The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between

       Romania and Turkey

      Geographic coordinates: 43 00 N, 25 00 E

      Map references: Europe

      Area:

       total area: 110,910 sq km

       land area: 110,550 sq km

       comparative area: 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, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km (all

       with Serbia), Turkey 240 km

      Coastline: 354 km

      Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

      International disputes: none

      Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

      Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast 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: 34%

       permanent crops: 3%

       meadows and pastures: 18%

       forest and woodland: 35%

       other: 10%

      Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

      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

       natural hazards: earthquakes, landslides

       international agreements: 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

      Geographic note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls

       key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

      People———

      Population: 8,612,757 (July 1996 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 17% (male 769,025; female 732,119)

       15–64 years: 68% (male 2,891,197; female 2,923,440)

       65 years and over: 15% (male 561,944; female 735,032) (July 1996

       est.)

      Population growth rate: 0.46% (1996 est.)

      Birth rate: 8.33 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Death rate: 13.55 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

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

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female

       all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71 years male: 67.07 years female: 75.12 years (1996 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian

      Ethnic divisions: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%,

       Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%

      Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%, Muslim 13%, Jewish 0.8%, Roman

       Catholic 0.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian,

       and other 0.5%

      Languages: Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to

       ethnic breakdown

      Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)

       total population: 98%

       male: 99%

       female: 97%

      Government—————

      Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria

      Data code: BU

      Type of government: emerging democracy

      Capital: Sofia

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

      Independence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

      National holiday: Independence Day, 3 March (1878)

      Constitution: adopted 12 July 1991

      Legal system: based on civil law system with Soviet law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: 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)

       head of government: 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)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly

      Legislative branch: 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

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

      Political parties and leaders: 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