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

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Europe

slightly larger than Tennessee

354 km

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

1,020 sq km (2003)

19.4 cu km (2005)

earthquakes; landslides

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

strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

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)

7,037,935 (July 2012 est.)

-0.796% (2012 est.)

9.2 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

14.32 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-2.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

SOFIA (capital) 1.192 million (2009)

11 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.43 children born/woman (2012 est.)

7.4% of GDP (2009)

3.635 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

6.49 beds/1,000 population (2008)

0.1% (2009 est.)

3,800 (2009 est.)

fewer than 200 (2009 est.)

12.4% (2001)

1.6% (2004)

4.1% of GDP (2007)

parliamentary democracy

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)

adopted 12 July 1991

civil law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

independent judiciary comprised of judges, prosecutors and investigating magistrates who are appointed, promoted, demoted, and dismissed by a 25-member Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 members, half of whom are elected by the National Assembly and the other half by the bodies of the judiciary for a 5-year term in office); three levels of case review; 182 courts of which two Supreme Courts act as the last instance on civil and criminal cases (the Supreme Court of Cassation) and appeals of government decisions (the Supreme Administrative Court)

Agrarian National Union or ANU [Stefan LICHEV]; National Union Attack (Ataka) [Volen SIDEROV]; Blue Coalition [Ivan KOSTOV and Martin DIMITROV] (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF and DSB); Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISSOV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB [Sergei STANISHEV] (coalition of parties dominated by BSP); Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Gergyovden [Petar STOYANOVICH]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Liberal Initiative for Democratic European Development or LIDER [Khristo KOVACHKI]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Stability and Progress or NDSV [Hristina HRISTOVA] (formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Order, Law, Justice or RZS [Yane YANEV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Martin DIMITROV]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Agrarians [Anastasia MOZER]

Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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

lion

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, and grew approximately 2.2% in 2011. 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.

$102.3 billion (2011 est.)

$100.7 billion (2010 est.)

$100.3 billion (2009 est.)

$53.51 billion (2011 est.)

1.7% (2011 est.)

0.4% (2010 est.)

-5.5% (2009 est.)

$13,800 (2011 est.)

$13,400 (2010 est.)

$13,300 (2009 est.)

2.465 million (2011 est.)

9.6% (2011 est.)

9.5% (2010 est.)

21.8% (2008)

45.3 (2007)

26 (2001)

20.9% of GDP (2011 est.)

33.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

-2.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

17.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

16.3% of GDP (2010 est.)

4.2% (2011 est.)

2.4% (2010 est.)

0.18% (31 December 2010 est.)

0.55% (31 December 2009 est.)

10.63% (31 December 2011 est.)

11.144% (31 December 2010 est.)

$13.91 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$12.48 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$37.68 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$35.37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$37.81 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$33.95 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$8.253 billion (31 December 2011)

$7.276 billion (31 December 2010)

$7.103 billion (31 December 2009)

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

5.9% (2011 est.)

$502.2 million (2011 est.)

-$737.3 million (2010 est.)

$28.12 billion (2011 est.)

$20.6 billion (2010 est.)

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

Germany 12.2%, Romania 9.8%, Italy 8.5%, Turkey 8.2%, Greece 7%, Belgium 5.1%, France 4.3% (2011)

$30.86 billion (2011 est.)

$24.29 billion (2010 est.)

machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials

Russia 18%, Germany 11%, Italy 7.3%, Romania 7%, Greece 5.7%, Turkey 4.6%, Spain 4.3%, Ukraine 4% (2011)

$17.27 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$17.23 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$46.84 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$48.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$53 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$51.64 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.1 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$939.6 million (31 December 2010 est.)

leva (BGN) per US dollar -

1.4065 (2011 est.)

1.4774 (2010 est.)

1.404 (2009)

1.3171 (2008)

1.4366 (2007)

calendar year

39.97 billion kWh (2009 est.)

30.38 billion kWh (2009 est.)

9.359 billion kWh (2010 est.)

1.166 billion kWh (2010 est.)

9.409 million kW (2009 est.)

46.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

20.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

22.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

1.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

1,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

123,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)

15 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

150,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)

112,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)

78,180 bbl/day (2008 est.)

29,940 bbl/day (2008 est.)

54 million cu m (2010)

2.17 billion cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

2.48 billion cu m (2010)

5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

42.17 million Mt (2010 est.)

2.311 million (2011)

10.475 million (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)

.bg

937,195 (2010)

3.395 million (2009)

202 (2012)

2 (2012)

gas 2,844 km; oil 346 km; refined products 156 km (2010)

470 km (2009)

Burgas, Varna

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 (2010)

2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

none

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; vulnerable to money laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions (2008)