|
2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Bulgaria
n : a republic in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in
southeastern Europe [syn: {Republic of Bulgaria}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Bulgaria
Introduction Bulgaria
---------------------
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. Bulgaria regained its
independence in 1878, but having
fought on the losing side in both
World Wars, it 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 NATO and the EU - with which it
began accession negotiations in
2000.
Geography Bulgaria
------------------
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the
Black Sea, between Romania and
Turkey
Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 110,910 sq km
water: 360 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km
Area - comparative: 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,
Yugoslavia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot,
dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in
north and southeast
Elevation extremes: 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: 39%
permanent crops: 1.8%
other: 59.19% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 8,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides
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
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur
85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location near Turkish
Straits; controls key land routes
from Europe to Middle East and Asia
People Bulgaria
---------------
Population: 7,621,337 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.6% (male 572,961;
female 543,004)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,569,199;
female 2,648,461)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male
540,109; female 747,603) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.11% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 8.05 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 14.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -4.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.5 years
female: 75.22 years (2002 est.)
male: 67.98 years
Total fertility rate: 1.13 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.01% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 346 (2000)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma
4.6%, other 2.3% (including
Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar,
Circassian) (1998)
Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim
12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish
0.8%, Protestant, Gregorian-
Armenian, and other 1.6% (1998)
Languages: Bulgarian, secondary languages
closely correspond to ethnic
breakdown
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1999)
Government Bulgaria
-------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Sofia
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
Independence: 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991
Legal system: civil law and criminal law based on
Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Georgi
PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002);
Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22
January 2002)
head of government: Chairman of the
Council of Ministers (Prime
Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA
(since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime
Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24
July 2001), Kostadin PASKALEV (since
24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA
(since 24 July 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 November and
18 November 2001 (next to be held NA
2006); chairman of the Council of
Ministers (prime minister) nominated
by the president; deputy prime
ministers nominated by the prime
minister
election results: Georgi PARVANOV
elected president; percent of vote -
Georgi PARVANOV 54.13%, Petar
STOYANOV 45.87%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or
Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 June 2001
(next to be held NA June 2005)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NMS2 42.74%, UHdDF 18.18%,
CFB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by
party - NMS2 120, UHdDF 51, CFB 48,
MRF 21; note - seating as of
February 2002 - NMS2 115, UHdDF 51,
CFB 48, MRF 21, independents 5
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)
Political parties and leaders: Bulgarian Radical Union [Evgeniy
BAKURDZHIEV]; Bulgarian Socialist
Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV];
Coalition for Bulgaria or CFB (bloc
led by BSP, includes Ecoglasnost
Political Club and Bulgarian
Agrarian National Union) [leader
NA]; Internal Macedonian
Revolutionary Organization or VMRO
[Krasimir KARAKACHNOV]; Movement for
Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed
DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon
II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-
GOTHA]; New Civic Party for Bulgaria
[Bogomil BONEV]; People's Union or
PU (includes Bulgarian Agrarian
National Union and Democratic Party)
[Anastasiya MOZER]; St. George's Day
[Lyuben DILOV, Jr.]; Union of
Democratic Forces or UHdDF
[Ekaterina MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of
Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan
SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic
Forces (consisting of UHdDF and
People's Union) [Ekaterina
MIKHAYLOVA]
Political pressure groups and agrarian movement; Bulgarian
leaders: 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 ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC,
participation: 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: chief of mission: Ambassador-
designate Elena POPTODOROVA
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
telephone: [1] (202) 387-7969
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Richard
US: 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 lowest 10%: 4.5%
percentage share: highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini 34.1 (1997)
index:
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 Bulgaria
-----------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense
Forces (subordinate to Ministry of
Defense), Internal Forces
(subordinate to Ministry of
Interior), Civil Defense Forces
(subordinate to the president)
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,873,052 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,566,816 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 56,104 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $356 million (FY02)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.7% (FY02)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Bulgaria
-----------------------------
Disputes - international: because of a shift in the Danube
course since the last correction of
the boundary in 1920, a joint
Bulgarian-Romanian team will
recommend sovereignty changes to
several islands and redefine the
boundary
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
Powered by Blog Dictionary [BlogDict]
Kindly supported by
Vaffle Invitation Code
Get a Freelance Job - Outsource Your Projects | Threadless Coupon
All rights
reserved. (2008-2024)