|
Transnational Issues |
Bulgaria |
|
Disputes - international:
|
none |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
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 |
|
 |
Information |
 |
|
Här hittar du information om alla världens länder. Listan fylls på efter hand
som jag har tid. Tyvärr så är informationen på engelska. |
|
-SM3VVZ |
|
|
