Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between
Romania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total area: 110,910 sq km
land area: 110,550 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all
with Serbia), Turkey 240 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast 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: 34%
permanent crops: 3%
meadows and pastures: 18%
forest and woodland: 35%
other: 10%
Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic
Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Geographic note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls
key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
People———
Population: 8,612,757 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 17% (male 769,025; female 732,119)
15–64 years: 68% (male 2,891,197; female 2,923,440)
65 years and over: 15% (male 561,944; female 735,032) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.46% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 8.33 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 13.55 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 9.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71 years male: 67.07 years female: 75.12 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic divisions: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%,
Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%
Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman
Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian,
and other 0.5%
Languages: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to
ethnic breakdown
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97%
Government—————
Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria
Data code: BU
Type of government: emerging democracy
Capital: Sofia
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna
Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system: based on civil law system with Soviet law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zhelyu Mitev ZHELEV (since 1 August 1990,
when he was elected by the National Assembly); president and vice
president elected for five-year terms by popular vote; election last
held NA January 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Zhelyu
ZHELEV elected by popular vote; Vice President (vacant)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Zhan VIDENOV (since 25 January 1995) appointed by the
president; Deputy Prime Ministers Doncho KONAKCHIEV (since 25
January 1995), Atanas PAPAKIZOV (since NA), Rumen GECHEV (since 25
January 1995), Svetoslav SHIVAROV (since 25 January 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie): last held 18 December 1994 (next to be held NA 1997); results - BSP 43.5%, UDF 24.2%, PU 6.5%, MRF 5.4%, BBB 4.7%; seats - (240 total) BSP 125, UDF 69, PU 18, MRF 15, BBB 13
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or elected for a nine-year term
Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP),
Zhan VIDENOV, chairman; Union of Democratic Forces (UDF - an
alliance of pro-Democratic parties), Ivan KOSTOV; People's Union
(PU), Stefan SAVOV; Movement for Rights and Freedoms (mainly ethnic
Turkish