The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

under 15 years: 1.06 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 (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 71.8 years

       male: 68.26 years

       female: 75.56 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001

       est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       346 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       100 (2001 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

       0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)

      Languages:

       Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic

       breakdown

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 98.6%

       male: 99.1%

       female: 98.2% (2003 est.)

      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 PURVANOV (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), and Lidiya

       SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)

       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 PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote

       - Georgi PURVANOV 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%, UtdDF

       18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51,

       CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF

       50, CfB 48, MRF 20, independents 12

      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 Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for

       Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei

       STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO

       [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF

       [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon

       SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda

       MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI];

       United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and

       other center-right parties)

      Political pressure groups and leaders:

       agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of

       Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional,

       ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

      International organization participation:

       ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,

       EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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,