Bulgaria

• temperate;
• cold, damp winters;
• hot, dry summers

agricultural land:

46.9%;

• arable land 29.9%;
• permanent crops 1.5%;
• permanent pasture 15.5%

forest:

36.7%

other:

16.4% (2011 est.)

• 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

noun:

Bulgarian(s)

adjective:

Bulgarian

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.69 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Bulgaria

conventional short form:

Bulgaria

local long form:

Republika Bulgaria

local short form:

Bulgaria

etymology:

named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D.

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

• 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast);
• Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

history:

several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 13 July 1991

amendments:

• proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic;
• passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots;
• signed by the National Assembly chairperson;
• note - under special circumstances, a "Grand National Assembly" is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings;
• amended several times, last in 2015 (2016)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017); Vice President Iliana YOTOVA (since 22 January 2017)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Boyko BORISSOV (since 4 May 2017);
• note - BORISSOV served 2 previous terms as prime minister (27 July 2009-13 March 2013 and 7 November 2014-27 January 2017)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly

elections/appointments:

• president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 6 and 13 November 2016 (next to be held in fall 2021);
• chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly;
• deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly

election results:

• Rumen RADEV elected president in second round;
• percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%;
• Boyko BORISSOV (GERB) elected prime minister;
• National Assembly vote - 133 to 100

description:

• unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms);
• note - the National Assembly was dissolved on 27 January 2017 and Bulgaria did not have a legislative body until after a general election on 26 March 2017

elections:

last held on 26 March 2017 (next to be held spring 2021)

election results:

• percent of vote by party/coalition - GERB 32.7%, BSP 27.2%, United Patriots 9.1%, DPS 9%, Volya 4.2%, other 17.8%;
• seats by party/coalition - GERB 95, BSP 80, United Patriots 27, DPS 26, Volya 12

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges);
• Supreme Administrative Court (organized in 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each);
• Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices);
• note - Constitutional Court resides outside the judiciary

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president;
• judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
• Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC;
• justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years

subordinate courts:

• appeals courts;
• regional and district courts;
• administrative courts;
• courts martial

• Alternative for Bulgarian Revival or ABV [Konstantin PRODANOV]
• Attack (Ataka) [Volen Nikolov SIDEROV]
• Bulgarian Agrarian People’s Union [Nikolay NENCHEV]
• Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Korneliya NINOVA]
• Bulgaria of the Citizens or DBG [Meglena KUNEVA]
• Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISSOV]
• Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Radan KANEV]
• Democrats for Responsibility, Solidarity, and Tolerance or DOST [Lyutvi MESTAN]
• IMRO - Bulgarian National Movement or IMRO-BNM [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]
• Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Mustafa KARADAYA]
• National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria or NFSB [Valeri SIMEONOV]
• New Republic (alliance of DSB and other center-right parties) [Radan KANEV]
• Reformist Bloc or RB (a four-party alliance including DBG and SDS)
• United Patriots (alliance of IMRO-BNM, NFSB, and Attack)
• Union of Democratic Forces or SDS [Bozhidar LUKARSKI]
• Yes! Bulgaria [Hristo IVANOV]
• Volya [Veselin MARESHKI]

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tihomir Anguelov STOYTCHEV (since 27 June 2016)

chancery:

1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-0174

FAX:

[1] (202) 234-7973

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Eric Seth RUBIN (since 24 February 2016)

embassy:

16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408

mailing address:

American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740

telephone:

[359] (2) 937-5100

FAX:

[359] (2) 937-5320

• 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

name:

"Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland)

lyrics/music:

Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV

note: adopted 1964; composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War

• electricity, gas, water;
• food, beverages, tobacco;
• machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel;
• outsourcing centers

agriculture:

6.8%

industry:

26.6%

services:

66.6% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

28.4% (2015)

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

general assessment:

• inherited an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network from the Soviet era;
• quality has improved with a modern digital trunk line now connecting switching centers in most of the regions;
• remaining areas are connected by digital microwave radio relay

domestic:

• the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 in an effort to upgrade fixed-line services;
• mobile-cellular teledensity, fostered by multiple service providers, is over 125 telephones per 100 persons

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) (2016)

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

8; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 44

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

1,118,689

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

1,583,340 mt-km (2015)

total:

5,114 km

standard gauge:

4,989 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

125 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 36

total:

19,512 km

paved:

19,235 km (includes 458 km of expressways)

unpaved:

277 km

note: does not include Category IV local roads (2011)

country comparison to the world: 111

total:

22

by type:

bulk carrier 9, cargo 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned:

14 (Germany 12, Russia 2)

registered in other countries:

30 (Belize 1, Comoros 4, Georgia 1, Malta 8, Moldova 1, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9) (2010)

country comparison to the world: 93

• 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service;
• conscription ended in January 2008;
• service obligation 6-9 months (2012)

refugees (country of origin):

15,027 (Syria) (2016)

stateless persons:

67 (2016)

note: 47,731 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015 - November 2017); Bulgaria is predominantly a transit country and hosts approximately 1,800 migrants and asylum seekers as of September 2017

current situation:

• Bulgaria is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor;
• Bulgaria is one of the main sources of human trafficking in the EU;
• women and children are increasingly sex trafficked domestically, as well as in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and the US;
• adults and children become forced laborers in agriculture, construction, and the service sector in Europe, Israel, and Zambia;
• Romanian girls are also subjected to sex trafficking in Bulgaria

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Bulgaria does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• in 2014, authorities prosecuted and convicted fewer traffickers and issued suspended sentences for the majority of those convicted;
• victim protection efforts declined and were minimal relative to the number of victims identified;
• funding for the state’s two NGO-operated shelters was significantly cut, forcing them to close;
• specialized services for child and adult male victims were non-existent;
• the government took action to combat trafficking-related complicity among public officials and police officers (2015)

• 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