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Bulgaria - Social & Geographic Profile
| Climate: |
Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers. |
| Natural resources: |
Bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land |
| 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 |
| Population: |
7,385,367 (July 2006 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 13.9% (male 527,881/female 502,334)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,496,054/female 2,579,680)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 527,027/female 752,391) (2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups: |
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census) |
| Religions: |
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census) |
| Languages: |
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) |
| Capital: |
name: Sofia
geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
time difference: GMT +2
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| 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 |
| Legal system: |
Civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Executive branch: |
chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005)
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 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly
election results: Georgi PURVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67 |
| Diplomatic representation from the UK: |
British Embassy
9 Moskovska Street
Sofia
tel: (359) (2) 933 9222
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| GDP (purchasing power parity): |
£36.6 billion (2005 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
5% (2005 est.) |
| Industries: |
Electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel |
| Exports: |
£5.96 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: |
Clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels |
| Exports - partners: |
Italy 12%, Turkey 10.5%, Germany 9.8%, Greece 9.5%, France 4.6% (2005) |
| Imports: |
£8.57 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: |
Machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials |
| Imports - partners: |
Russia 15.6%, Germany 13.6%, Italy 9%, Turkey 6.1%, Greece 5%, France 4.7% (2005) |
| Economic aid - recipient: |
£242.59 million per year in EU pre-accession aid (2004-06) |
| Currency (code): |
lev (BGL) |
| Exchange rates: |
Bulgarian levas per UK Pound - 2.91 |
| Airports: |
217 (2006)
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| 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 (2005) |
| Roadways: |
total: 102,016 km
paved: 93,855 km (including 328 km of expressways)
unpaved: 8,161 km (2003) |
| Ports and terminals: |
Burgas, Varna
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