Page last updated on January 31, 2014
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 from the Ottoman Empire 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. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
total: 110,879 sq km
country comparison to the world: 105
land: 108,489 sq km
water: 2,390 sq km
slightly larger than Tennessee
total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
arable land: 29.28%
permanent crops: 1.44%
other: 69.28% (2011)
total: 6.12 cu km/yr (16%/68%/16%)
per capita: 821.8 cu m/yr (2009)
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
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, 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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
Bulgarian 76.9%, Turk 8%, Roma 4.4%, other 0.7% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian), other (unknown) 10% (2011 census)
Bulgarian (official) 76.8%, Turkish 8.2%, Roma 3.8%, other 0.7%, other (unknown) 10.5% (2011 census)
Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim (Sunni) 7.4%, Muslim (Shia) 0.4%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Judaism) 1.7%, other (unknown) 27.4%, none 3.7% (2011 census)
6,981,642 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
0-14 years: 14.2% (male 506,968/female 481,962)
15-24 years: 10.5% (male 377,834/female 357,546)
25-54 years: 42.3% (male 1,467,339/female 1,486,062)
55-64 years: 14.1% (male 454,728/female 528,650)
65 years and over: 18.9% (male 532,084/female 788,469) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 49.2 %
youth dependency ratio: 20.4 %
elderly dependency ratio: 28.8 %
potential support ratio: 3.5 (2013)
total: 42.3 years
male: 40 years
female: 44.4 years (2013 est.)
-0.81% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 230
9.07 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
14.31 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
-2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
urban population: 73.1% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
SOFIA (capital) 1.174 million (2011)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
11 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 153
total: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 105
male: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 74.08 years
country comparison to the world: 114
male: 70.49 years
female: 77.89 years (2013 est.)
1.43 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
69.2%
note: percent of women age 20-49 (2007)
7.6% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 73
3.76 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
6.5 beds/1,000 population (2010)
0.1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
3,800 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
23.7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 72
1.6% (2004)
country comparison to the world: 125
4.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 92
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 98.7%
female: 98% (2011 est.)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2010)
total: 28.1%
country comparison to the world: 32
male: 29.5%
female: 26% (2012)
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
local long form: Republika Balgariya
local short form: Balgariya
name: Sofia
geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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 (Sofia), Sofiya-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol
3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 12 July 1991; amended several times, last in 2007 (2007)
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Rosen PLEVNELIEV (since 22 January 2012); Vice President Margarita POPOVA (since 22 January 2012)
head of government: Prime Minister Plamen ORESHARSKI (since 29 May 2013) Deputy Prime Ministers Zinaida ZLATANOVA (since 29 May 2013) and Tsvetlin YOVCHEV (since June 2013)
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 a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 and 30 October 2011 (next to be held in 2016); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly
election results: Rosen PLEVNELIEV elected president in a runoff election; percent of vote - Rosen PLEVNELIEV 52.6%, Ivailo KALFIN 47.4%; Plamen ORESHARSKI elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 120 to 97
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 12 May 2013 (next to be held spring 2017)
election results: percent of vote by party - GERB 30.5%, BSP 26.6%, MRF 11.3%, Ataka 7.3%; seats by party - GERB 97, BSP 84, MRF 36, Ataka 23
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized in 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices); note - Constitutional Court resides outside the Judiciary
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of four justices every 3 years
subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial
Attack (Ataka) [Volen Nikolov SIDEROV]
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB
other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
chief of mission: Ambassador Elena POPTODOROVA (since 4 August 2010)
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES (since 5 September 2012)
embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue
note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed
name: "Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland)
lyrics/music: Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV
note: adopted 1964; the anthem was composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Bulgaria, a former Communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, averaged more than 6% annual growth from 2004 to 2008, driven by significant amounts of bank lending, consumption, and foreign direct investment. Successive governments have demonstrated a commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but the global downturn sharply reduced domestic demand, exports, capital inflows, and industrial production. GDP contracted by 5.5% in 2009, stagnated in 2010, despite a significant recovery in exports, grew 1.7% in 2011, and 1% in 2012. Despite having a favorable investment regime, including low, flat corporate income taxes, significant challenges remain. Corruption in public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime continue to hamper the country's investment climate and economic prospects.
$102.7 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$50.33 billion (2012 est.)
0.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$14,100 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
22.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
household consumption: 72.1%
government consumption: 7.8%
investment in fixed capital: 21.4%
investment in inventories: 2.4%
exports of goods and services: 66.6%
imports of goods and services: -70.3%
agriculture: 6.7%
industry: 30.3%
services: 63% (2012 est.)
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock
electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
0.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
2.585 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
agriculture: 7.1%
industry: 35.2%
services: 57.7% (2009)
11.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 35.2% (2007)
45.3 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 39
revenues: $18.05 billion
expenditures: $18.28 billion (2012 est.)
35.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
-0.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
16.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
3% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
0.03% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142
note: Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has had no independent monetary policy since the introduction of the Currency Board regime in 1997; this is BNB's base interest rate
9.72% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
$15.51 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$37.68 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
$37.12 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
$8.253 billion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 76
$-669.5 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$26.7 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Germany 10.4%, Turkey 9.1%, Italy 8.7%, Romania 8.2%, Greece 7.3%, France 4% (2012)
$31.15 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Russia 20.9%, Germany 11.3%, Italy 6.7%, Romania 6.6%, Greece 6.1%, Turkey 4.6%, Spain 4.5% (2012)
$20.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
$36.52 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$52.21 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$1.82 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
leva (BGN) per US dollar -
43.39 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
30.46 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
12.11 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
1.45 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
10.01 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
45.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
19% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
21.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
4.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
3,384 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
124,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
15 million bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 85
128,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
112,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
73,740 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
50,130 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
410 million cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
2.54 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
2.64 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 93
52.44 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
2.253 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 55
10.78 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 74
general assessment: inherited an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network from the Soviet era; quality has improved with a modern digital trunk line now connecting switching centers in most of the regions; remaining areas are connected by digital microwave radio relay
domestic: the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 in an effort to upgrade fixed-line services; mobile-cellular teledensity, fostered by multiple service providers, has reached 150 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2011)
4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations broadcasting, especially in urban areas (2010)
976,277 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 47
3.395 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 63
68 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 74
total: 57
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
under 914 m: 26 (2013)
total: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m:
gas 2,887 km; oil 346 km; refined products 378 km (2013)
total: 4,152 km
country comparison to the world: 40
standard gauge: 4,072 km 1.435-m gauge (2,863 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 80 km 0.760-m gauge (2011)
total: 19,512 km
country comparison to the world: 111
paved: 19,235 km (includes 458 km of expressways)
unpaved: 277 km
note: does not include Category IV local roads (2011)
470 km (2009)
country comparison to the world: 84
total: 22
country comparison to the world: 93
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 14 (Germany 12, Russia 2)
registered in other countries: 30 (Belize 1, Comoros 4, Georgia 1, Malta 8, Moldova 1, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9) (2010)
major seaport(s): Burgas, Varna (Black Sea)
Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2011)
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months (2012)
males age 16-49: 1,637,470
females age 16-49: 1,621,352 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 1,320,955
females age 16-49: 1,337,616 (2010 est.)
male: 33,444
female: 32,075 (2010 est.)
1.46% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 178
