The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

3.724 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

      Current account balance:

       $682.9 million (2004 est.)

      Exports:

       $9.134 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

      Exports - commodities:

       clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels

      Exports - partners:

       Italy 13.1%, Germany 11.6%, Turkey 9.3%, Belgium 6.1%, Greece 5.6%,

       US 5.3%, France 4.9% (2004)

      Imports:

       $12.23 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

      Imports - commodities:

       machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics;

       fuels, minerals, and raw materials

      Imports - partners:

       Germany 15.1%, Italy 10.2%, Russia 7.9%, Greece 7.5%, Turkey 6.9%,

       France 4.4% (2004)

      Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

       $7.526 billion (2004 est.)

      Debt - external:

       $16.1 billion (November 2004 est.)

      Economic aid - recipient:

       $300 million (2000 est.)

      Currency (code):

       lev (BGL)

      Currency code:

       BGN

      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

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Bulgaria

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       2,868,200 (2002)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       2,597,500 (2002)

      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)

      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 hosts:

       53,421 (2004)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       200 (2001)

      Internet users:

       630,000 (2002)

      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 (2004)

      Highways:

       total: 37,077 km

       paved: 34,111 km (including 328 km of expressways)

       unpaved: 2,966 km (2002)

      Waterways:

       470 km (2004)

      Pipelines:

       gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2004)

      Ports and harbors:

       Burgas, Varna

      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)

      Airports:

       213 (2004 est.)

      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.)

      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.)

      Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)

      Military Bulgaria

      Military branches:

       Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces

      Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months (2004)

      Manpower available for military service:

       males age 18–49: 1,661,211 (2005 est.)

      Manpower fit for military service:

       males age 18–49: 1,302,037 (2005 est.)

      Manpower reaching military service age annually:

       males: 51,023 (2005 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $356 million (FY02)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       2.6% (2003)

      Transnational Issues Bulgaria

      Disputes - international:

       none

      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

      This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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      @Burkina Faso

      Introduction Burkina Faso

      Background:

       Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from

       France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s

       were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Burkina

       Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result

       in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent

       unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability