Statistical information Bulgaria 1989

Bulgaria in the World
top of pageBackground: A Slavic state, Bulgaria achieved independence in 1908 after 500 years of Ottoman rule. Bulgaria fought on the losing side in both World Wars. After World War II it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries:
1,881 km total
Greece 494 km, Romania 608 km, Turkey 240 km, Yugoslavia 539 km
Coastline: 354 km
Maritime claimsExtended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and south
ElevationNatural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use: 34% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes 11% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia
top of pagePopulation: 8,972,724 (July 1989), growth rate 0.1% (1989)
Nationality: noun - Bulgarian(s; adjective - Bulgarian
Ethnic groups: 85.3% Bulgarian, 8.5% Turk, 2.6% Gypsy, 2.5% Macedonian, 0.3% Armenian, 0.2% Russian, 0.6% other
Languages: Bulgarian; secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown
Religions: regime promotes atheism; religious background of population is 85% Bulgarian Orthodox, 13% Muslim, 0.8% Jewish, 0.7% Roman Catholic, 0.5% Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 13 births/1000 population (1989)
Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to earthquakes, landslides; deforestation; air pollution
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1989)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 95% (est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: People's Republic of Bulgaria
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Sofia
Administrative divisions: 8 districts (oblasti, singular - oblast) and 1 city* (grad; Burgas, Grad Sofiya*, Khaskovo, Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Sofiya, Varna
Dependent areasIndependence: 22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Socialist Revolution in Bulgaria, 9 September (1944)
Constitution: 16 May 1971, effective 18 May 1971
Legal system: based on civil law system, with Soviet law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the State Council; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal and compulsory over age 18
Executive branch: Chief of State - Chairman of the State Council Todor Khristov ZHIVKOV (since 7 July 1971; Head of Government - Chairman of the Council of Ministers Georgi Ivanov ATANASOV (since 21 March 1986)
Legislative branch: Bulgarian People's Army, Frontier Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces, Bulgarian Navy
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation: CCC, CEMA, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, ILZSG, IMO, IPU, ITC, ITU, IWC - International Wheat Council, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO; Warsaw Pact, International Organization of Journalists, International Medical Association, International Radio and Television Organization
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador Velichko Filipov VELICHKOV; Chancery at 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 387-7,969; US - Ambassador Sol POLANSKY; Embassy at 1 Alexander Stamboliski Boulevard, Sofia (mailing address is APO New York 9,213; telephone Õ359å (2) 88-48-01 through 05
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red with the national emblem on the hoist side of the white stripe; the emblem contains 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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Growth in the sluggish Bulgarian economy has fallen to the 2% annual level in the 1980s. The Marxist-Leninist regime faces major problems of renovating an aging industrial plant, keeping abreast of rapidly unfolding technological developments, investing in additional energy capacity (the portion of electric power from nuclear energy reached 37% in 1988), and motivating workers, in part by giving them a share in the earnings of their enterprises. A major decree of January 1989 summarized and extended the government's economic restructuring efforts, which include a partial decentralization of controls over production decisions and foreign trade. As in other Communist countries, however, the ruling group cannot (so far) bring itself to giving up ultimate control over economic affairs exercised through the vertical Party/ministerial command structure. Reforms have not led to improved economic performance, in particular the provision of more and better consumer goods.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: grain, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, sheep, hogs, poultry, cheese, sunflower seeds; mainly self-sufficient
Industries: food processing, machine and metal building, electronics, chemicals
Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (1987)
Labor force:
4,300,000; 33%
industry, 20% agriculture, 47% other (1987)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $23.8 billion; expenditures $23.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.0 billion (1987)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $16.8 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: machinery and equipment 60.5%; agricultural products 14.7%; manufactured consumer goods 10.6%; fuels, minerals, raw materials, and metals 8.5%; other 5.7%
Partners: Socialist countries 82.5% (USSR 61%, GDR 5.5%, Czechoslovakia 4.9%; developed countries 6.8% (FRG 1.2%, Greece 1.0%; less developed countries 10.7% (Libya 3.5%, Iraq 2.9%)
Imports: $16.9 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials 45.2%; machinery and equipment 39.8%; manufactured consumer goods 4.6%; agricultural products 3.8%; other 6.6%
Partners: Socialist countries 80.5% (USSR 57.5%, GDR 5.7%), developed countries 15.1% (FRG 4.8%, Austria 1.6%; less developed countries 4.4% (Libya 1.0%, Brazil 0.9%)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $6.1 billion (1987)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: leva (Lv) per US$1 - 0.82 (1988), 0.90 (1987), 0.95 (1986), 1.03 (1985; linked to the Soviet ruble
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 11,300,000 kW capacity; 43,300 million kWh produced, 4,830 kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: 1.4 billion leva, 6.3% of total budget (1988 est.), note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 380 total, 380 usable; fewer than 5 with permanent-surface runways; 120 with runways over 3,659 m; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude, 193 km; refined product, 418 km; natural gas, 1,400 km (1986)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 470 km (1986)
Merchant marine: 108 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 1,243,826 GRT/1,876,857 DWT; includes 2 passenger, 32 cargo, 2 container, 1 passenger-cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 16 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 railcar carriers, 48 bulk
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: Macedonia question with Greece and Yugoslavia
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs