SPAMfighter information about


The data on this page is obtained from The World Factbook.
 Communications information 
SPAMfighters: 10,860
Internet users: 2.2 million (2005)
Internet hosts: 184,975 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 200 (2001)
Internet country code: .bg
Telephones - main lines in use: 2,483,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6.245 million (2005)
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)
 Geographical information 
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

Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m

highest point: Musala 2,925 m
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

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
 People information 
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.)

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

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 - 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.)
 Governmental information 
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


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)


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 PURVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; 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
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)
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, UNMIS, 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

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John Ross BEYRLE

embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407


telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100

FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320
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
 Economical information 
Economy - overview: Bulgaria, a former communist country soon 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 - the currency is now fixed against the euro - 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): $71.67 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $25.79 billion (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: 9.9% (2005)
Population below poverty line: Below $2.15 per day (PPP) 4% (2003)

highest 10%: 23.7% (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2005)
Budget: revenues: $11.18 billion

expenditures: $10.9 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Industrial production growth rate: 7.9% (2005)
Electricity - production: 45 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.8%

hydro: 8.1%

nuclear: 44.1%

other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 25.1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 6.8 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: 1.3 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production: 1,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption: 98,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: 85,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production: 1.13 million cu m (2003)
Natural gas - consumption: 3.1 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance: $-3.919 billion (2005)
Exports: $11.67 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Italy 12%, Turkey 10.5%, Germany 9.8%, Greece 9.5%, France 4.6% (2005)
Imports: $16.78 billion f.o.b. (2005)
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)
Debt - external: $15.32 billion (2005 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
 Transportations information 
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 2,505 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2006)
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 information 
Military branches: Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian 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)
 Information about transnational issues 
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

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