The 2001 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner),
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Philip DIMITROV
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387–7969
FAX: [1] (202) 234–7973
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Richard M. MILES
embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521–5740
telephone: [359] (2) 980–52-41
FAX: [359] (2) 981–89-77
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control)
Bulgaria Economy
Economy - overview: Bulgaria, a former communist country struggling to enter the European market economy, suffered a major economic downturn in 1996 and 1997, with triple digit inflation and GDP contraction of 10.6% and 6.9%. The current government - which took office in May 1997 after pre-term parliamentary elections - stabilized the economy and promoted growth by implementing a currency board, practicing sound financial policies, invigorating privatization, and pursuing structural reforms. Additionally, strong assistance from international financial institutions - most notably the IMF which approved a three-year Extended Fund Facility worth approximately $900 million in September 1998 - played a critical role in turning the economy around. After several years of tumult, Bulgaria's economy has stabilized. Its better-than-expected economic performance in 1999 - despite the impact of the Kosovo conflict, the 1998 Russian financial crisis, and structural reforms - and strong growth in 2000 portends solid growth over the next few years; this assumes continued fiscal restraint, additional structural reforms, aid from abroad, and prosperous times in the EU economy.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $48 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15%
industry: 29%
services: 56% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 35% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 22.5% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.4% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 3.83 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: 17.7% (2000 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.85 billion
expenditures: $4.92 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate: 10.8% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: 36.217 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 51.52%
hydro: 8.35%
nuclear: 40.12%
other: 0.01% (1999)
Electricity - consumption: 33.182 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports: 2.2 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports: 1.7 billion kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets
Exports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners: Italy 14%, Turkey 10%, Germany 9%, Greece 8%,
Yugoslavia 8%, Belgium 6%, France 5%, US 4% (2000)
Imports: $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles
Imports - partners: Russia 24%, Germany 14%, Italy 8%, Greece 5%,
France 5%, Romania 4%, Turkey 3%, US 3% (2000)
Debt - external: $10.4 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $1 billion (1999 est.)
Currency: lev (BGL)
Currency code: BGL
Exchange rates: leva per US dollar - 2.0848 (January 2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997), 177.89 (1996)
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
Bulgaria Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.255 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 596,000 (2000)
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: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 93, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: 4.51 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 96 (plus 1,030 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 3.31 million (1997)
Internet country code: .bg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 26 (2000)
Internet users: 200,000 (2000)
Bulgaria Transportation
Railways: total: 4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified; 917 km double track)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1998)
Highways: total: 36,724 km
paved: 33,786 km (including 314 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,938 km (1999)
Waterways: 470 km (1987)
Pipelines: petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,500 km (1999)
Ports and harbors: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin
Merchant marine: total: 81 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 938,706 GRT/1,440,374 DWT
ships by type: bulk