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Introduction |
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Background: |
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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Geography |
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Location: |
Southeastern
Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
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Geographic
coordinates: |
43 00 N, 25 00 E
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Map references: |
Europe
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Area: |
total:
110,910 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km
water: 360 sq km
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Area -
comparative: |
slightly larger
than Tennessee
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Land boundaries: |
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: |
354 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
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Climate: |
temperate; cold,
damp winters; hot, dry summers
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Terrain: |
mostly mountains
with lowlands in north and southeast
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Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m
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Natural
resources: |
bauxite, copper,
lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
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Land use: |
arable land:
40.02%
permanent crops: 1.92%
other: 58.06% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
8,000 sq km (1998
est.)
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Natural hazards: |
earthquakes,
landslides
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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
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Environment -
international agreements: |
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: |
strategic location
near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to
Middle East and Asia
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People |
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Population: |
7,450,349 (July
2005 est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years:
14.1% (male 539,005/female 512,762)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,516,368/female 2,599,524)
65 years and over: 17.2% (male 531,008/female 751,682)
(2005 est.)
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Median age: |
total: 40.66
years
male: 38.59 years
female: 42.66 years (2005 est.)
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Population
growth rate: |
-0.89% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate: |
9.66 births/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Death rate: |
14.26 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Net migration
rate: |
-4.3 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality
rate: |
total: 20.55
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy
at birth: |
total
population: 72.03 years
male: 68.41 years
female: 75.87 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility
rate: |
1.38 children
born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: |
less than 0.1% -
note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
346 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
100 (2001 est.)
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Nationality: |
noun:
Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
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Ethnic groups: |
Bulgarian 83.9%,
Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian,
Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)
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Religions: |
Bulgarian Orthodox
82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001
census)
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Languages: |
Bulgarian 84.5%,
Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001
census)
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Literacy: |
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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Government |
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Country name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
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Government type: |
parliamentary
democracy
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Capital: |
Sofia
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Administrative
divisions: |
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: |
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: |
Liberation Day, 3
March (1878)
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Constitution: |
adopted 12 July
1991
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Legal system: |
civil law and
criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal
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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 Minister Ivaylo KALFIN
(since 16 August 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime
minister and 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 and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); 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 elected president;
percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%;
Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative
vote - 168 to 67
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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, ATAKA 21, UDF 20, DSB
17, BPU 13
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Judicial branch: |
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: |
Attack National
Union [Volen Siderov]; ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of
parties headed by the Attack National Union); 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 [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free
Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces
or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF)
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Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
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: |
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,
MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
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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
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Economy |
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Economy -
overview: |
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.
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 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.
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GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $61.63 billion (2004 est.)
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
5.3% (2004 est.)
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $8,200 (2004 est.)
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GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
11.5%
industry: 30.1%
services: 58.4% (2004 est.)
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Labor force: |
3.398 million (2004
est.)
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Labor force - by
occupation: |
agriculture 11%,
industry 32.7%, services 56.3% (3rd quarter 2004 est.)
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Unemployment
rate: |
12.7% (2004 est.)
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Population below
poverty line: |
13.4% (2002 est.)
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Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
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Distribution of
family income - Gini index: |
26.4 (2001)
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
6.1% (2004 est.)
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Investment
(gross fixed): |
18.6% of GDP (2004
est.)
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Budget: |
revenues:
$9.67 billion
expenditures: $9.619 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
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Public debt: |
41.9% of GDP (2004
est.)
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Agriculture -
products: |
vegetables, fruits,
tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
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Industries: |
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: |
5.2% (2004 est.)
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Electricity -
production: |
43.07 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
47.8%
hydro: 8.1%
nuclear: 44.1%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity -
consumption: |
32.71 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
exports: |
8.3 billion kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
imports: |
960 million kWh
(2002)
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Oil -
production: |
603 bbl/day (2001
est.)
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Oil -
consumption: |
94,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA
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Oil - imports: |
NA
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Oil - proved
reserves: |
8.1 million bbl (1
January 2002)
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Natural gas -
production: |
4 million cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
consumption: |
5.804 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
exports: |
0 cu m (2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
imports: |
5.8 billion cu m
(2001 est.)
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Natural gas -
proved reserves: |
3.724 billion cu m
(1 January 2002)
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Current account
balance: |
$682.9 million
(2004 est.)
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Exports: |
$9.134 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Exports -
commodities: |
clothing, footwear,
iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
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Exports -
partners: |
Italy 13.2%,
Germany 11.5%, Turkey 9.7%, Belgium 6.4%, Greece 6.1%, US 5.6%,
France 5.1% (2004)
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Imports: |
$12.23 billion
f.o.b. (2004 est.)
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Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and
equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels,
minerals, and raw materials
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Imports -
partners: |
Germany 15.7%,
Italy 10.9%, Russia 9%, Greece 8%, Turkey 7.5%, France 4.7%,
Austria 4% (2004)
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Reserves of
foreign exchange and gold: |
$7.526 billion
(2004 est.)
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Debt - external: |
$16.1 billion
(November 2004 est.)
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Currency (code): |
lev (BGL)
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Currency code: |
BGN
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Exchange rates: |
leva per US dollar
- 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001),
2.1233 (2000)
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: |
calendar year
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Communications |
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
2,868,200 (2002)
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Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
2,597,500 (2002)
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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)
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Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 31, FM 63,
shortwave 2 (2001)
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Radios: |
4.51 million (1997)
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Television
broadcast stations: |
39 (plus 1,242
repeaters) (2001)
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Televisions: |
3.31 million (1997)
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Internet country
code: |
.bg
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Internet hosts: |
53,421 (2004)
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): |
200 (2001)
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Internet users: |
630,000 (2002)
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Transportation |
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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 (2004)
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Highways: |
total:
37,077 km
paved: 34,111 km (including 328 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,966 km (2002)
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Waterways: |
470 km (2004)
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Pipelines: |
gas 2,425 km; oil
339 km; refined products 156 km (2004)
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Ports and
harbors: |
Burgas, Varna
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Merchant marine: |
total: 64
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 757,972 GRT/1,115,238 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 34, cargo 13, chemical tanker 4,
container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll
off 3
registered in other countries: 45 (2005)
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Airports: |
213 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with
paved runways: |
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: |
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: |
1 (2004 est.)
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Military |
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Military
branches: |
Ground Forces,
Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces
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Military
manpower - military age and obligation: |
18 years of age for
compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service
obligation - 9 months (2004)
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Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 18-49:
1,661,211 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 18-49:
1,302,037 (2005 est.)
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Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
51,023 (2005 est.)
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$356 million (FY02)
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.6% (2003)
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Transnational Issues |
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Disputes -
international: |
none
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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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