Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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 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.
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Location:
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Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
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Geographic coordinates:
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43 00 N, 25 00 E
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 110,910 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km
water: 360 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Tennessee
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km
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Coastline:
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354 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 40.02%
permanent crops: 1.92%
other: 58.06% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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8,000 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes, landslides
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
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Population:
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7,517,973 (July 2004 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 14.4% (male 553,801; female 526,856)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,533,784; female 2,615,968)
65 years and over: 17.1% (male 535,954; female 751,610) (2004 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 40.5 years
male: 38.4 years
female: 42.4 years (2004 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.92% (2004 est.)
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Birth rate:
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9.65 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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Death rate:
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14.25 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 21.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.75 years
male: 68.14 years
female: 75.59 years (2004 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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346 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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100 (2001 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
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Ethnic groups:
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Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001)
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Religions:
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Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 3.4% (1998)
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Languages:
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Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.2% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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Sofia
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Administrative divisions:
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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
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Independence:
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3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
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National holiday:
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Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
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Constitution:
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adopted 12 July 1991
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Legal system:
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civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)
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 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister
election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of December 2004 - NMS2 98, UtdDF 52, CfB 49, MRF 20, independents 7
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Judicial branch:
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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)
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Political parties and leaders:
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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]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and other center-right parties)
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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): New York
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW
embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
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Flag description:
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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)
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Economy - overview:
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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. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $57.13 billion (2003 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.3% (2003 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2003 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 11.4%
industry: 30%
services: 58.6% (2003)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.6% of GDP (2003)
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Population below poverty line:
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13.4% (2002 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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26.4 (2001)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.3% (2003 est.)
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Labor force:
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3.333 million (2003 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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14.3% (2003)
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Budget:
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revenues: $8.121 billion
expenditures: $8.121 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
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Public debt:
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48% of GDP (2003)
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Agriculture - products:
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vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
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Industries:
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electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
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Industrial production growth rate:
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6.3% (2003 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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41.38 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - consumption:
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32.52 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - exports:
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6.79 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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830 million kWh (2001)
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Oil - production:
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603 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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94,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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8.1 million bbl (1 January 2002)
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Natural gas - production:
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4 million cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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5.804 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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5.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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3.724 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
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Current account balance:
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$-1.666 billion (2003)
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Exports:
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$7.337 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 14.1%, Germany 10.9%, Greece 10.5%, Turkey 9.2%, France 5.1%, US 4.5% (2003)
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Imports:
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$9.723 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 14.4%, Russia 12.6%, Italy 10.3%, Greece 6.7%, Turkey 6.2%, France 5.7% (2003)
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Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
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$6.705 billion (2003)
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Debt - external:
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$12.05 billion (2003)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$300 million (2000 est.)
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Currency:
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lev (BGL)
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Currency code:
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BGN
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Exchange rates:
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leva per US dollar - 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999)
note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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2,868,200 (2002)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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2,597,500 (2002)
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Telephone system:
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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)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)
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Television broadcast stations:
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39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)
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Internet country code:
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.bg
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Internet hosts:
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53,421 (2004)
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Internet users:
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630,000 (2002)
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Railways:
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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 (2003)
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Highways:
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total: 37,286 km
paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)
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Waterways:
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470 km (2004)
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2004)
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Ports and harbors:
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Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
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Merchant marine:
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total: 60 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 757,972 GRT/1,115,238 DWT
by type: bulk 37, cargo 7, chemical tanker 4, container 2, petroleum tanker 3, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea/passenger 1, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 45 (2003 est.)
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Airports:
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212 (2003 est.)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 128
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: 92 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 85
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 72 (2004 est.)
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Heliports:
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1 (2003 est.)
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This page was last updated on 27 January, 2005
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