To the north with Romania and the Danube river, to the east is the Black Sea, to the south are Turkey and Greece, and to the west - the FYR of Macedonia and Yugoslavia.
Form of State:
Parliamentary republic
Internet domain:
.bg
International dialling code:
+359
OVERVIEW
Bulgaria is one of the most ancient states on the European continent. It was founded in 681. Its rich historic heritage, coupled with beautiful natural scenery is most conducive to the development of tourism. The country is famous for its Tracian Gold Treasure. It also boasts nine cultural monuments and natural reserves featuring on the UNESCO list, among which the Rila Monastery, the Boyana Church, the Madara Horseman, and the Pirin National Park.
The Bulgarian landscape is highly diverse. The vast lowlands of the Danube plains dominate the North and in the south there are highlands and elevated plains. Along the Black Sea coast there are 130 km of excellent vast beaches.
Bulgaria has a moderate continental climate with average annual temperatures of 10.5o. There is a marked Mediterranean influence in the climate in the southern parts of the country.
Besides its Black Sea coast and beautiful mountains that attract tourists all the year round, Bulgaria is also famous for its Rose Valley. The rose oil produced here is a precious ingredient in Bulgarian and world perfume production.
The largest part of the population is urban. 85% of Bulgarians are Christian Orthodox, whereas 13% of the population profess Islam. The Bulgarian ethnic group represents 85.8% of the population. Other major ethnic groups are the Turks (9.7%) and Roma (3.4%).
Bulgaria's main exports are light industry products, foods and wines, which are successfully competing on European markets.
Bulgaria is world famous for its folk music. A Bulgarian folk song was recorded on the Gold Record that was sent in outer space.
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic. The Constitution is the supreme law of the country. The latest Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria was adopted on 12 July of 1991 and features all basic principles of modern constitutionalism. It provides for a multi-party parliamentary system and free elections on the basis of universal suffrage. The three branches of power in Bulgaria are the legislative, the executive and the judicial.
The 240-seat National Assembly, or Parliament, is invested with the legislative power. The Members of Parliament are directly elected to a 4-year term on the basis of proportional representation. Parties and electoral coalitions need 4% of the popular vote to qualify.
Last parliamentary elections date 25 June 2005 The greatest number of votes was obtained by the Coalition for Bulgaria. The governing coalition consists of the Coalition for Bulgaria, the Simeon II National Movement (NDSV) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS).
82 seats
- for the Coalition for Bulgaria
53 seats
- for the National Movement Simeon the Second
34 seats
- for the Movement for Rights and Freedoms
17 seats
- for the Ataka Coalition
20 seats
- for the United Democratic Forces
17 seats
- for the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria
13 seats
- for the Bulgarian People's Union
4 seats
- for the Independent Members of Parliament
The President serves as Head of State, and is directly elected once every 5 years for a maximum of two terms. The Vice President is elected on the same ballot as the President.
The President is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria and appoints and dismisses the senior command. He appoints the Prime-Minister designate to form a government, schedules the elections and sets the date for national referendums, and countersigns, together with the Prime Minister or the respective sector minister, decrees for the promulgation of the adopted laws.
Present President -
Georgi Parvanov (elected 18 November 2001 and President enters upon his duties since 21 January 2002).
Vice President -
Angel Marin (since 22 January 2002)
The Council of Ministers (the Government) chaired by the Prime Minister is the principal body of the Executive Branch. The Prime-Minister-designate is nominated by the largest parliamentary group and is given a mandate by the President to form a cabinet. The National Assembly elects the proposed Council of Ministers. The activity of the Council of Ministers is under the direct control of the National Assembly.
Prime Minister:
Sergei Stanishev
Deputy Prime Ministers:
Ivailo Kalfin ,
Daniel Valtchev,
Emel Etem
Foreign minister:
Ivailo Georgiev Kalfin
Interior minister:
Rumen Yordanov Petkov
Finance minister:
Plamen Vassilev Oresharski
Minister of European Affairs:
Meglena Kuneva
The judiciary is an independent branch of power and is based on a three-instance procedure.
TRANSPORT The railway transport is of great significance for the country. The total length of the railway network is 7,353 km, and of the road network is 31,404 km. The sea and river (along the Danube river) fleet take an active part in the trade of the country. The major sea ports are Varna and Bourgas, and the main Danube ports are Rousse, Lom, Svishtov, Vidin. There is a ferry-boat connection between Vidin and Kalafat (Romania). The main airports are: Sofia Airport, Bourgas Airport, Varna Airport, Plovdiv Airport.
ECONOMY Since the 1996-97 crisis, the country has achieved macro-economic stability and has a stable currency board, low basic interest rate, and substantial foreign-exchange reserves. Real economic growth significantly accelerated from 2.4 percent in 1999 to 5.8 percent in 2000, and this trend has been confirmed by the latest 2001 data (4.5 percent in the first quarter).
