Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/37.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 13KB | 340 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\Bulgar.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"Bulgaria"}



{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of Bulgaria, click {z,"22.105192,40.052937,29.126229,45.485119",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 110,910 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 110,550 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} slightly larger than Tennessee

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 1,808 km
{3}border countries:{4} 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

{2}Coastline:{4} 354 km

{2}Maritime claims:{4}
contiguous zone: 24 nm
{3}exclusive economic zone:{4} 200 nm
{3}territorial sea:{4} 12 nm

{2}International disputes:{4} none

{2}Climate:{4} temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

{2}Terrain:{4} mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
{3}lowest point:{4} Black Sea 0 m
{3}highest point:{4} Musala 2,925 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 34%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 3%
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 18%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 35%
{3}other:{4} 10%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} 10 sq km (1989 est.)

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} 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

{2}natural hazards:{4} earthquakes, landslides

{2}international agreements:{4} 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

{2}Geographic note:{4} strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to
Middle East and Asia


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 8,612,757 (July 1996 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} 17% (male 769,025; female 732,119)
{3}15-64 years:{4} 68% (male 2,891,197; female 2,923,440)
{3}65 years and over:{4} 15% (male 561,944; female 735,032) (July 1996 est.)

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 0.46% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 8.33 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 13.55 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} 9.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} 1.05 male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} 0.99 male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} 0.76 male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 71 years
{3}male:{4} 67.07 years
{3}female:{4} 75.12 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 1.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Bulgarian(s)
{3}adjective:{4} Bulgarian

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%, Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%,
Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%

{2}Religions:{4} Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman Catholic 0.5%, Uniate
Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%

{2}Languages:{4} Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown

{2}Literacy:{4} age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)
{3}total population:{4} 98%
{3}male:{4} 99%
{3}female:{4} 97%


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} Republic of Bulgaria
{3}conventional short form:{4} Bulgaria

{2}Type of government:{4} emerging democracy

{2}Capital:{4} Sofia

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} 9 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo,
Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna

{2}Independence:{4} 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

{2}National holiday:{4} Independence Day, 3 March (1878)

{2}Constitution:{4} adopted 12 July 1991

{2}Legal system:{4} based on civil law system with Soviet law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

{2}Suffrage:{4} 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

{2}Executive branch:{4}
{3}chief of state:{4} 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)
{3}head of government:{4} 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)
{3}cabinet:{4} Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly

{2}Legislative branch:{4} 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

{2}Judicial branch:{4} Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president;
Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or elected for a nine-year term

{2}Political parties and leaders:{4} 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 party) (MRF),
Ahmed DOGAN; Bulgarian Business Bloc (BBB), George GANCHEV

{2}Other political or pressure groups:{4} Democratic Alliance for the Republic (DAR); New Union for
Democracy (NUD); Ecoglasnost; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; Fatherland Union; Bulgarian
Communist Party (BCP); Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (KNSB);
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union - United (BZNS); Bulgarian Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov"
Bulgarian Agrarian National Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Union of
Macedonian Societies (IMRO-UMS); numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with
various agendas

{2}International organization participation:{4} ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant),
FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarset, Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OSCE, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOT, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant), ZC

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador Snezhana Damianova BOTUSHAROVA
{3}chancery:{4} 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
{3}telephone:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}FAX:{4} [1] [phone]

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador (vacant)
{3}embassy:{4} 1 Saborna Street, Sofia
{3}mailing address:{4} Unit 1335, APO AE 09213-1335
{3}telephone:{4} [359] (2) 88-48-01 through 05
{3}FAX:{4} [359] (2) 80-19-77

{2}Flag:{4} 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)


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} One of the poorest countries of central Europe, Bulgaria has continued the
difficult process of moving from its old command economy to a modern, market-oriented
economy. GDP rose a moderate 2.4% in 1995; inflation was down sharply; and unemployment fell
from an estimated 16% to 12%. Despite this progress, structural reforms necessary to underpin
macroeconomic stabilization were not pursued vigorously. Mass privatization of state-owned
industry continued to move slowly, although privatization of small-scale industry, particularly in the
retail and service sectors, accelerated. The Bulgarian economy will continue to grow in 1996, but
economic reforms will remain politically difficult as the population has become weary of the
process.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $43.2 billion (1995 est.)

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} 2.4% (1995 est.)

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $4,920 (1995 est.)

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} 12%
{3}industry:{4} 36%
{3}services:{4} 52% (1994)

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} 35% (1995)

{2}Labor force:{4} 3.1 million
{3}by occupation:{4} industry 41%, agriculture 18%, other 41% (1992)

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} 11.9% (1995 est.)

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $3.8 billion
{3}expenditures:{4} $4.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)

{2}Industries:{4} machine building and metal working, food processing, chemicals, textiles, construction
materials, ferrous and nonferrous metals

{2}Industrial production growth rate:{4} 2% (1995)

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} 11,500,000 kW
{3}production:{4} 38.1 billion kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} 4,342 kWh (1994)

{2}Agriculture:{4} grain, oilseed, vegetables, fruits, tobacco; livestock

{2}Illicit drugs:{4} important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree,
South American cocaine transiting the Balkan route; limited producer of precursor chemicals

{2}Exports:{4} $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
{3}commodities:{4} machinery and equipment 12.8%; agriculture and food 21.9%; textiles and apparel
14%; metals and ores 19.7%; chemicals 16.9%; minerals and fuels 9.3%
{3}partners:{4} former CEMA countries 35.7%; OECD 46.6% (EU 33.5%); Arab countries 5.1%; other
12.6%

{2}Imports:{4} $4 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
{3}commodities:{4} fuels, minerals, and raw materials 30.1%; machinery and equipment 23.6%; textiles
and apparel 11.6%; agricultural products 10.8%; metals and ores 6.8%; chemicals 12.3%; other
4.8%
{3}partners:{4} former CEMA countries 40.3%; OECD 48.3% (EU 34.1%); Arab countries 1.7%; other
9.7%

{2}External debt:{4} $10.4 billion (1995)

{2}Economic aid:{4}
{3}recipient:{4} ODA, $39 million (1993)
{3}note:{4} $700 million in balance of payments support from Western nations (1994)

{2}Currency:{4} 1 lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki

{2}Exchange rates:{4} leva (Lv) per US$1 - 70.5 (December 1995), 54.2 (1994), 27.1 (1993), 23.3
(1992), 18.4 (1991); note - floating exchange rate since February 1991

{2}Fiscal year:{4} calendar year


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 4,292 km
standard gauge: 4,047 km 1.435-m gauge (2,650 km electrified; 917 double track)
{3}other:{4} 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1995)

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 36,932 km
{3}paved:{4} 33,904 km (including 276 km of expressways)
{3}unpaved:{4} 3,028 km (1992 est.)

{2}Waterways:{4} 470 km (1987)

{2}Pipelines:{4} crude oil 193 km; petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,400 km (1992)

{2}Ports:{4} Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin

{2}Merchant marine:{4}
{3}total:{4} 103 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,084,090 GRT/1,596,735 DWT
{3}ships by type:{4} bulk 45, cargo 27, chemical tanker 4, container 2, oil tanker 13, passenger-cargo 1,
railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 1
{3}note:{4} Bulgaria owns an additional 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 135,016 DWT operating
under the registries of Liberia and Malta (1995 est.)

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 355
{3}with paved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 1
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 17
{3}with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 10
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 88
{3}with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 2
{3}with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 1
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 10
{3}with unpaved runways under 914 m:{4} 226 (1994 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} 2,773,293 (1993 est.)

{2}Telephone system:{4} almost two-thirds of the lines are residential; 67% of Sofia households have
telephones (November 1988 est.)
{3}domestic:{4} extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial cable and microwave radio
relay; telephone service is available in most villages
{3}international:{4} direct dialing to 36 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
Region); Intelsat available through a Greek earth station

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM 20, FM 15, shortwave 0

{2}Radios:{4} NA

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} 29 (Russian repeater in Sofia 1)

{2}Televisions:{4} 2.1 million (May 1990 est.)


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Troops, Internal Troops

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} 2,155,332
{3}males fit for military service:{4} 1,797,318
males reach military age (19) annually: 64,568 (1996 est.)

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} exchange rate conversion - $352 million, 2.5% of GDP (1995)