Bulgaria

Republic of Bulgaria Република България
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Съединението прави силата Saedinenieto pravi silata (translit.) ("Unity makes strength")
Anthem:  Mila Rodino ("Dear Motherland")
Location of  Bulgaria  (dark green) – in Europe  (green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (green)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city)		Sofia (София) 42°41′N 23°19′E / 42.683°N 23.317°E / 42.683; 23.317
Official language(s)		Bulgarian
Ethnic groups (2011)		84.8% Bulgarians 8.8% Turks 4.9% Roma 1.5% others
Demonym		Bulgarian
Government		Parliamentary democracy
-	President	Rosen Plevneliev
-	Prime Minister	Boyko Borisov
Formation
-	First Bulgarian Empire	681
-	Liberation from Ottoman rule	3 March 1878
-	Declaration of Independence	22 September 1908
Area
-	Total	110,993 km2 (105th) 42,823 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.3
Population
-	2011 census	7,364,570 [1] (98th)
-	Density	66.2/km2 (139th) 171/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011[2] estimate
-	Total	$101.627 billion (68th)
-	Per capita	$13,563 (67th)
GDP (nominal)		2011[2] estimate
-	Total	$54.271 billion (75th)
-	Per capita	$7,243 (76th)
Gini (2007)		45.3[3] (high)
HDI (2011)		0.771[4] (high) (55th)
Currency		Lev (BGN)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Drives on the		right
ISO 3166 code		BG
Internet TLD		.bg
Calling code		359

Bulgaria ⁱ/bʌlˈɡɛəriə/ (Bulgarian: България, IPA: [bɤ̞ɫˈɡarijɐ]), officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a parliamentary republic in Southeast Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east. Bulgaria is a very mountainous country due to its location in the Balkan peninsula. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria ranks as the 14th-largest country in Europe.

Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history has been marked by the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian ethnicity and state dates back to the 7th century and the First Bulgarian Empire, which functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples and spread over most of the Balkans during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five hundred years. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 resulted in the Third Bulgarian State, recognised in 1908. Shortly afterward, Bulgaria engaged in a series of major conflicts with its neighbours and allied with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a communist republic and it was a satellite member of the Warsaw Pact until 1989, when the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections. After 1990 Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and introduced free-market capitalism.

The current political structure dates to the adoption of a democratic constitution in 1991. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union, NATO, the Council of Europe, a founding state of the OSCE, and has been a member of the UN Security Council three times. It is a unitary state with a high degree of political, administrative and economic centralisation, and it is considered a free country.^[5]

The population of 7.36 million people is predominantly urban and mainly concentrated in the administrative centres of its 28 provinces. With 1.3 million people, the capital Sofia is the largest city and concentrates most commercial and cultural activities. The strongest sectors of the economy are heavy industry, power engineering and agriculture, all relying on local natural resources.

As a historical crossroad for various civilisations, Bulgaria is the home of some of the most ancient cultural artifacts in the world.

History

Prehistory and antiquity

Prehistoric cultures in the Bulgarian lands include the Neolithic Hamangia culture^[6] and Vinča culture,^[7] and the eneolithic Varna culture (fifth millennium BC). The Varna Necropolis offers insights for understanding the social hierarchy of the earliest European societies.^[8]

The earliest and one of the three primary ancestral groups of modern Bulgarians^[9] were the Thracians, who lived divided in various tribes until king Teres united most of them in the Odrysian kingdom around 500 BC.^[10][11] They were eventually subjugated by Alexander the Great in the 4th century and later by the Roman Empire in 46 AD. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the easternmost South Slavs gradually settled on the territory of modern Bulgaria during the 6th century and assimilated the Hellenised or Romanised Thracians. Eventually the élite of the Central Asian Bulgars incorporated all of them into a new state which formed upon khan Asparukh's arrival on the Balkans.^[12]

First Bulgarian empire

Khan Krum feasts with his nobles after the battle of Pliska. His servant (far right) brings the wine-filled skull cup of Nicephorus I.

Asparukh, son of Old Great Bulgaria's khan Kubrat, migrated with several Bulgar tribes to the lower courses of the rivers Danube, Dniester and Dniepr. After 670, he led a horde of as many as 50,000 across the Danube^[13] and conquered Moesia and Scythia Minor (Dobruja) from the Byzantine Empire, expanding his new kingdom further into the Balkan Peninsula.^[14] The local south Slavic language was gradually adopted by the advancing Bulgars, who nevertheless preserved a dominant position over the Slavic majority. A peace treaty with Byzantium in 681 and the establishment of a permanent capital at Pliska south of the Danube mark the beginning of the First Bulgarian Empire.^[15]

Succeeding khans strengthened the Bulgarian state throughout the 8th and 9th centuries—Tervel established Bulgaria as a major military power by defeating a 26,000-strong Arab army during the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople;^[16] Krum doubled the country's territory, killed Byzantine emperor Nicephorus I in the Battle of Pliska,^[17] and introduced the first written code of law; Boris I abolished Tengriism in favour of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in 864,^[18] and introduced the Cyrillic alphabet. Simeon the Great's 34-year rule began in 893 and saw the largest territorial expansion of Bulgaria in its history, along with a golden age of Bulgarian culture.^[19]

After Simeon's death, Bulgaria was weakened by wars with Croatians, Magyars, Pechenegs and Serbs and the spread of the Bogomil heresy.^[18][20] Two consecutive Rus' and Byzantine invasions resulted in the seizure of the capital Preslav by the Byzantine army in 971.^[21] Under Samuil, Bulgaria somewhat recovered from these attacks and managed to conquer Serbia and Albania,^[22] but this rise ended when Byzantine emperor Basil II defeated its armies at Klyuch in 1014. Samuil died shortly after the battle,^[23] and by 1018 the Byzantines conquered the remaining parts of the First Bulgarian Empire, putting it to an end.^[24]

Second Bulgarian empire

The Second Bulgarian Empire under Tsar Ivan Asen II in the mid-13th century

After conquering Bulgaria, Basil II retained the rule of the local nobility by incorporating them into Byzantine aristocracy and recognised the autocephaly of the Archbishopric of Ohrid, thus preventing discontent and revolts.^[25] After his death Byzantine domestic policies changed and a series of unsuccessful rebellions broke out, the largest being led by Peter Delyan. It was not until 1185 when Asen dynasty nobles Ivan Asen I and Peter IV organised a major uprising and succeeded in re-establishing the Bulgarian state, laying the foundations of the Second Bulgarian Empire with Tarnovo as a capital.

Kaloyan, the third of the Asen monarchs, extended his dominions to Belgrade, Nish and Skopje; he acknowledged the spiritual supremacy of the Pope, and received a royal crown from a papal legate.^[12] The empire reached its zenith under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241), when commerce and culture flourished.^[12] The strong economic and religious influence of Tarnovo made it a "Third Rome", unlike the already declining Constantinople.^[26]

The country's military and economic might declined after the end of the Asen dynasty in 1257, facing internal conflicts, constant Byzantine and Hungarian attacks and Mongol domination.^[12][27] By the end of the 14th century, factional divisions between the feudal landlords and the spread of Bogomilism had caused the Second Bulgarian Empire to split into three small tsardoms—Vidin, Tarnovo and Karvuna—and several semi-independent principalities that fought with each other, along with Byzantines, Hungarians, Serbs, Venetians and Genoese. By the late 14th century the Ottoman Turks had started their conquest of Bulgaria and most towns and fortresses south of the Balkan mountains were under their control.^[12]

Ottoman rule and national awakening

Tarnovo was captured by the Ottomans after a three-month siege in 1393. The Vidin Tsardom fell after the defeat of a Christian crusade at the Battle of Nicopolis three years later. With this, the Ottomans finally subjugated all Bulgarian lands south of the Danube.^[28] North of the Danube, where a significant number of Bulgarian nobility and common folk remained, the population was under the jurisdiction of various autonomous, predominately Wallachian-led Christian principalities, where the Bulgarian alphabet continued to be used^[29] and many cities, like the Wallachian capital of Targovishte, kept their Bulgarian names. The southern nobility however, was eliminated and the peasantry was enserfed to Ottoman masters.^[28] The population lost its national consciousness under the oppression and intolerance of the invaders.^[30] Bulgarian culture was suppressed and the educated clergy fled to other countries,^[31] while Bulgarians were considered an inferior class of people and were subjected to heavy taxes.^[12]

The Defence of Shipka Pass was crucial for the liberation of Bulgaria. In the final stage of the battle the Bulgarian forces, having finished their ammunition, threw rocks and bodies of fallen comrades to repulse the Ottoman attacks.^[32]

Throughout the nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule, the Bulgarian people attempted to re-establish their state by organising several revolts, most notably the First and Second Tarnovo Uprisings (1598 / 1686) and Karposh's Rebellion (1689).^[28] The National awakening of Bulgaria became one of the key factors in the struggle for liberation, resulting in the 1876 April Uprising. Up to 30,000 Bulgarians were killed as the Ottoman authorities put down the rebellion. The massacres prompted the Great Powers to take action.^[33] They convened the Constantinople Conference in 1876, but their decisions were rejected by the Ottoman authorities. This allowed the Russian Empire to seek a solution by force without risking military confrontation with other Great Powers, as had happened in the Crimean War.^[33] In 1877 Russia declared war on the Ottoman empire and defeated its forces with the help of Bulgarian volunteers. The Treaty of San Stefano was signed on 3 March 1878, setting up an autonomous Bulgarian principality on the territories of the Second Bulgarian Empire.^[34][35]

The other Great Powers immediately rejected the treaty out of fear that such a large country in the Balkans might threaten their interests. The subsequent Treaty of Berlin provided for a much smaller autonomous state comprising Moesia and the region of Sofia, leaving large populations of Bulgarians outside the new country.^[34][36] This defined Bulgaria's militaristic approach to foreign affairs and its participation in four wars during the first half of the 20th century.^[37] The Bulgarian principality won a war against Serbia and incorporated the semi-autonomous Ottoman territory of Eastern Rumelia in 1885, and proclaimed itself an independent state on 22 September 1908.^[38]

Third Bulgarian State

Bulgarian soldiers cutting enemy barbed wire and preparing to advance, World War I

In the years following independence, Bulgaria was increasingly militarised and was often referred to as "the Balkan Prussia".^[39][40] Between 1912 and 1918, Bulgaria became involved in a string of three consecutive conflicts—the Balkan Wars and World War I. After a disastrous defeat in the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria again found itself fighting on the losing side as a result of its alliance with the Central Powers in World War I. Despite fielding more than a quarter of its population in a 1,200,000-strong army^[41][42] and achieving several decisive victories at Doiran and Monastir, the country capitulated in 1918. The war resulted in significant territorial losses, a total of 412,000 casualties, and a wave of more than 253,000^[43] refugees who put an additional strain on the already ruined national economy.

The political unrest resulting from these losses led to the establishment of a royal authoritarian dictatorship by tsar Boris III (1918–1943). Bulgaria entered World War II in 1941 as a member of the Axis but declined to participate in Operation Barbarossa and saved its Jewish population from deportation to concentration camps.^[44] The sudden death of Boris III in the summer of 1943 pushed the country into political turmoil as the war turned against Nazi Germany and the Communist guerilla movement gained momentum.^[45] Following strikes and unrest, in September 1944 the Communist-dominated Fatherland Front took power, ending the alliance with Nazi Germany and joining the Allied side until the end of the war in 1945.^[46]

Zhelyu Zhelev, the first democratically elected president of Bulgaria^[47] with George H. W. Bush (right) in 1990

The Communist uprising of 9 September 1944 led to the abolition of monarchic rule, but it was not until 1946 that a people's republic was established.^[48] It became a part of the Soviet sphere of influence under the leadership of Georgi Dimitrov (1946–1949). Bulgaria installed a Soviet-style planned economy with some market-oriented policies emerging on an experimental level under Todor Zhivkov (1954–1989).^[49] By the mid-1950s standards of living rose significantly.^[50] Zhivkov's daughter Lyudmila promoted Bulgaria's national heritage, culture and arts worldwide.^[51] On the other hand, an assimilation campaign of the late 1980s directed against ethnic Turks resulted in the emigration of some 300,000 of them to Turkey.^[52][53] On 10 November 1989, the Bulgarian Communist Party gave up its political monopoly, Zhivkov resigned, and Bulgaria embarked on a transition from a single-party republic to a parliamentary democracy.^[54]

The first free elections took place in June 1990 and were won by the moderate wing of the Communist Party (the Bulgarian Socialist Party—BSP).^[55] A new constitution that provided for a relatively weak elected President and for a Prime Minister accountable to the legislature was adopted in July 1991. The new system eventually failed to improve living standards or create economic growth—the average quality of life and economic performance remained lower than in the times of Communism well into the early 2000s.^[56] A reform package introduced in 1997 restored positive economic growth, but living standards continued to suffer.^[57] After 2001 economic, political and geopolitical conditions improved greatly,^[58] and Bulgaria achieved High Human Development status.^[59] It became a member of NATO in 2004 and of the European Union in 2007.

Geography

Bulgaria's geographic coordinates are 43° N 25° E.^[60] Its total area is 100,994 kilometres (62,755 mi), which ranks it as the 105th-largest country in the world.^[61][62] A total of 1,808 kilometres (1,123 mi) of land borders are shared with five countries—Greece (494 kilometres (307 mi)), Macedonia (148 kilometres (92 mi)), Romania (608 kilometres (378 mi)), Serbia (318 kilometres (198 mi)) and Turkey (240 kilometres (149 mi)). The coastline has a length of 354 kilometres (220 mi).^[63]

Left: The Balkan Mountains in central Bulgaria
Right: The Black Sea coast near Chernomorets

Bulgaria has several notable topographical features: the Danubian Plain, the Balkan Mountains, the Thracian Plain, and the Rhodope Mountains.^[63] The southern edge of the Danubian Plain slopes upward into the foothills of the Balkans, while its coastline along the Danube defines the border with Romania. The Thracian Plain is roughly triangular, beginning southeast of Sofia and broadening as it reaches the Black Sea coast.^[63]

The Balkan mountains run east–west through the middle of the country, north of the Rose Valley. The mountainous southwest of the country has two alpine ranges—Rila and Pirin, which border the lower but more extensive Rhodope Mountains to the east.^[63] The highest point is Musala at 2,925 metres (9,596 ft)^[64] and its lowest point is the sea level at 0 metres. Plains occupy about one-third of the territory, while plateaus and hills occupy 41 per cent.^[65]

The climate is temperate, with cold winters and hot summers. Considering its relatively small size, Bulgaria has an unusually dynamic climate due to its location at the meeting point of Mediterranean and continental air masses and the barrier effect of its mountains.^[63] Precipitation averages about 630 millimetres (24.8 in) per year. Rainfall varies from 500 millimetres (19.7 in) in the Dobrudja to more than 2,500 millimetres (98.4 in) in the mountains.^[66]

Imperial eagles have a gradually growing population in Bulgaria.^[67]

The country has a dense network of about 540 rivers, most of them—with the notable exception of the Danube—short and with low water levels.^[68] The longest river located solely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, has a length of 368 kilometres (229 mi). Other major rivers include the Struma and the Maritsa in the south.^[63]

Environment and wildlife

Bulgaria has signed and ratified the Kyoto protocol^[69] and has completed the protocol's objectives by achieving a 30 per cent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from 1990 to 2009.^[70] However, pollution from outdated factories and metallurgy works and severe deforestation continue to be major problems.^[71] Urban areas are particularly affected mostly due to energy production from coal-based powerplants and automobile traffic,^[72][73] while pesticide usage in the agriculture and antiquated industrial sewage systems have resulted in extensive soil and water pollution with chemicals and detergents.^[74] Bulgaria remains the only EU member which does not recycle municipal waste,^[75] although an electronic waste recycling plant was put in operation in June 2010.^[76] The situation has improved in recent years, and several government-funded programmes have been initiated in order to reduce pollution levels.^[74]

Bulgaria's biodiversity is protected in three national parks, 11 nature parks^[77] and 17 biosphere reserves.^[78] Nearly 35 per cent of its land area consists of forests,^[79] where some of the oldest trees in the world, such as Baikushev's Pine and the Granit oak,^[80] have grown. The flora of Bulgaria encompasses more than 3,800 species of which 170 are endemic and 150 are considered endangered.^[81] The fauna is represented prominently by the brown bear and the jackal,^[82] while the Eurasian lynx and the Eastern imperial eagle have small, but growing populations.^[83]

Politics

The National Assembly building

Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy in which the most powerful executive position is that of the prime minister.^[58] The political system has three separate branches of power—legislative, executive and judicial, with universal suffrage for citizens 18 years of age and older. Elections are supervised by an independent Central Election Commission that includes members from all major political parties. Parties must register with the commission prior to participating in a national election.^[84] Normally, the prime minister-elect is the leader of the party receiving the most votes in parliamentary elections.^[58]

The National Assembly consists of 240 deputies, each elected for four-year terms by direct popular vote. The National Assembly has the power to enact laws, approve the budget, schedule presidential elections, select and dismiss the Prime Minister and other ministers, declare war, deploy troops abroad, and ratify international treaties and agreements. The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has the authority to return a bill for further debate, although the parliament can override the presidential veto by a simple majority vote of all members of parliament.^[58] Boyko Borisov, leader of the centre-right party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (Grazhdani za Evropeysko Razvitie na Bulgaria, GERB), became prime minister on 27 July 2009,^[85] and Georgi Parvanov was re-elected as a president in 2005. In 2011 Rosen Plevneliev from GERB was elected to succeed Parvanov, receiving 52.5 per cent of the votes on the second round against 47.5 per cent for his Socialist Party opponent Ivaylo Kalfin.^[86]

Political groups in the Parliament, 2011:

  Coalition for Bulgaria (left-wing)

  DPS (centrist)

  Independent

  GERB (centre-right)

  Blue Coalition (centre-right)

  Ataka (far right)

The legal system is a typical civil law system and recognises the Acts of Parliament as a main source of law.^[87] The judiciary is a separate branch and is overseen by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Administrative Court and Supreme Court of Cassation are the highest courts of appeal and oversee the application of laws in subordinate courts.^[84] The Supreme Judicial Council manages the system and appoints judges. Bulgaria's judiciary remains one of Europe's most corrupt and inefficient.^[88][89]

Law enforcement organisations are mainly subordinate to the Ministry of Interior.^[90] The National Police Service (NPS) combats general crime and supports the operations of other law enforcement agencies, such as the National Investigative Service and the Central Office for Combating Organised Crime.^[91] NPS fields 27,000 police officers in its local and national sections.^[92] The Ministry of Interior also heads the Border Police Service and the National Gendarmerie—a specialised branch for anti-terrorist activity, crisis management and riot control. Counterintelligence and national security are the responsibility of the State Agency for National Security, established in 2008.^[93]

Administrative divisions

Bulgaria is a unitary state.^[94] Since the 1880s, the number of territorial management units has varied from seven to 26.^[95] Between 1987 and 1999 the administrative structure consisted of nine provinces (oblasti, singular oblast). A new administrative structure was adopted in parallel with the decentralisation of the economic system.^[96] It includes 27 provinces and a metropolitan capital province (Sofia-Grad). All areas take their names from their respective capital cities. The provinces subdivide into 264 municipalities.

Municipalities are run by mayors, who are elected to four-year terms, and by directly elected municipal councils. Bulgaria is a highly centralised state, as the national Council of Ministers directly appoints regional governors and all provinces and municipalities are heavily dependent on it for funding.^[84]

Blagoevgrad Burgas Dobrich Gabrovo Haskovo Kardzhali Kyustendil Lovech Montana Pazardzhik Pernik Pleven Plovdiv Razgrad Rousse Shumen Silistra Sliven Smolyan Sofia Province Stara Zagora Targovishte Varna Veliko Tarnovo Vidin Vratsa Yambol

Foreign relations and military

Bulgaria became a member of the United Nations in 1955 and since 1966 has been a non-permanent member of the Security Council three times, most recently from 2002 to 2003.^[97] Bulgaria was also among the founding nations of the OSCE in 1975. It joined NATO on 29 March 2004, signed the European Union Treaty of Accession on 25 April 2005,^[98][99] and became a full member of the European Union on 1 January 2007.^[100] Euro-Atlantic integration has been a priority for the country since the Fall of Communism, although even the Communist leadership had aspirations of leaving the Warsaw Pact and joining the European Communities as early as 1987.^{[101][102][103]} Bulgaria's relationship with its neighbours since 1990 has generally been good. The country has played an important role in promoting regional security.^[104]

Bulgarian Air Force Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets in combat formation

Bulgaria remained free of foreign deployments on its territory until 2001, when it hosted six KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft and 200 support personnel for the war effort in Afghanistan, which was the first stationing of foreign forces on its territory since World War II.^[105] In April 2006 Bulgaria and the United States signed a defence cooperation agreement providing for the usage of the Bezmer and Graf Ignatievo air bases, the Novo Selo training range, and a logistics centre in Aytos as joint military facilities. The facilities serve to enhance regional security and Bulgaria's military capabilities by means of cooperative training.^[106] Foreign Policy magazine lists Bezmer Air Base as one of the six most important overseas facilities used by the USAF.^[107]

The military of Bulgaria, an all-volunteer body, consists of three services—land forces, navy and air force. The country maintains a total of 913 troops deployed abroad as part of various UN and NATO missions. Historically, Bulgaria deployed significant numbers of military and civilian advisors in Socialist-oriented countries, such as Nicaragua^[108] and Libya (more than 9,000 personnel).^[109]

Following a series of reductions beginning in 1990, the number of active troops has contracted from 152,000 in 1988^[110] to about 32,000 today,^[111] supplemented by a reserve force of 302,500 soldiers and officers and 34,000 paramilitary servicemen.^[112] The inventory consists of equipment mostly of Soviet origin, such as MiG-29 fighters, SA-10 Grumble SAMs and SS-21 Scarab short-range ballistic missiles. Military spending in 2009 cost $819 million.^[113]

Economy

Sofia, the financial heart of the country

Bulgaria has an industrialised market economy^[114] in the upper middle income range,^[115] with a large private sector accounting for more than 80 per cent of GDP.^[116] From a largely agricultural country with a predominantly rural population in 1948, by the 1980s Bulgaria transformed into an industrial economy with scientific and technological research as its top priorities.^[117] The loss of COMECON markets in 1990 and the subsequent "shock therapy" of the planned system caused a sharp drop in industrial and agricultural production, and ultimately an economic collapse in 1997.^[118][119] After 2001, Bulgaria experienced rapid economic growth,^[118] even though its income level remains one of the lowest within the EU with an average monthly wage of 752 leva (384 euro).^[120] Bulgarian PPS GDP per capita stood at 44 per cent of the EU average in 2010 according to Eurostat data,^[121] while the cost of living was 51 per cent of the EU average.^[122] The currency is the lev, which is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 levа for one euro.^[123]

Amid the late-2000s financial crisis, unemployment rates increased to 10.1 per cent in 2010 and GDP growth contracted from 6.2 (2008) to −5.5 per cent(2009).^[124][125] The crisis had a negative impact mostly on industry, causing a 10 per cent decline in the national industrial production index, a 31 per cent drop in mining, and a 60 per cent drop in "ferrous and metal production".^[126] Positive growth was restored to 0.2 per cent in 2010.^[125]

Corruption in the public administration and a weak judiciary have hampered Bulgaria's economic development.^[127][128] Unequal distribution of wealth remains a serious problem, as Bulgaria has the highest income inequality in Europe with a Gini coefficient of 45.3. At the same time Bulgaria ranks 28th in the Economic Freedom of the World index,^[129] has the lowest personal and corporate income tax rates in the European Union,^[130] and the second-lowest public debt of all member states at 16.2 per cent of GDP in 2010.^[131] In 2010, GDP (PPP) was estimated at $97.1 billion, with a per capita value of $12,934.^[2] Sofia and the surrounding Yugozapaden planning area are the most developed region of the country with a per capita PPS GDP of $25,130.^[132] The services sector accounts for 64.6 per cent of GDP, followed by industry with 30.1 per cent and agriculture with 5.3 per cent.^[133] The total labour force amounts to 2.5 million people.^[134]

Bulgaria (orange) and its largest export partners

Even though relatively poor in terms of natural resources, local deposits of iron, copper, lead and coal are vital for Bulgaria's manufacturing sector.^[135] Major industries include the extraction of metals and minerals, production of chemicals, machinery and vehicle components,^[136] petroleum refinement^[137] and steel.^[138] Primary industrial exports are clothing, iron and steel, machinery and refined fuels.^[139] The mining sector and its related industries employ a total of 120,000 people and generate about five per cent of the country's GDP with $3.51 billion worth of exports.^[140] The country is the fourth-largest gold producer and the sixth-largest coal producer in Europe.^[140][141] In 2008 the electronics industry marked more than $260 million in exports, primarily of components, computers and consumer electronics.^[142] Another major area of Bulgaria's industry is military equipment, the exports of which amounted to $358 million in 2010,^[143] including the manufacture of 50 per cent of all radar systems for Northrop Grumman's UK branch.^[144]

In contrast with the industrial sector, agriculture has marked a decline since the beginning of the 2000s (decade). Production in 2008 amounted to only 66 per cent of that between 1999 and 2001,^[145] while cereal and vegetable yields have dropped by nearly 40 per cent since 1990.^[146] Bulgaria nevertheless remains a net agricultural and food exporter and two-thirds of its exports are to OECD countries.^[147] The country is the largest global producer of perfumery essential oils such as lavender and rose oil.^[105][148] A five-year modernisation and development programme was launched by the government in 2007, aimed at strengthening the agructultural sector by investing a total of 3.2 billion euro.^[149]

In recent years Bulgaria has emerged as an attractive tourist destination with some of the least expensive resorts in Europe and the last deserted beaches on the continent.^[150][151] Lonely Planet ranked Bulgaria among its top 10 travel destinations for 2011.^[152] More than 40 per cent of all 9,000,000 annual visitors are Greeks, Romanians and Germans.^[153] Main destinations include the capital Sofia, the medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo,^[154] coastal resorts Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and winter resorts Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets.

Science and technology

The supercomputer of the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications

Bulgaria has one of the lowest scientific research budgets in Europe at 0.25 per cent of GDP in 2010.^[155][156] Chronic underinvestment in the sector since 1990 forced many scientific professionals to leave the country.^[157] As a result, Bulgaria's economy scores low in terms of innovation, competitiveness and high-value added exports.^[158][159]

The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) is the leading scientific institution in the country and employs most of Bulgaria's researchers in its numerous branches. Principal areas of research and development are energy, nanotechnology, archaeology and medicine.^[155] With major-general Georgi Ivanov flying on Soyuz 33 in 1979, Bulgaria became the 6th country in the world to have an astronaut in space. It has deployed its own experiments on various missions, such as RADOM-7^[160] dosimeters on the International Space Station and Chandrayaan-1 and space greenhouses (a Bulgarian invention) on the Mir space station.^[161] In 2011 the government announced plans to reboot the space programme by producing a new microsatellite and joining the European Space Agency.^[162]

In the 1980s Bulgaria became known as the "Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc" due to its large-scale computing technology exports to COMECON states.^[163] The country ranked eighth in the world in 2002 by total number of ICT specialists, outperforming countries with far larger populations,^[164] and since 2008 operates the only supercomputer in the Balkan region, an IBM Blue Gene/P at the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications.^[165][166]

Infrastructure

Wind turbines near Tvarditsa.

Although it has relatively few reserves of fossil fuels, Bulgaria's well-developed energy sector and strategic geographic location make it a key European energy hub.^[167] Nearly 34 per cent of the electricity is produced by the nuclear power station at Kozloduy^[168] and public opinion is strongly in support of nuclear energy development.^[169] Recent years^[update] have seen a rapid increase in electricity production from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power,^[170] making Bulgaria one of the fastest-growing wind energy producers in the world.^[171] The country aims at producing 16 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.^[172]

The national road network has a total length of 40,231 kilometres (24,998 mi),^[173] of which 39,587 kilometres (24,598 mi) are paved, but nearly half of them fall into the lowest international rating for paved roads.^[174] Railroads are a major mode of freight transportation, although highways carry a progressively larger share of freight. Bulgaria has 6,238 kilometres (3,876 mi) of railway track^[174] and plans to construct a high-speed line by 2017, at a cost of €3 billion.^[175][176] Sofia and Plovdiv are major air travel hubs, while Varna and Burgas are the principal maritime trade ports.^[174]

The extensive telecommunications network is generally antiquated and requires substantial modernisation. Telephone service is available in most villages, and a central digital trunk line connects most regions.^[174] Currently there are three active mobile phone operators—Mtel, GLOBUL and Vivacom.^[177] The number of Internet users has increased rapidly since 2000—from 430,000 their number grew to 1.55 million in 2004, and 3.4 million (48 per cent penetration rate) in 2010.^[178] Bulgaria has the fastest average Broadband Internet speed in the world after South Korea and Romania.^[179]

Demographics

A group of Bulgarian men in 1926

According to the 2011 census, the population of Bulgaria is 7,364,570 people, down from a peak of nine million inhabitants in 1989. Bulgaria has had negative population growth since the early 1990s,^[180] when the collapse of the economy caused some 800,000 people—mostly young adults—to emigrate by 2004.^[181] The population continues to decrease and the growth rate is the lowest of any sovereign country in the world.^[182]

Bulgarians are the main ethnic group and comprise 84.8 per cent of the population. Turkish and Roma minorities comprise 8.8 and 4.9 per cent, respectively; some 40 smaller minorities comprise 0.7 per cent, and 0.8 per cent do not self-identify with an ethnic group.^[183] Bulgarian is a native language for 85.2 per cent and is the only one with official status.^[184] It is the most ancient Slavic language, although distinguished from the other languages in this group due to certain grammatical peculiarities.^[185]

Most of the population (76 per cent) self-identify as Orthodox Christian.^[184] The Bulgarian Orthodox Church gained autocephalous status in 927 AD,^[186][187] and currently has 12 dioceses and over 2,000 priests.^[188] Other religious denominations include Islam (10 per cent), Roman Catholicism (0.8 per cent) and Protestantism (1.1 per cent); 0.2 per cent practice other beliefs and 11.8 per cent do not self-identify with a religion.^[184] Bulgaria regards itself officially as a secular state. The Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but appoints Orthodoxy as a "traditional" religion.^[189]

The library of Sofia University, the first higher education establishment in Bulgaria

Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98.6 per cent; approximately the same for both sexes. Bulgaria has traditionally had high educational standards.^[190] The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science funds all public educational establishments, sets criteria for textbooks and oversees the publishing process.^[191] The State provides education in its schools free of charge, except for higher education establishments.^[190] The educational process spans through 12 grades, where grades one to eight are the primary and nine to twelve are the secondary level.^[191] High schools can be technical, vocational, general or specialised in a certain discipline, while higher education consists of a 4-year bachelor degree and a 1-year Master's degree.^[192]

Life expectancy is 73.6 years, below the European union average.^[193] The primary causes of death are similar to those in other industrialised countries, mainly cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms and respiratory diseases.^[194] Bulgaria has a universal healthcare system financed by taxes and health insurance contributions.^[194] The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) pays a gradually increasing portion of the costs of primary healthcare. Healthcare expenditures in the national budget increased to 4.3 per cent between 2002 and 2004, and the NHIF accounted for more than 60 per cent of annual expenditures.^[195] The healthcare budget amounted to 4.2 per cent of GDP in 2010, or about 1.3 billion euro.^[196] The number of doctors is above the EU average with 181 physicians per 100,000 people,^[197] although there is a severe shortage of nurses and other medical personnel, and the quality of most medical facilities is poor.^[198]

Most Bulgarians (72.5 per cent) reside in urban areas.^[1] Bulgaria has the highest home ownership rate in the world; about 97 per cent of the population live in privately owned homes.^[199] There is also a very high rate of household appliances ownership, such as television sets (97.9 per cent of all households), refrigerators (93.3) and telephones (90.6), and relatively high rates for computers (42.9) and automobiles (41.9 per cent). The average rates in all categories are substantially higher in Sofia, by far the largest settlement in the country and the 12th-largest city in the European Union with a population of more than 1,200,000 people.^[200][201]

Culture

Worldwide usage of the Cyrillic alphabet

Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Celtic influences.^{[202][203][204]} Traces of Gothic culture also exist on Bulgaria's territory, as testified by the Wulfila Bible—the first book written in a Germanic language, created in Nicopolis ad Istrum in the 4th century.^[205][206]

Bulgaria has the third-largest total number of uncovered archaeological sites in Europe after Italy and Greece.^[207] In 1972 the oldest golden treasure in the world was discovered in a necropolis near Varna, consisting of coins, weapons and jewelry dating back to 4,600 BC.^[208] The Varna necropolis thus reveals evidence of the first European civilisation.^[105] Nine historical and natural objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of Nesebar.^[209] Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin,^[210] is in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.^[211]

Ancient Roman architecture in Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in the world, continuously inhabited since at least 3,000 BC.^[212]

Both the First and the Second Bulgarian empires functioned as the centre of Slavic culture during much of the Middle Ages, exerting considerable cultural influence over the Eastern Orthodox world by means of the Preslav, Ohrid and Tarnovo literary schools.^{[213][214][215]} The Cyrillic alphabet, used as a writing system to many languages in Eastern Europe and Asia, originated in the Preslav Literary School around the 9th century.^[216] However, the medieval advancement in the arts ended with the Ottoman conquest when many masterpieces were destroyed, and artistic activities did not re-emerge until the National Revival in the 19th century.^[217] After the Liberation war, Bulgarian literature quickly adopted European literary currents such as Romanticism and Symbolism. Notable authors include Ivan Vazov, Pencho Slaveykov, Peyo Yavorov, Yordan Radichkov and Tzvetan Todorov.^[218][219] In 1981 Bulgarian-born writer Elias Canetti was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.^[220]

Bulgarian folk music has slowly developed throughout the ages as a fusion of Eastern and Western influences. It contains Far Eastern, Oriental, medieval Eastern Orthodox and standard Western European tonalities and modes.^[221] Folk music has a distinctive sound and uses a wide range of traditional instruments, such as gudulka, gaida (bagpipe), kaval and tupan. One of its most distinguishing features is the extended rhythmical time, which has no equivalent in the rest of European music.^[105] The State Television Female Vocal Choir is the most famous performing folk ensemble, and received a Grammy Award in 1990.^[222] Bulgaria's written musical composition can be traced back to the early Middle Ages and the works of Yoan Kukuzel (c. 1280–1360).^[223] Classical music, opera and ballet are represented by composers Emanuil Manolov, Pancho Vladigerov and Georgi Atanasov and singers Ghena Dimitrova and Boris Hristov.^{[224][225][226][227]}

Rakia distilled in Elena, central Bulgaria

The religious visual arts heritage includes frescoes, murals and icons, many of them produced by the medieval Tarnovo Artistic School.^[228] Vladimir Dimitrov, Nikolay Diulgheroff and Christo are some of the most famous modern Bulgarian artists.^[217]

Bulgarian cuisine is similar to those of other Balkan countries and demonstrates a strong Greek and Turkish influence.^[229] Yogurt, lukanka, banitsa, shopska salad, lyutenitsa and kozunak are among the best-known local foods. Oriental dishes such as moussaka, gyuvech, and baklava are also present. Meat consumption is lower than the average for Europe, as there is a notable preference of a large variety of salads.^[229] Rakia is a traditional fruit brandy which has been consumed in Bulgaria as early as the 14th century.^[230] Bulgarian wine is known for its Traminer, Muskat and Mavrud sorts, of which up to 200,000 tonnes are produced annually.^[231][232] Until 1989, Bulgaria was the second-largest wine exporter in the world.^[233]

Bulgaria performs well in sports such as wrestling, weight-lifting, boxing, gymnastics and tennis.^[234] The country fields one of the leading men's volleyball teams, ranked sixth in the world according to the 2011 FIVB rankings.^[235] Football is by far the most popular sport.^[234] Some famous players are Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov and Hristo Stoichkov, twice winner of the European Golden Shoe and the most successful Bulgarian player of all time.^[236] Prominent domestic football clubs include PFC CSKA Sofia^[237][238] and PFC Levski Sofia. The best performance of the national team at FIFA World Cup finals came in 1994, when it consecutively eliminated Greece, Germany and Argentina and finished fourth in the world.^[234] Bulgaria participates in most Olympic competitions since its first appearance at the 1896 games, when it was represented by Charles Champaud.^[239] The country has won a total of 218 medals: 52 gold, 86 silver, and 80 bronze,^[240] which puts it at 24th place in the all-time ranking.

See also

European Union portal NATO portal Bulgaria portal

• Outline of Bulgaria
  
• International rankings of Bulgaria
• List of twin towns and sister cities in Bulgaria

References

Bibliography

External links

Find more about Bulgaria on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
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• OpenStreetMap has geographic data related to Bulgaria
• Bulgaria at UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Bulgaria at the Open Directory Project
• Wikimedia Atlas of Bulgaria
• Bulgaria travel guide from Wikitravel

Government

• President of The Republic of Bulgaria
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members

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