Officially REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, in Bulgarian REPUBLIKA BULGARIYA, the country occupies 42,855 square miles (110,994 square kilometres) of the eastern portion of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Maps

Bulgaria is bounded by Romania on the north, most of the border being marked by the lower Danube River. The Black Sea lies to the east, Turkey and Greece to the south, Macedonia to the southwest, and the Yugoslav republic of Serbia to the west. The capital of the country is Sofia, which lies in a mountainous basin in the west, near the geographic centre of the entire Balkan region.

From article "Bulgaria" in Encyclopedia Britannica retrieved June 25, 2000 from the World Wide Web.

Within a relatively small compass, the Bulgarian landscape exhibits striking topographic variety. Open expanses of lowland alternate with broken mountain country, cut by deep river gorges and harbouring upland basins such as that in which Sofia lies. Three basic structural and physiographic divisions run east-west. All but a short section of the northern frontier of Bulgaria is marked by the lower Danube, the abrupt and often steep banks on the Bulgarian side contrasting with the swamps and lagoons of the Romanian side. Extending southward from the Danube to the foothills of the Balkan Mountains is the fertile, hilly Danubian Plain. The average elevation of the region is 584 feet (178 metres), and it covers some 12,200 square miles. Several rivers cross the plain, flowing northward from the Balkans to join the Danube.

The Balkan Mountains border the Danubian Plain on the south, their rounded summits having an average height of 2,368 feet and rising to 7,795 feet (2,376 metres) in Mount Botev, the highest peak. Parallel to this principal chain (its Bulgarian name, Stara Planina, means "Old Mountains," "old" signifying its greater extent compared with the adjacent ranges) lies a transitional region of complex relief. Block faulting--the raising or lowering of great structural segments along regular lines of crustal weakness--has produced there the Sredna Mountains (Sredna Gora), the Vitosha Mountains, the Lisa Mountains, a number of sheltered structural basins, and the Upper Thracian and Tundzha lowlands.

Another mountain mass covers southern Bulgaria. This includes the Rhodope Mountains (Bulgarian: Rodopi; Greek: Rodhópis), which rise to 7,188 feet in Golyam Perelik Peak; the Rila Mountains, rising to Musala Peak, at 9,596 feet (2,925 metres) the highest in the country and indeed in the whole Balkan Peninsula; the Pirin Mountains, with Vikhren Peak reaching 9,560 feet; and a frontier range known as the Belasitsa Mountains. These majestic ranges discharge meltwater from montane snowfields throughout the summer, and their sharp outlines, pine-clad slopes, and, in the Rila and Pirin ranges, several hundred lakes of glacial origin combine to form some of the most beautiful of Bulgarian landscapes. Trending north-south at the eastern fringe of the other regions is the narrow Black Sea coastal region. The coast has few bays (exceptions being the fine harbours of Varna and Burgas) but does have extensive stretches of sandy beach that have led to the growth of a number of picturesque seaside resorts.

From article "Bulgaria: The Land". Retrieved from the Encyclopedia Britannica on June 25, 2000.

Official name:   Republika Bulgaria (Republic of Bulgaria)

Form of government:   unitary multiparty republic with one legislative body (National Assembly [240])

Chief of state:   President

Head of government:   Prime Minister

Capital:   Sofia

Official language:   Bulgarian

Official religion:   none {1}

Monetary unit:  1 lev (leva) = 100 stotinki; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = 1,673 leva; 1 £ = 2,848 leva.

DEMOGRAPHY:

Population (1998):   8,273,000.

Density (1998):   persons per sq mi 193.0, persons per sq km 74.5.

Urban-rural (1996):   urban 52.6%; rural 47.4%.

Sex distribution (1996):   male 47.80%; female 52.20%.

Age breakdown (1995):   under 15, 16.9%; 15-29, 20.5%; 30-44, 20.0%; 45-59, 19.4%; 60-74, 17.6%; 75 and over, 5.6%.
Population projection:   (2000) 8,179,000; (2010) 7,926,000.

Doubling time:   not applicable; population is declining.

Ethnic composition (1992):   Bulgarian 83.2%; Turkish 9.4%; Gypsy 3.6%; other 1.3%.

Religious affiliation (1995):   Bulgarian Orthodox 36.5%, Protestant 1.4%, Roman Catholic 0.8%; Sunni Muslim 13.1%; other (mostly nonreligious) 47.8%.

Major cities (1996):   Sofia 1,116,823; Plovdiv 344,326; Varna 301,421; Burgas 199,470; Ruse 168,051.

VITAL STATISTICS:

Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996):   8.6 (world avg. 25.0); (1995) legitimate 74.3%; illegitimate 25.7%.

Death rate per 1,000 population (1996):   14.0 (world avg. 9.3).

Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996):   -5.4 (world avg. 15.7).

Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1995):   1.2.

Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1996):   4.3.

Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1995):   1.3.

Life expectancy at birth (1995):   male 67.1 years; female 74.9 years.

Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1995):   diseases of the circulatory system 869.8; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 192.4; accidents, poisoning, and violence 66.0; diseases of the respiratory system 63.0.

TRANSPORT:

Railroads (1995):   track length 6,507 km; (1996) passenger-km 5,065,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 7,549,000,000.

Roads (1995):   length 37,320 km (paved 92%). Vehicles (1995): cars 1,647,571; trucks and buses 20,495. Merchant marine (1995): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 61; deadweight tonnage 391,000.

Air transport (1995):   passenger-mi 1,765,000,000, passenger-km 2,840,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 24,100,000, metric ton-km cargo 35,200,000; airports (1996) with scheduled flights 3.

EDUCATION and HEALTH:

Educational attainment (1992):    Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 4.7%; incomplete primary education 12.5%; primary 31.9%; secondary 35.7%; higher 15.0%. Literacy (1992): total population age 15 and over literate 97.9%; males literate 98.7%; females literate 97.1%.

Health (1995):    physicians 29,069 (1 per 288 persons); hospital beds 89,190 (1 per 94 persons); (1996) infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births 15.6.

Food (1995):    daily per capita caloric intake 2,907 (vegetable products 78%, animal products 22%); 116% of FAO recommended minimum requirement.

MILITARY:

Total active duty personnel (1995):    101,900 (army 75.9%, navy 2.9%, air force 21.2%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 2.8% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$125.

From article "Nations of the World: Statistics". Encyclopedia Britannica retrieved June 25, 2000. From the World Wide Web.

Evidence of human habitation in Bulgaria dates from the Middle Paleolithic Period, and agricultural settlements appeared in the Neolithic Period. The Thracians were its first inhabitants to enter recorded history. Their existence in Bulgaria can be dated from about 3500 BC, when seminomadic pastoralists from the Eurasian steppes moved southwestward to settle in the Balkan Peninsula. The first known Thracian state dates from the mid-5th century BC. Weakened by conflict with the Macedonians and Persians, the Thracian kingdom was finally absorbed by the Roman Empire after a 150-year struggle lasting into the first years of the Christian era. Under Roman rule Bulgaria was divided between the provinces of Moesia and Thrace and lay athwart the main land route from the west to the Middle East.

Beginning in the 3rd century AD, the Balkans suffered desolation brought about by successive invasions of Goths, Huns, Bulgars, and Avars. Gradually, from the mid-6th century, Slavic agriculturists repopulated most of the region. During the 7th century the Bulgars rose against the Avars, crossed the Danube, and subjugated the Slavic communities to the south. In 681, following an unsuccessful war with the Bulgars, the Byzantine Empire formally recognized Bulgar control of the region between the Balkans and the Danube. This is considered the starting point of the Bulgarian state. The ruler Boris I adopted Orthodox Christianity in 864, and the adoption of the new religion facilitated the assimilation of the Bulgars into the more numerous Slavic population. Although the name "Bulgaria" survived, the Bulgar language and customs died out, leaving few remnants among a population speaking a Slavic language.

The first Bulgarian empire flourished under Tsar Simeon (reigned 893-927) but was forced to accept Byzantine domination in 1018. A successful revolt led by the Asen brothers regained Bulgarian independence in 1185. The second Bulgarian empire, with its capital at Turnovo, ruled much of the Balkan Peninsula before succumbing to internal divisions and foreign invasion. In the second half of the 14th century, Bulgaria was invaded by the Ottoman Turks, and in 1396 the last vestiges of independence were lost. During the five centuries of Ottoman rule (1396-1878), imposed on Turkey by Russia, the Bulgarian nobility was destroyed and the peasantry enserfed to Turkish masters.

Bulgaria lagged behind its neighbours, Serbia and Greece, in the creation of a movement for independence; but, by the time of the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78), a movement known as the National Revival had brought about a widespread sense of Bulgarian identity. The Treaty of San Stefano (1878), imposed on Turkey by Russia, created a practically independent Bulgaria covering almost three-fifths of the Balkan Peninsula. This was unacceptable to the other Great Powers, and the Congress of Berlin (1878) permitted the creation of only a small, autonomous principality covering the core area between the Balkans and the Danube. Alexander of Battenberg, a nephew of the Russian emperor, was made prince. In 1885 Alexander annexed Eastern Rumelia, lying to the south between the Balkan and Rhodope ranges, and in 1908 his successor, Ferdinand, declared Bulgaria an independent kingdom. Ferdinand then joined Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro in forming the Balkan League, which seized Macedonia and Thrace from Turkey in the First Balkan War (1912-13). Dissatisfied with the small portion of Macedonia that he received as spoils, Ferdinand precipitated a Second Balkan War (June-August 1913) against Turkey, Romania, and his own former allies. Bulgaria lost this war, along with most of the territory it had gained in the first conflict. This effectively ended the expansion of the Bulgarian state, although Ferdinand sided with the Central Powers during World War I in an attempt to regain Macedonia. Bulgaria's defeat in 1918 forced Ferdinand's abdication and the accession of his son, Boris.

The interwar years were a period of economic crisis and political extremism and violence. Boris finally established a royal dictatorship and, during World War II, sided with Germany in yet another unsuccessful attempt to expand westward.

A communist-inspired coalition seized power on Sept. 9, 1944, in conjunction with an invasion by the Soviet Red Army. In 1946 a plebiscite abolished the monarchy and formed a people's republic that was henceforth ruled by the Bulgarian Communist Party. The country's industries were expropriated from their owners by the state, and the country's peasant farmers were forced into collective farms. Under the successive rule of the communist leaders Georgi Dimitrov, Vulko Chervenkov, and Todor Zhivkov, Bulgaria was transformed into a predominantly urban and industrial society. It remained firmly allied to the Soviet Union and the Soviet bloc.

In 1989, however, Bulgaria was caught up in the wave of democratization that was sweeping eastern Europe, and Zhivkov resigned and was replaced by younger, reform-minded leaders. Like its Soviet-bloc counterparts in eastern Europe, the Bulgarian Communist Party then abandoned its constitutional monopoly of power and thus freed noncommunist opposition parties to participate in multiparty parliamentary elections. The Communist Party, renamed the Socialist Party, won a majority of seats in the parliamentary elections of June 1990, but, in elections held in October 1991, the opposition Union of Democratic Forces won and went on to form Bulgaria's first noncommunist government since 1946.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the bringing down of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many of Bulgaria’s best and brightest fled the country. Bulgaria lost 600,000 citizens in 1990, nearly eight percent of its population. The remaining nine million Bulgarians struggled to survive the confusing and economically detrimental early to mid 1990s. Many of these citizens decided to leave the country as well, where monthly incomes amounted to somewhere between ten and ninety dollars and "insurance" hungry mafias operated unchecked by the government.

Although Bulgaria became a parliamentary democracy in 1990, it elected a socialist government into power in 1991. This socialist government led by President Zhelu Zhelev, was overthrown within two years by similar political forces. Again, in 1994, Bulgarians voted the Communists back into power. Bulgaria’s economy collapsed in 1996, leading to high inflation and gross devaluation of the lev.

With the January 1997 election of current President Petar Stoyanov, a member of the United Democratic Forces political party, Bulgaria became a democratically-led nation. Stoyanov, a lawyer, supports a free-market economy and campaigns for foreign investment in Bulgaria’s industries, including natural gas and petroleum. Stoyanov has also been instrumental in Bulgaria’s initiation into foreign aid organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, Peace Corps and the United States’ SEED program for development of newly democratic nations.

Bulgaria’s advances in democratization have lagged behind other former Soviet Bloc countries because the new democratic government has been in office for less such a short time and because many Bulgarians remain loyal to the former Soviet Union’s governance. The Russians liberated Bulgaria twice: once, from the Turks in the late Nineteenth Century and a second time from the Nazis in 1945. The former flag of The People’s Republic of Bulgaria contained its crest: a lion surrounded by two dates, one is 1944, when Russia liberated Bulgaria from Nazism. Today’s Bulgarian flag does not show this crest.

"Bulgarians had it good under Communism," write historians. The Soviets considered Bulgaria vacationland. Many neighboring nations enjoyed Bulgaria’s regal mountain vistas, historic landmarks and unspoiled Black Sea beaches. "Bulgaria was a poor-man’s Rivera," writes Radek Sikorski (1996). Not only did Bulgaria have streams of Soviet tourists entering its borders, Moscow borrowed money to maintain Bulgarian’s middle-class lifestyle, including a week-long government-paid vacation for workers. Bulgaria was technologically proficient (due to Moscow’s funding and training) through the 1980s; it was considered the "Silicon Valley of the Soviet Bloc." Food was abundant in Bulgaria’s markets and the wine trade was booming. Bulgarians were, quite clearly, reluctant to repel centralized Communist government, for economic as well as historical reasons.

Governmental reforms are beginning to make small differences in the lives of Bulgarians. Foreign investors are beginning to consider Bulgaria’s natural gas and petroleum (not to mention wine) trade as opportunities, NGOs are beginning to support and often instigate Bulgarian reforms and American Universities are offering help and expertise. The generally robust global economy is having a postive effect on Bulgaria's economy also.

Sources:

Harvard University's Bulgarian Club. April 1999. Retrieved June 25, 2000.
Globenet Audit: Bulgaria. Martha Durgy and Currie Jacobus. November 1998.

Bulgarian Art

A portal site for Bulgarian fine art, theater, literature, and folk art

Bulgarian Master Vinters

A informative site about Bulgarian wines

Bulgarian Poetry Archive

An archive of over 300 poems, in Bulgarian

Folklore

Travel Bulgaris's guide to folklore and folk customs

Hall Music: Bulgaria

Hall Music's list of popular Bulgarian music, such as Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, with links to more information

Welkya

A webzine for Bulgarian art and literature, in both Bulgarian and English

Of those who claim religion, 80% are Bulgarian Orthodox. Long under the influence of the Soviet state which devalued and even suppressed religion, the Bulgarian Orthodox Christian Church has become stagnant. However, there are some signs of a revival. While the The Pokrov Foundation is dedicated to renewing the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and faith, interest shows no sign of lagging in artifacts of the faith such as monasteries and iconic art. Bulgarian Monasteries Irina & Sons Icon Gallery Rafaela Art Gallery

Sources:
Lonely Planet: Bulgaria
Globenet Audit: Bulgaria. Martha Durgy and Currie Jacobus. November 1998.

Country name:

Data code:   BU

Government type:   republic

Capital:   Sofia

Administrative divisions:   9 provinces (oblasti, singular-oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna

Independence:   22 September 1908 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:   Independence Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution:   adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system:   civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:   18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state:   President Petar STOYANOV (since 22 January 1997); Vice President Todor KAVALDZHIEV (since 22 January 1997)

head of government:    Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Ivan Kostov (since 19 May 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandur BOZHKOV (since 12 February 1997), Evgeniy BAKURDZHIEV (since 21 May 1997), Veselin METODIEV (since 21 May 1997)

cabinet:   Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly

elections:    president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 27 October and 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister

election results:   Petar STOYANOV elected president; percent of vote-Petar STOYANOV 59.73%

Legislative branch:    unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:   last held 19 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001)

election results:   percent of vote by party-UDF 52%, BSP 22%, ANS 7%, Euro-left 5.5%, BBB 4.95%; seats by party-UDF 137, BSP 58, ANS 19, Euro-left 14, BBB 12

Judicial branch:   Supreme Court, chairman appointed for a seven-year term by the president; Constitutional Court, 12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms

Political parties and leaders:    Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Georgi PURVANOV, chairman]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF (an alliance of pro-Democratic parties) [Ivan KOSTOV]; Euro-left [Aleksandur TOMOV]; Alliance for National Salvation or ANS (coalition led mainly by Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS [Ahmed DOGAN]); People's Union [Anastasiya MOZER and Stefan SAVOV, cochairmen]

Political pressure groups and leaders:   Democratic Alliance for the Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-United or BZNS; Bulgarian Democratic Center; "Nikola Petkov" Bulgarian Agrarian National Union; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO; agrarian movement; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas

International organization participation:   ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUA, NAM (guest), NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UPU, 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 Saborna Street, Sofia
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 980-52-41 through 48
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)

CIA - The World Factbook 1999 - article Bulgaria retrieved from the WWW June 25, 2000.

In May of 1998, Bulgaria was cited as the nation with the worst-offending worldwide CD piracy problem and was placed on the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) Priority Watch List. Without improvements in copyright enforcement, nations on the Priority Watch List could face future U.S. trade sanctions. It was estimated that Bulgaria produced 15 million illegal CDs a year. Bulgaria developed new policing strategies and was working on shutting down the flow of illegal copies of music. By May of 1999 that flow had been almost stopped. The method for achieving this was placing a police officer trained in copyright matters in direct supervision of pressing at CD plants 24 hours a day. It is estimated that at the height of piracy up to 70 million illegal CD copies were made and distributed for sale. This crackdown hasn’t completely eliminated the problem, as some CD pressers have relocated to the Ukraine to avoid prosecution.

Bulgaria’s economy is just beginning to recover from the brink of economic crisis. After the fall of Communist dictatorship in 1989, Bulgaria’s standard of living dropped 40%. The United Nations’ enforcement of economic sanctions against Serbia and Iraq further damaged the Bulgarian economy. In 1996, Bulgaria’s economy crashed, leaving citizens destitute, banks open to corruption. As a result of the banking crisis, inflation soared topping at over 1,000 percent, making the lev equivalent to merely U.S. pennies. The government’s tax regulation structure remains weak and rife with corruption. In August, 1998, an article in The National Review proclaimed "In economic performance, Bulgaria is at the bottom of the class of the former Communist countries of Eastern Europe." (Oliver, p. 31).

Source: Oliver, Daniel. (1998). Back in the balkans. National Review. August 3, 1998, 31-32.

The Bulgarian government lists all the latest economic news on the Economy and Business section of their Embassy of Bulgaria website. Their sense of optimism for the future is palpable. Much of this optimism is based on the generally robust global economy, but also on their own tax reforms, traditional business investment arenas, the Internet and high-tech areas, and tourism opportunities.

Monetary unit:    1 Bulgarian Lev (BGL) = 0.4846 US Dollar (USD) and 1 US Dollar = 2.0635 Bulgarian Leva.

Source: Onanda: The Currency Site. Retrieved June 30, 2000.

Tourism (1995):   receipts from visitors U.S.$473,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$195,000,000.

Production (metric tons except as noted):

Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): wheat 1,788,000, corn (maize) 1,198,000, sunflower seeds 530,000, barley 459,000, grapes 350,000, tomatoes 330,000, potatoes 302,000; livestock (number of live animals) 3,383,000 sheep, 2,140,000 pigs, 757,000 goats, 632,000 cattle; roundwood (1995) 1,970,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 23,400.

Mining and quarrying (1995): zinc 75,000. Manufacturing (value of production in '000,000 leva; 1995): chemical and oil processing 186,592; food, beverages, and tobacco 162,596; metallurgy and ore mining 96,394; machine and metalworking 81,156; electronic and electrical equipment 37,871; other goods 220,947.

Construction (1995): residential 429,972 sq m; nonresidential 156,890.

Energy production: electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 39,306,000,000; coal (metric tons; 1994) 30,833,000; crude petroleum (barrels; 1995) 343,100; petroleum products (metric tons; 1993) 4,010; natural gas (cu m; 1995) 60,094,000.

Household income and expenditure:    Average household size (1995) 3.0; income per household (1995) 189,523 leva (U.S.$2,824); sources of income (1995): wages and salaries 37.5%, self-employment in agriculture 25.2%, transfer payments 15.7%; expenditure (1995): food 42.8%, housing and energy 7.5%, clothing 7.2%, transportation 6.6%, household durable goods 4.0%, health care 3.5%, education and culture 2.9%.

Land use (1995):   forested 30.2%; meadows and pastures 16.2%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 38.0%; other 15.6%.

Gross national product (1996):   U.S.$9,924,000,000 (U.S.$1,190 per capita).

Population economically active (1995):   total 3,705,000; activity rate of total population 44.2% (1992; participation rates: age 16-59 [male], 16-54 [female] 70.2%; female 48.4%; unemployed 11.4%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996):   U.S.$8,138,000,000.

Foreign trade:

Imports (1996):    827,500,000,000 leva (1995; machine-building and metalworking equipment 13.8%; electrical and electronic equipment 7.6%; food, beverages, and tobacco 7.1%; textiles and knitwear 4.5%). Major import sources: C.I.S. 40.5%; Germany 10.9%; Italy 5.9%; Greece 3.4%; France 3.0%.

Exports (1996):    859,800,000,000 leva (1995; chemicals and plastics 25.9%; food, beverages, and tobacco 16.9%; machine-building and metalworking equipment 16.9%; textiles and knitwear 3.3%). Major export destinations: C.I.S. 19.4%; Italy 9.7%; Germany 9.1%; Turkey 8.2%.

From article "Nations of the World: Statistics". Encyclopedia Britannica retrieved June 25, 2000. From the World Wide Web.

As a tourist destination, Bulgaria is a diamond in the rough. Beach resorts, snowy mountain retreats, beautiful architecture, ancient ruins, inexpensive accomodations, and friendly people can all be found in Bulgaria, plus the adventure of travelling in a country that has not yet been "sanitized" and made cliched by the mainstream travel industry.

Lonely Planet: Bulgaria
Travel Bulgaria
Travel and Tourism: Bulgaria

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Currently, there is a need for a new legislative framework for Bulgarian libraries, arising from the evolution of a democratic society and information growth. Amid social change libraries have to attain and maintain the status of modern information and cultural centers. To be satisfactory, legislation has to provide conditions for liberalization and the encouragement of economic independence and enterprise, as well as financial backing for libraries. It must also direct efforts at integrating their resources in a national libraries fund.

Introducing modern information management and equipment into libraries is a basic condition for realizing both their consumer potential to the maximum, and for integrating their resources into the worldwide information exchange. Libraries have clearly been hard hit by Bulgaria's economic struggles over the past ten years. Taxation of Bulgaria's citizenry is sometimes corrupt and unreliable; birthrates are down. Funding and demographics have directly impacted the health of Bulgaria's libraries.

Even as the libraries have struggled they are moving ahead with great efforts from within the country as well as abroad. Association with American entities including Colorado State Library and Emporia State University School of Library and Information Management has assisted the reestablishment of Bulgarian Libraries. Funds for development of library automation projects have been received from PHARE, FROST, and UNESCO programs.

Additionally, according to Monika Segbert, European Commission, Telematics for Libraries:

"Good co-operation exists between libraries of all types and the Ministry of Culture, and there is widespread consensus on a national library strategy for the future. Introduction of PCs and library automation is done by 'begging and borrowing', leading to surprise encounters such as a 10 workstation LAN in the back rooms of the central public library used for ordering, acquisition, cataloguing and classification of a comprehensive collection of all types of materials on Sofia (history and current affairs, including law and public administration), which is much in demand by journalists, politicians, enterprises, and researchers. It is against a financially bleak background, that the valiant efforts of the library community to automate, network and use the new technologies in order to improve services to their users have to be seen and admired."

Bulgaria 'St Cyril and Methodius' National Library
Bul. Vassil Levski 88
15O4 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel: +359 2 882811
Fax: +359 2 881600

National Centre for Information and Documentation
Central Technological Library
50 G. M. Dimitrov Blvd.,
PO Box 559,
Sofia-1000, Bulgaria

PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN BULGARIA:

Central Agricultural Library - Sofia
Regional Library - Burgas
Regional Library - Vidin
Regional Library - Dobrich
Regional Library - Lovetch
Regional Library - Montana
Regional Library - Pazarjik
Regional Library - Plovdiv
Regional Library - Sliven
Central Library - Sofia
Regional Library - Targoviste
Regional Library - Shumen
Regional Library - Haskovo
Regional Library - Jambol

From Telematics for Libraries. Retrieved June, 2000.

From UNESCO. Retrieved June, 2000.

Libraries, Book Stock and Items Lent per Reader in Bulgaria, 1993-1996
	1993	1994	1995	1996
Number of libraries	8,367	8,166	8,069	7,970
Book stock (in millions)	82.0	81.7	81.4	78.5
Items lent per reader	17	18	18	17
Source: Information on Public Libraries in Bulgaria. Retrieved June, 2000.

LITERACY STATISTICS:

Estimated Adult Illiteracy Rate (%), 2000:

Age: 15+ years

Source: United Nations Statistics Division. Retrieved June, 2000.

Principles and general objectives of education:

Education in Bulgaria is a right for all citizens, the overall goal being to prepare individuals for responsible citizenship in a democratic society. Education in the country encompasses two main areas: developing the intellectual potential of students, and instilling a sense of values and patriotism that will foster thoughtful, active members of society. With this goal in mind, education in the country seeks to provide basic skills and general education for all citizens from the age of 6 to 16 years, create strong ties between in-school instruction and preparation for life outside the classroom, and encourage a sense of responsible citizenship and sensitivity to global issues.

The development of the education system is linked to the transition to a democratic society and a free market economy. These processes are reflected in a changing education system where educational institutions have more choice in defining their curricula and programmes.

• higher motivation on the part of students to obtain education;
• creation of stronger links between class content and the labor needs of the country
• mastering and teaching current information technologies
• developing more relevant profile-setting in education according to the interests and abilities of the students

The education reform is also based on principles stemming from traditions in Bulgarian education, such as: ensuring an equal start for everyone through general and compulsory education up to the age of 16 years; providing secondary education for every citizen and a free choice of education; free-of-charge instruction in the Government-funded and municipal schools; equality and joint instruction (co-education) of the pupils of both gender; forging links between comprehensive and vocational training, between theory and practice; effective combining of compulsory and optional instruction; combining the in-class, group and individual forms of work; participation of parents and community in school activities; providing opportunities for continuing instruction, ensuring various types of education and professional qualification regardless of age.

The main priorities in the future development of education are: upgrading the quality of education, ensuring basic education for all, mastering a minimum requirement of knowledge and skills for the social and professional realization of the student; extending opportunities for optional instruction; allowing for diversity, flexibility and different ways of combining instructional content; raising the level of mother tongue and foreign language instruction of students as an especially important condition for successful social and professional communication and achievement; making adequate use of computer equipment and information technologies in school education; providing continuity of education in line with current technological developments.

The period of political transition has revealed many pedagogical and social problems that affect elementary school. The question of diagnosing the readiness of children for school has proved particularly topical in recent years. Keeping all children in school during compulsory education, and ensuring the enrolment of those who are not proficient in the Bulgarian language are major concerns. The most pressing current concern is the need to double the number of schools in urban areas, where high enrolment requires that instruction be currently organized in two shifts.

1. Preschool (ages 3-6/7) **optional
2. Primary Education (grades 1-4) **compulsory
3. Pre-Secondary Education (grades 5-8) **compulsory
4. Secondary General Education/Vocational Training (grades 9-13) **compulsory until age 16
5. Higher Education (University, College, Military) **optional

EDUCATION STATISTICS:

Public current expenditure on education as percentage of GNP (1996):  3.1%

Public current expenditure by level of education (1996):

• pre-primary: 21.3%
• first level+second level: 52.4%
• third level: 18%

Gross enrollment ratios by level of education (1996):

• preschool: 62%
• primary: 99%
• secondary: 77%
• higher: 41.2%

Source: World Data on Education. Retrieved June, 2000.

See also:    Establishments of Higher Education

Waiting List (thousands): 423.0

Waiting Time (years): 6.6

Cost of local call ($ per 3 minutes): .01

Mobile Phones (per 1,000 people): 8

Fax Machines (per 1,000 people): 1.8

Personal Computers (per 1,000 people): 29.7

Internet Hosts (per 10,000 people): 7.45

Source: The World Bank World Development Indicators, 1999.

In April of 2000, the Bulgarian government decided to privatize the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC). Previously, BTC has been a state-owned public limited liability company. Essentially, BTC is the Bulgarian monopoly operator of communications infrastructures. Their rights and obligations are defined by a Decree of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers and a License issued by the Committee of Posts and Telecommunications. BTC has exclusive rights to provide access to local, long distance and international conventional basic services over a fixed network as well as other services.

The government agreed to sell 51% of the BTC to a consortium consisting of Dutch KPN and its Greek partner, Hellenic Telecommunications Organization. The signing of contract is scheduled to begin in the beginning of July, 2000. Undoubtedly, many changes will take place with the privatization of the BTC and it will be interesting to note what changes the consortium implements. Following is an outline of existing priorities established independently by the BCT:

1. Development of fully digital transit network in two aspects:
   • Development of 27 digital transmit exchanges (DTE), five of which will be main DTE and elimination of the 27 Integration Automatic Networks
   • Development of optical fiber rings and digital microwave trunks based on SDH technology using STM 4 transport modules in the upper transit plain
2. Capacity expansion of the international network in order to improve international connectivity and attract transit traffic.
3. Acceleration of the digitalization of Sofia municipal telephone network.
4. Acceleration of the digitalization of larger local networks, which are a major revenue source.
5. Information systems support for the national telecom network.
6. Initial digitalization of local networks in resorts and other places where there is high demand for telecom services.
7. Capacity expansion of small exchanges through transfer of analogue capacity dismounted from big networks.

Other important objectives related to the modernization plan are:

• Development of feasible options for improvement of the access network using different technology: optical fiber, PCMs on copper cables and wireless.
• Introduction of new services based on new transmission media: ADSL, HDSL, CATV, VOD and Home Banking & Shopping, VAS based on software for access to Internet, EDIFCAT, training and entertainment programs, and different data bases in Bulgaria and abroad.
• Gradual transition to ATM switching and transmission systems; using state-of-the-art technology solution through VSAT with hub stations in Bulgaria and low and medium orbit design, development and implementation of MIS and uniform company integrated information systems applications based on common standards.

JOINT VENTURES:

BTC has entered into various joint ventures with Great Britain, Greece, and Sprint Business Telecommunications Company to pursue development objectives for public phones operating with prepaid cards for local, long-distance and international calls, cellular mobile telephones; and data transmission and electronic mail.

Source: Bulgarian Telecommunications Company. Retrieved June, 2000.

After a slow start, the Internet is finally gaining popularity in Bulgaria. While the level of Internet access is far below that in Western Europe, it compares favorably to average figures for the region. A survey by Vitosha Research in May 1998 put the access rate at 1.1% in Bulgaria.

Despite the current low penetration in Bulgaria, the number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) has tripled since early 1997. With no special regulations and license procedures, many companies are entering this highly competitive market. More than 100 ISPs are operating at the moment, and the largest has less than 10% market share. Current projections indicate that the size of the Web population in Bulgaria will double each year until 2001.

The Bulgarian computer market experienced a dramatic downfall of nearly 40% in 1996 but it is currently rapidly recovering. In 1998 Bulgaria had 250,000-280,000 computers that were capable of supporting basic Internet functions. The more optimistic interpretations of these figures have suggested that Bulgaria ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of the number of computers as compared to GDP per capita.

Obstacles to widespread computer access are not of a technical nature alone. The lack of knowledge and experience in using technology is equally crucial. Relatively few secondary schools are connected at present and less than 17% of university students have Internet access. Signs that this gap will be overcome in the academic realm during the next three or four years are not encouraging.

Excerpted from The Center for International Private Enterprise. Retrieved June, 2000:

See also:    Bulgarian Web Directories, Search Engines, and ISP's.

The Constitution of Bulgaria provides for freedom of speech and of the press, ad the Government generally respects this right in practice. But, among media professionals and the broader public, the belief persists that the Government exerts an unduly large influence on the media through official and non-official channels.

Regardless of this belief, during the last decade of transition, Bulgarian media have made significant progress. Print media are pluralistic, privately owned, and increasingly better managed. Private radio is well established and competes successfully with the still dominant Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). Private television, though still lagging behind the other media, is rapidly developing. Professional associations of broadcasters and journalists are in place and have increased their effectiveness.

The recently adopted media regulatory framework was an important first step toward legal normalization of the media sector, although media laws still fail to meet a number of democratic standards. But the president did veto radio and TV law, which stipulated that only Bulgarian could be used and rejected a ban on primetime ads.

Daily Newspapers (per 1,000 people): 257

Radios (per 1,000 people): 531

Television Sets (per 1,000 people): 366

Source: The World Bank World Development Indicators, 1999.

News Agencies

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency

LEFF News Agency

Newspapers & Other Periodicals

24 Hours

Banker

Bulgarian Press

Capital - Financial Weekly

Demokratsiya - Daily of the Union of Democratic Sources

Dneven Trud

Duma: daily newspaper of Bulgarian Socialist Party

Epocha - Weekly Newspaper

Europa 2001 - Magazine on politics, economics, and culture

Kontinent - Daily Newspaper

Nov Vestnik

Novinar

Pari - the only Bulgarian financial and business news daily

Sega

Zemya

Radio

Darik Radio Network

Bulgarian National Radio

TNN Radio (Plovdiv)

Radio Free Europe (Bulgaria)

Alpha Radio - Varna

Radio Glarus - the first private radiostation in Bourgas and South Eastern Bulgaria

Television

Bulgarian National Television (B1, B2)

Novy TV - Independent Sofia-based Station

Seven Days - Independent Sofia TV Station

Other Bulgarian Media Links

Bulgaria Electronic Media

Press Now Collection of Links on Bulgaria

Bulgaria On-Line

Bulgarian Press Digest

World Press Freedom Review (Bulgaria)

Source: ProMedia. Retrieved June, 2000.

References

This country audit builds on the work of SLIM students Martha Durgy and Currie Jacobus and their November 1998 audit.

Where relevant, information sources are cited in or near the text. Photo and graphic credits, if not cited in text, are given in the source code.

Books:

Bar-Zohar, Michael. Beyond Hitler's Grasp : The Heroic Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews (1998).
Bousfield, Jonathon and Dan Richardson. The Rough Guide to Bulgaria, 4th edition (1999).
Bozhkov, Atanas. Bulgarian Art (1964).
Crampton, R.J. A Concise History of Bulgaria (1997).
Forristal, Linda J. and Angela Eisenbart. Bulgarian Rhapsody : The Best of Balkan Cuisine (1998).
Fox, Frank. Bulgaria (1915).
Johnson, Stowers. Gay Bulgaria (1964).
Karpat, Kemal. The Turks of Bulgaria : The History, Culture, and Political Fate of a Minority (1991).
Pettifer, James. Blue Guide Bulgaria (1998).

Websites:

Bulgaria.com Homepage
Bulgarian Room
Embassy of Bulgaria in the United States
Frequently Asked Questions about Bulgaria
President of the Republic of Bulgaria
Sofia - The Capital of Bulgaria
US Ambassador to Bulgaria

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Created: June 2000
Last updated: Friday, June 30, 2000