ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MONUA, NAM (guest), NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Philip DIMITROV chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Avis T. BOHLEN embassy: 1 Saborna Street, Sofia mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521–5740
Flag description: 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)
Economy
Economy—overview: In April 1997, the current ruling Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) government won pre-term parliamentary elections and introduced an IMF currency board system which succeeded in stabilizing the economy. The triple digit inflation of 1996 and 1997 has given way to an official consumer price increase of 1% in 1998. Following declines in GDP in both 1996 and 1997, the economy grew an officially estimated 4% in 1998. In September 1998, the IMF approved a three-year Extended Fund Facility, which provides credits worth approximately $864 million, designed to support Bulgaria's reform efforts. The government's structural reform program includes: (a) privatization and, where appropriate, liquidation of state-owned enterprises (SOEs); (b) liberalization of agricultural policies, including creating conditions for the development of a land market; (c) reform of the country's social insurance programs; and, (d) reforms to strengthen contract enforcement and fight crime and corruption.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$33.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 4% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$4,100 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 26% industry: 29% services: 45% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 24.7% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 3.57 million (1996 est.)
Labor force—by occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 12.2% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $4.1 billion
expenditures: $3.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries: machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity—production: 41.575 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 51.17% hydro: 6.1% nuclear: 42.73% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 41.08 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 2.045 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 1.55 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco; livestock
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities: machinery and equipment; metals, minerals,
and fuels; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles (1997)
Exports—partners: Italy 12%, Germany 10%, Turkey, Greece, Russia
(1997)
Imports: $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Imports—commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles (1997)
Imports—partners: Russia 28%, Germany 11%, Italy, Greece, US (1997)
Debt—external: $9.3 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid—recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki
Exchange rates: leva (Lv) per US$1—1,685.10 (January 1999),
1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997), 177.89 (1996), 67.17 (1995), 54.13
(1994)
note: the official rate is pegged to the euro as of 1 January 1999
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 2,773,293 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: almost two-thirds of the lines are residential
domestic: extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay; telephone service is available in
most villages
international: direct dialing to 36 countries; satellite earth
stations—1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); Intelsat available
through a Greek earth station
Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 93, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 33 (in addition, there are two relays of Russian program OK-1 and two relays of TV-5 Europe) (1997)
Televisions: 2.1 million (May 1990 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 4,292 km
standard gauge: 4,047 km 1.435-m gauge (2,650 km electrified; 917 km
double track)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)
Highways:
total: 36,724 km
paved: 33,786 km (including 314 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,938 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 470 km (1987)
Pipelines: crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,400 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Merchant marine:
total: 89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,005,092 GRT/1,508,614
DWT
ships by type: bulk 44, cargo 20, chemical tanker 4, container 2,
oil tanker 8, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated
cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 61 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 56 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 under 914 m: 25 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border
Troops, Internal Troops
Military manpower—military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15–49: 2,028,930 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service: