Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
43 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 110,879 sq km
country comparison to the world: 104
land: 108,489 sq km
water: 2,390 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km,
Serbia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
Coastline:
354 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 29.94%
permanent crops: 1.9%
other: 68.16% (2005)
Irrigated land:
5,880 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
19.4 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 6.92 cu km/yr (3%/78%/19%)
per capita: 895 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes; landslides
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw
sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from
air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy
metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes
from Europe to Middle East and Asia
People ::Bulgaria
Population:
7,148,785 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 509,544/female 484,816)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,426,060/female 2,508,772)
65 years and over: 17.7% (male 518,711/female 756,784) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 41.6 years
male: 39.4 years
female: 43.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.768% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 228
Birth rate:
9.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Death rate:
14.31 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Net migration rate:
-2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
Urbanization:
urban population: 71% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 17.26 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 108
male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.35 years
country comparison to the world: 114
male: 69.74 years
female: 77.17 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.41 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
346 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Nationality:
noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian
Ethnic groups:
Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including
Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census)
Religions:
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other
4% (2001 census)
Languages:
Bulgarian (official) 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and
unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.2%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
4.1% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 103
Government ::Bulgaria
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
local long form: Republika Balgariya
local short form: Balgariya
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Sofia
geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas,
Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana,
Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen,
Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya (Sofia), Sofiya-Grad (Sofia City),
Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa,
Yambol
Independence:
3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman
Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman
Empire)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)
Constitution:
adopted on 12 July 1991
Legal system:
civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002);
Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Boyko BORISSOV (since 27 July
2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Simeon DJANKOV and Tsvetan TSVETANOV
(since 27 July 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
election last held on 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in
2011); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected
by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the
prime minister and elected by the National Assembly
election results: Georgi PARVANOV reelected president; percent of
vote - Georgi PARVANOV 77.3%, Volen SIDEROV 22.7%; Boyko BORISSOV
elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 162 to 77 with
1 abstention
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie (240 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 5 July 2009 (next to be held in mid-2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - GERB 39.7%, BSP 17.7%,
MRF 14.4%, ATAKA 9.4%, Blue Coalition 6.8%, RZS 4.1%, other 7.9%;
seats by party - GERB 117, BSP 40, MRF 37, ATAKA 21, Blue Coalition
15, RZS 8, independents 2
Judicial branch:
independent judiciary comprised of judges, prosecutors and
investigating magistrates who are appointed, promoted, demoted, and
dismissed by a 25-member Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the
chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22
members, half of whom are elected by the National Assembly and the
other half by the bodies of the judiciary for a 5-year term in
office); three levels of case review; 182 courts of which two
Supreme Courts act as the last instance on civil and criminal cases
(the Supreme Court of Cassation) and appeals of government decisions
(the Supreme Administrative Court)
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian National Union or ANU [Stefan LICHEV]; ATAKA (Attack party)
[Volen SIDEROV]; Blue Coalition [Ivan KOSTOV and Martin DIMITROV] (a
coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF and DSB);
Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian Socialist
Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European
Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISSOV]; Coalition for
Bulgaria or CfB [Sergei STANISHEV] (coalition of parties dominated
by BSP); Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV];
Gergyovden [Petar STOYANOVICH]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Liberal Initiative for
Democratic European Development or LIDER [Khristo KOVACHKI];
Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National
Movement for Stability and Progress or NDSV [Hristina HRISTOVA]
(formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil
KOSHLUKOV]; Order, Law, Justice or RZS [Yane YANEV]; Union of
Democratic Forces or UDF [Martin DIMITROV]; Union of Free Democrats
or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Agrarians [Anastasia MOZER]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB;
Podkrepa Labor Confederation
other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with
various agendas
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO,
G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO,
NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Elena POPTODOROVA
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James B. WARLICK, Jr
embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State,
5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100
FAX: [359] (2) 937-5320
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the
pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a
green band (representing freedom) for the blue
note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white
stripe, has been removed
National anthem:
name: "Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland)
lyrics/music: Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV
note: adopted 1964; the anthem was composed in 1885 by a student en
route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Economy ::Bulgaria
Economy - overview:
Bulgaria, a former Communist country that entered the EU on 1
January 2007, averaged more than 6% growth from 2004 to 2008, driven
by significant amounts of foreign direct investment and consumption.
Successive governments have demonstrated a commitment to economic
reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but the global downturn
sharply reduced domestic demand, exports, capital inflows, and
industrial production. GDP contracted by approximately 5% in 2009,
and stagnated in 2010, despite a significant recovery in exports.
The economy is expected to grow modestly in 2011, however.
Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the
presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$91.83 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
$91.83 billion (2009 est.)
$96.67 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$44.84 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
-5% (2009 est.)
6.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,800 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$12,700 (2009 est.)
$13,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.5%
industry: 27.6%
services: 64.9% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
2.61 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 7.5%
industry: 36.4%
services: 56.1% (2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
6.3% (2008 est.)
Population below poverty line:
14% (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 24.1% (2008)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
29.8 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 114
26.4 (2001)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Public debt:
16.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
14.8% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
1.6% (2009)
Central bank discount rate:
0.55% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 78
5.77% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.34% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
10.86% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$12.7 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 68
$12.91 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$35.37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
$33.93 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$34.54 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$33.89 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$7.103 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 69
$8.858 billion (31 December 2008)
$21.79 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, tobacco, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar
beets; livestock
Industries:
electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and
equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum,
nuclear fuel
Industrial production growth rate:
0.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
Electricity - production:
44.83 billion kWh (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
Electricity - consumption:
29.9 billion kWh (2008)
country comparison to the world: 59
Electricity - exports:
5.407 billion kWh (2008)
Electricity - imports:
3.097 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
3,227 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - consumption:
125,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Oil - exports:
76,570 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - imports:
189,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Oil - proved reserves:
15 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - production:
218 million cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 74
Natural gas - consumption:
3.35 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - imports:
3.48 billion cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - proved reserves:
5.663 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Current account balance:
-$1.528 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
-$4.348 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$19.33 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
$16.53 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Exports - partners:
Germany 11.21%, Greece 9.43%, Italy 9.24%, Romania 8.52%, Turkey
7.33%, Belgium 5.61%, France 4.44% (2009)
Imports:
$22.78 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$22.22 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics;
fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Imports - partners:
Russia 13.14%, Germany 12.23%, Italy 7.78%, Greece 6.17%, Romania
5.65%, Turkey 5.48%, Ukraine 4.81%, Austria 4.08% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$15.07 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
$18.53 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$36.15 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$39.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$51.28 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
$49.28 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.372 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
$1.194 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.5138 (2010), 1.404 (2009), 1.3171
(2008), 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006)
Communications ::Bulgaria
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.164 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 52
Telephones - mobile cellular:
10.617 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 62
Telephone system:
general assessment: inherited an extensive but antiquated
telecommunications network from the Soviet era; quality has improved
with a modern digital trunk line now connecting switching centers in
most of the regions; remaining areas are connected by digital
microwave radio relay
domestic: the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line
monopoly terminated in 2005 in an effort to upgrade fixed-line
services; mobile-cellular teledensity, fostered by multiple service
providers, approached 150 telephones per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable
and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania,
and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the
Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions) (2009)
Broadcast media:
4 national terrestrial television stations with 1 state-owned and 3
privately-owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from
cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio
broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations
broadcasting, especially in urban areas (2007)
Internet country code:
.bg
Internet hosts:
785,546 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 46
Internet users:
3.395 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 63
Transportation ::Bulgaria
Airports:
210 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 30
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 130
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
under 914 m: 96 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 73 (2010)
Heliports:
3 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 2,926 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 4,294 km
country comparison to the world: 38
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 40,231 km
country comparison to the world: 89
paved: 39,587 km (includes 418 km of expressways)
unpaved: 644 km (2008)
Waterways:
470 km (2009)
country comparison to the world: 85
Merchant marine:
total: 37
country comparison to the world: 79
by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas
2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 27 (Germany 25, Russia 2)
registered in other countries: 31 (Comoros 8, Malta 7, Panama 6,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Burgas, Varna
Military ::Bulgaria
Military branches:
Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air
Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
ended in January 2008; service obligation 6-9 months (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,660,930
females age 16-49: 1,646,170 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,337,201
females age 16-49: 1,360,039 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 35,604
female: 34,199 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Transnational Issues ::Bulgaria
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and,
to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market;
limited producer of precursor chemicals; vulnerable to money
laundering because of corruption, organized crime; some money
laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions
(2008)
page last updated on January 18, 2011
======================================================================
@Burkina Faso (Africa)
Introduction ::Burkina Faso
Background:
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from
France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s
were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Current
President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and
has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high population
density and limited natural resources result in poor economic
prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote
d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several
hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment
in neighboring countries.
Geography ::Burkina Faso
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km
country comparison to the world: 74
land: 273,800 sq km
water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 3,193 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km,
Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and
southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources:
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates,
pumice, salt
Land use:
arable land: 17.66%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 82.12% (2005)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
17.5 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.8 cu km/yr (13%/1%/86%)
per capita: 60 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues:
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural
activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing;
soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black,
Red, and White Voltas
People ::Burkina Faso
Population:
16,241,811
country comparison to the world: 61
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.2% (male 3,646,661/female 3,621,648)