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Bulgaria
Index
Until the 1920s, peasants relied on traditional medicine and
went to a doctor or hospital only as a last resort. Traditional
healers believed that many illnesses were caused by evil spirits
(baiane) and could therefore be treated with magic, with
chants against the spirits, with prayers, or by using medicinal
herbs. The knowledge of healing herbs was highly valued in village
society. For healing one could also drink, wash, or bathe in water
from mineral springs, some of which were considered holy. Even in
postcommunist Bulgaria, some resorted to herbal medicine or to
persons with reputed extrasensory healing powers. Herbalists and
"extrasenses" resurged in popularity in Bulgaria after the
overthrow of Zhivkov. Because of the skepticism of conventional
doctors, little research was done on the validity of traditional
herbal medicine, but in 1991 doctors began to consider rating
skilled herbalists as qualified specialists.
Beginning in 1944, Bulgaria made significant progress in
increasing life expectancy and decreasing infant mortality rates.
In 1986 Bulgaria's life expectancy was 68.1 years for men and 74.4
years for women. In 1939 the mortality rate for children under one
year had been 138.9 per 1,000; by 1986 it was 18.2 per 1,000, and
in 1990 it was 14 per 1,000, the lowest rate in Eastern Europe. The
proportion of long-lived people in Bulgaria was quite large; a 1988
study cited a figure of 52 centenarians per 1 million inhabitants,
most of whom lived in the Smolyan, Kurdzhali, and Blagoevgrad
regions.
The steady demographic aging of the Bulgarian population was a
concern, however. In the 1980s, the number of children in the
population decreased by over 100,000. The prenatal mortality rate
for 1989 was 11 per 1,000, twice that in West European countries.
In 1989 the mortality rate for children of ages one to fourteen was
twice as great as in Western Europe. The mortality rate for village
children was more than twice the rate for city children. However,
in 1990 some Bulgarian cities had mortality rates as low as 8.9 per
1,000, which compared favorably with the rates in Western Europe.
Poor conditions in maternity wards and shortages of baby needs
worried new and prospective mothers. Hospital staff shortages meant
that doctors and nurses were overworked and babies received scant
attention. Expensive neonatal equipment was not available in every
hospital, and transferral to better-equipped facilities was rare.
In 1990 the standard minimum weight to ensure survival at birth was
1,000 grams, compared with the World Health Organization standard
of 500 grams.
The number of medical doctors, nurses, and dentists in Bulgaria
increased during the 1980s. Bulgaria had 27,750 doctors in 1988,
almost 6,000 more than in 1980. This meant one doctor for every 323
Bulgarians. Some 257 hospitals were operating in 1990, with 105
beds per 1,000 people.
Like other aspects of society, health services underwent
significant reform after 1989. In 1990 health officials declared
that the socialist system of polyclinics in sectors serving 3,000
to 4,000 people did not satisfy the public's need for more complex
diagnostic services. They claimed the system was too centralized
and bureaucratic, provided too few incentives for health personnel,
and lacked sufficient modern equipment and supplies. Thereafter,
new emphasis was placed on allowing free choice of a family doctor
and providing more general practitioners to treat families on an
ongoing basis. Beginning in 1990, Bulgaria began accepting
donations of money and medicine from Western countries. During the
reform period, even common medicines such as aspirin were sometimes
in short supply. Prices for medicines skyrocketed. Shortages of
antibiotics, analgesics, dressings, sutures, and disinfectants were
chronic.
In November 1989, the Council of Ministers decreed that doctors
could be self-employed during their time off from their assigned
clinics. Doctors could work for pay either in health facilities or
in patients' homes, but with significant restrictions: when acting
privately, they could not certify a patient's health or disability,
issue prescriptions for free medicine, perform outpatient surgery
or abortions, conduct intensive diagnostic tests, use anesthetics,
or serve patients with infectious or venereal diseases. In 1990 the
National Assembly extended the right of private practice to all
qualified medical specialists, and private health establishments
and pharmacies were legalized. Church-sponsored facilities were
included in this provision. The 1990 law did not provide for a
health insurance system, however, and establishment of such a
system was not a high legislative priority for the early 1990s.
In 1991 the government created a National Health Council to be
financed by 2.5 billion leva from the state budget plus funds from
donors and payments for medical services. The goal of the new
council was to create a more autonomous health system. Also in
1991, the Ministry of Health set up a Supreme Medical Council and
a Pharmaceutics Council to advise on proposed private health
centers, pharmacies, and laboratories and to regulate the supply
and distribution of medicine.
In 1988 the top three causes of death in Bulgaria were
cardiovascular illnesses, cancer, and respiratory illnesses. An
expert estimated that 88 percent of all deaths were caused by
"socially significant diseases" that resulted from an unhealthy
lifestyle and were thus preventable. Strokes, the most prevalent
cause of death, killed a higher percentage of the population in
Bulgaria than anywhere else in the world. In 1985 nearly 58,000
Bulgarians suffered strokes, and nearly 24,000 of them died. The
mortality rate for strokes was especially high in northern
Bulgaria, where it sometimes exceeded 300 fatalities per 100,000
persons. In villages the rate was three times as high as in the
cities. Doctors cited unhealthy eating habits, smoking, alcohol
abuse, and stress as lifestyle causes of the high stroke rate.
In 1990 about 35 percent of Bulgarian women and 25 percent of
men were overweight. Sugar provided an average of 22 percent of the
calories in Bulgarian diets, twice as much as the standard for
balanced nutrition. Another 35 percent of average calories came
from animal fat, also twice as much as the recommended amount. That
percentage was likely much higher in the villages, where many
animal products were made at home. Modernization of the food supply
generally led to increased consumption of carbohydrates and fats.
In contrast, the traditional Bulgarian diet emphasized dairy
products, beans, vegetables, and fruits. Large quantities of bread
were always a key element of the Bulgarian diet. Average salt
consumption was also very high. In 1990 the average Bulgarian
consumed 14.5 kilograms of bread, 4.4 kilograms of meat, 12.6
kilograms of milk and milk products, 15 eggs, and 15 kilograms of
fruits and vegetables per month.
In the 1980s, Bulgaria ranked tenth in the world in per capita
tobacco consumption. Tobacco consumption was growing, especially
among young people. Each Bulgarian consumed 7.34 liters of alcohol
per month, not including huge amounts of homemade alcoholic
beverages. Between 1962 and 1982, recorded alcohol consumption
increased 1.6 times.
In 1990 an estimated 35 percent of the population risked
serious health problems because of environmental pollution
(see Environment
, this ch.). In the most polluted areas, the sickness
rate increased by as much as twenty times in the 1980s. By 1990,
pollution was rated the fastest-growing cause of "socially
significant diseases," particularly for respiratory and digestive
disorders. Doctors in the smelting center of Srednogorie found that
the incidence of cancer, high blood pressure, and dental disorders
had increased significantly in the 1980s.
Pollution had an especially adverse effect on the immune
systems of children. In the first few years of the Giurgiu plant's
operation, the number of deformed children born across the Danube
in Ruse increased 144 percent. From 1985 to 1990, this number
increased from 27.5 to 39.7 per 1,000. Miscarriages, stillbirths,
and premature, low-weight births doubled during that period. The
infant mortality rate in Srednogorie was three times the national
average in 1990. Excessive lead in the soil and water at Kurdzhali
had caused a great increase in skin and infectious diseases in
children there. In 1990 environmental authorities named the village
of Dolno Ezerovo, near Burgas, the "sickest village in Bulgaria"
because over 60 percent of its children suffered from severe
respiratory illnesses and allergies.
In 1987 Bulgarian health authorities instituted limited
mandatory testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which
causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). All prospective
marriage partners, all pregnant women, and all transportation
workers arriving from outside Bulgaria were required to be tested.
Hemophiliacs, Bulgarian navy sailors who had traveled abroad after
1982, and students and workers visiting vacation resorts also fell
under this rule. As of October 1989, some 2.5 million people in
Bulgaria, including about 66,000 foreigners, had been tested for
HIV, and 81 Bulgarians were diagnosed as HIV positive. According to
government figures, six of that number had contracted AIDS.
Foreigners diagnosed as HIV positive were ordered to leave the
country. Bulgaria estimated it would spend over US$4 million to
treat AIDS and HIV-positive patients in 1991.
Data as of June 1992
Background | | 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.
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Location | | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
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Area(sq km) | | total: 110,879 sq km land: 108,489 sq km water: 2,390 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 43 00 N, 25 00 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 1,808 km border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
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Coastline(km) | | 354 km
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Climate | | temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m
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Natural resources | | bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 29.94% permanent crops: 1.9% other: 68.16% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 5,880 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 19.4 cu km (2005)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 6.92 cu km/yr (3%/78%/19%) per capita: 895 cu m/yr (2003)
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Natural hazards | | earthquakes; landslides
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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
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note | | strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
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Population | | 7,204,687 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 13.8% (male 509,544/female 484,816) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,426,060/female 2,508,772) 65 years and over: 17.7% (male 518,711/female 756,784) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 41.4 years male: 39.2 years female: 43.6 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | -0.79% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 9.51 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 14.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | -3.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 71% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 17.87 deaths/1,000 live births male: 21.28 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 73.09 years male: 69.48 years female: 76.91 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 1.41 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)
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Religions(%) | | Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)
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Languages(%) | | Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
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Country name | | conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria local long form: Republika Balgariya local short form: Balgariya
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Government type | | parliamentary democracy
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Capital | | name: Sofia geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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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
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Constitution | | adopted 12 July 1991
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Legal system | | civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Boyko BORISSOV (since 27 July 2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Simeon DJANKOV and Tsvetan TSVETANOV (since 27 July 2009); 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) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PARVANOV reelected president; percent of vote - Georgi PARVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Boyko BORISSOV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 162 to 77 with 1 abstension
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Legislative branch | | unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 5 July 2009 (next to be held mid-2013) election results: percent of vote by party - GERB 39.7%, BSP 17.7%, MRF 14.4%, ATAKA 9.4%, Blue Coalition 6.8%, RZS 4.1%, other 7.9%; seats by party - GERB 116, BSP 40, MRF 38, ATAKA 21, Blue Coalition 15, RZS 10
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Judicial branch | | 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)
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
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International organization participation | | ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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Flag description | | 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 note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed
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Economy - overview | | Bulgaria, a former Communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, has experienced strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996. Successive governments have demonstrated a commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but have failed so far to rein in rising inflation and large current account deficits. Bulgaria has averaged more than 6% growth since 2004, attracting significant amounts of foreign direct investment, but corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $93.98 billion (2008 est.) $88.66 billion (2007 est.) $83.48 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $49.9 billion (2008)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 6% (2008 est.) 6.2% (2007 est.) 6.3% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $12,900 (2008 est.) $12,100 (2007 est.) $11,300 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 7.3% industry: 30.5% services: 62.2% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 2.67 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 7.5% industry: 35.5% services: 57% (2007 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 6.3% (2008 est.) 7.7% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | 14.1% (2003 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 25.5% (2007)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index | | 30.7 (2007) 26.4 (2001)
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 33.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $22.24 billion expenditures: $20.74 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 12.3% (2008 est.) 9.8% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $14.29 billion (31 December 2008) $15.58 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $19.67 billion (31 December 2008) $17.03 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $32.04 billion (31 December 2008) $25.18 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $8.858 billion (31 December 2008) $21.79 billion (31 December 2007) $10.32 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $742 million (2005-06 est.)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 14.1% of GDP (2008 est.) 41.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets; livestock
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Industries | | electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 1.5% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | -$12.65 billion (2008 est.) -$8.716 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $22.71 billion (2008 est.) $18.58 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
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Exports - partners(%) | | Greece 9.9%, Germany 9.2%, Turkey 8.9%, Italy 8.5%, Romania 7.2%, Belgium 5.9%, France 4.1% (2008)
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Imports | | $35.64 billion (2008 est.) $28.65 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
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Imports - partners(%) | | Russia 14.6%, Germany 11.8%, Italy 7.9%, Ukraine 7.3%, Romania 5.6%, Turkey 5.5%, Greece 5.4%, Austria 4.1% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $17.93 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $17.54 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $51.46 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $42.62 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $42.91 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $33.91 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $1.292 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $559 million (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.3171 (2008 est.), 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | lev (BGN)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 2.258 million (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 10.633 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population domestic: 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; submarine cable provides connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania, and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2008)
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Internet country code | | .bg
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Internet users | | 2.647 million (2008)
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Airports | | 212 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 2,926 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 40,231 km paved: 39,587 km (includes 331 km of expressways) unpaved: 644 km (2005)
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Ports and terminals | | Burgas, Varna
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Military branches | | Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended January 2008; Air Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,701,979 females age 16-49: 1,691,092 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 1,351,312 females age 16-49: 1,381,017 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 38,263 female: 36,374 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Disputes - international | | none
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 40.25 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 31.08 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 8.441 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 3.097 billion kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 3,357 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 124,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 76,570 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 189,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 15 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 300 million cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 3.4 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | 346 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | 100 (2001 est.)
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.7% female: 97.7% (2001 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 4.5% of GDP (2005)
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