Forces (consisting of UHdDF and People's
Union) [Ekaterina MIKHAYLOVA]
Political pressure groups and leaders: agrarian movement; Bulgarian Democratic Center; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Democratic Alliance for the Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation: ACCT, Australia Group, BIS,
BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner),
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: Ambassador-designate Elena
POPTODOROVA consulate(s): 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Richard M. MILES embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia mailing address:
American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
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 Bulgaria
Economy - overview: Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and positive growth rates since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. The current government, elected in 2001, has pledged to maintain the fundamental economic policy objectives of its predecessor, i.e., retaining the Currency Board, practicing sound financial policies, accelerating privatization, and pursuing structural reforms. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 will help the government maintain economic stability as it seeks to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $48 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 14.5% industry: 27.8% services: 57.7% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 35% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.5% highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 34.1 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 3.83 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: 17.5% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $5.57 billion expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Industries: electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 38.84 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.9% hydro: 7.54% other: 0.1% (2000) nuclear: 44.46%
Electricity - consumption: 34.42 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 3.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 1.5 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
Exports: $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners: Italy 14%, Turkey 10%, Germany 9%, Greece 8%,
Yugoslavia 8% (2000)
Imports: $6.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
Imports - partners: Russia 24%, Germany 14%, Italy 8%, Greece 5%,
France 5% (2000)
Debt - external: $10.2 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $1 billion (1999 est.)
Currency: lev (BGL)
Currency code: BGL
Exchange rates: leva per US dollar - 2.2147 (January 2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997) 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
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Bulgaria
Telephones - main lines in use: 3,186,731 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.054 million (2001)
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: 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 200 (2001)
Internet users: 585,000 (2001)
Transportation Bulgaria
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 (2002)
Highways: total: 37,288 km paved: 33,786 km (including 324 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,502 km (2001)
Waterways: 470 km (1987)
Pipelines: petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,500 km (1999)
Ports and harbors: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Merchant marine: total: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 881,758 GRT/1,312,833 DWT ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 15, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
Airports: 215 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 129 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 93 (2001) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 86 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 74 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military