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Compare Bulgaria (2001) - Israel (2004)

Compare Bulgaria (2001) z Israel (2004)

 Bulgaria (2001)Israel (2004)
 BulgariaIsrael
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, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 0-14 years:
15.11% (male 597,765; female 567,030)

15-64 years:
68.17% (male 2,588,805; female 2,665,736)

65 years and over:
16.72% (male 543,665; female 744,494) (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 26.7% (male 847,591; female 808,399)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 1,976,539; female 1,954,782)


65 years and over: 9.9% (male 262,781; female 348,916) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 215 (2000 est.) 51 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
128

over 3,047 m:
1

2,438 to 3,047 m:
19

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
92 (2000 est.)
total: 28


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
87

1,524 to 2,437 m:
2

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
75 (2000 est.)
total: 23


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
Area total:
110,910 sq km

land:
110,550 sq km

water:
360 sq km
total: 20,770 sq km


land: 20,330 sq km


water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Tennessee slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background Bulgaria earned its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, but having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multi-party election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began accession negotiations in 2000. Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo accords") guiding an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. On 24 June 2002, US President BUSH laid out a "road map" for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions a two-state solution. However, progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by Palestinian-Israeli violence ongoing since September 2000. The conflict may have reached a turning point with the election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir ARAFAT.
Birth rate 8.06 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 18.45 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues:
$4.85 billion

expenditures:
$4.92 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $44.98 billion


expenditures: $51.07 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
Capital Sofia Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Climate temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 354 km 273 km
Constitution adopted 12 July 1991 no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Bulgaria

conventional short form:
Bulgaria
conventional long form: State of Israel


conventional short form: Israel


local long form: Medinat Yisra'el


local short form: Yisra'el
Currency lev (BGL) new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation; ILS is the International Organization for Standarization (ISO) code for the NIS
Death rate 14.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $10.4 billion (2000 est.) $70.97 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard M. MILES

embassy:
1 Suborna Street, Sofia

mailing address:
American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5740

telephone:
[359] (2) 980-52-41

FAX:
[359] (2) 981-89-77
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER


embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903


mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830


telephone: [972] (3) 519-7369/7453/7454/7457/7458/7551/7575


FAX: [972] (3) 516-4390


consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
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
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON


chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 364-5578


FAX: [1] (202) 364-5560


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Disputes - international - West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights)
Economic aid - recipient $1 billion (1999 est.) $662 million from US (2003 est.)
Economy - overview Bulgaria, a former communist country struggling to enter the European market economy, suffered a major economic downturn in 1996 and 1997, with triple digit inflation and GDP contraction of 10.6% and 6.9%. The current government - which took office in May 1997 after pre-term parliamentary elections - stabilized the economy and promoted growth by implementing a currency board, practicing sound financial policies, invigorating privatization, and pursuing structural reforms. Additionally, strong assistance from international financial institutions - most notably the IMF which approved a three-year Extended Fund Facility worth approximately $900 million in September 1998 - played a critical role in turning the economy around. After several years of tumult, Bulgaria's economy has stabilized. Its better-than-expected economic performance in 1999 - despite the impact of the Kosovo conflict, the 1998 Russian financial crisis, and structural reforms - and strong growth in 2000 portends solid growth over the next few years; this assumes continued fiscal restraint, additional structural reforms, aid from abroad, and prosperous times in the EU economy. Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports substantial quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy grew at 1% in 2003, with improvements in tourism and foreign direct investment. In 2004, rising business and consumer confidence - as well as higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 2.7%.
Electricity - consumption 33.182 billion kWh (1999) 37.82 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 2.2 billion kWh (1999) 1.457 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 1.7 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 36.217 billion kWh (1999) 42.24 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
51.52%

hydro:
8.35%

nuclear:
40.12%

other:
0.01% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Black Sea 0 m

highest point:
Musala 2,925 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
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 limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
Environment - international agreements party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Bulgarian 83%, Turk 8.5%, Roma 2.6%, Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Gagauz, Circassian, others (1998) Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.)
Exchange rates leva per US dollar - 2.0848 (January 2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997), 177.89 (1996)

note:
on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999)
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 Minister Petur ZHOTEV (since 21 December 1999)

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%
chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)


head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)


cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset


elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007); following legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next schedulde to be held fall of 2006)


election results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January 2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the National Union
Exports $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners Italy 14%, Turkey 10%, Germany 9%, Greece 8%, Yugoslavia 8%, Belgium 6%, France 5%, US 4% (2000) US 38.4%, Belgium 7.4%, Hong Kong 4.8% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
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) white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
GDP purchasing power parity - $48 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $120.9 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
15%

industry:
29%

services:
56% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 2.8%


industry: 37.7%


services: 59.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $19,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2000 est.) 1.3% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 43 00 N, 25 00 E 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Geography - note strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of Galilee is an important freshwater source
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) 3 (2003 est.)
Highways total:
36,724 km

paved:
33,786 km (including 314 km of expressways)

unpaved:
2,938 km (1999)
total: 16,281 km


paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways)


unpaved: NA (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
3.4%

highest 10%:
22.5% (1995)
lowest 10%: 2.4%


highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)
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 increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan; money-laundering center
Imports $5.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners Russia 24%, Germany 14%, Italy 8%, Greece 5%, France 5%, Romania 4%, Turkey 3%, US 3% (2000) US 15.6%, Belgium 9.3%, Germany 8%, UK 6.7%, Switzerland 6.1%, Italy 4.1% (2003)
Independence 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate 10.8% (2000 est.) -0.6% (2003 est.)
Industries electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting
Infant mortality rate 14.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 10.4% (2000 est.) 0.7% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 26 (2000) -
Irrigated land 12,370 sq km (1993 est.) 1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary) Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Labor force 3.83 million (2000 est.) 2.61 million (2003 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996)
Land boundaries total:
1,808 km

border countries:
Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Yugoslavia 318 km, Turkey 240 km
total: 1,017 km


border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Land use arable land:
43%

permanent crops:
2%

permanent pastures:
14%

forests and woodland:
38%

other:
3% (1999 est.)
arable land: 16.39%


permanent crops: 4.17%


other: 79.44% (2001)
Languages Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Legal system civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - National Movement for Simeon II 120, UDF 51, BSP 48, DPS 21
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 28 January 2003 (next scheduled to be held fall of 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%, Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz 5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%, National Democratic Assembly 2.3%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya (YBA) 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%, Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party - Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6, National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Assembly 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
Life expectancy at birth total population:
71.2 years

male:
67.72 years

female:
74.89 years (2001 est.)
total population: 79.17 years


male: 77.08 years


female: 81.37 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
98%

male:
99%

female:
98% (1999)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 95.4%


male: 97.3%


female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Europe Middle East
Maritime claims contiguous zone:
24 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Merchant marine total:
81 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 938,706 GRT/1,440,374 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 44, cargo 16, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 6, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 752,873 GRT/881,711 DWT


by type: container 18


registered in other countries: 40 (2004 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Civil Defense Forces, Internal Troops Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Ground Corps (including Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal)), Navy, Air Force(including Air Defense Forces); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
Military expenditures - dollar figure $344 million (FY00) $9.11 billion (FY03)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.4% (FY00) 8.7% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
1,891,498 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 1,581,883


females age 15-49: 1,532,234 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
1,581,697 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 1,294,742


females age 15-49: 1,250,969 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
56,104 (2001 est.)
males: 51,054


females: 53,515 (2004 est.)
National holiday Liberation Day, 3 March (1878) Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Nationality noun:
Bulgarian(s)

adjective:
Bulgarian
noun: Israeli(s)


adjective: Israeli
Natural hazards earthquakes, landslides sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Net migration rate -4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,500 km (1999) gas 140 km; oil 1,509 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders Alliance for National Salvation or ANS (coalition led mainly by Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF) [Ahmed DOGAN]; Bulgarian Business Bloc or BBB [Georgi GANCHEV]; Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Georgi PURVANOV, chairman]; Democratic Left or DL (bloc led by BSP, includes Ecoglasnost Political Club and Bulgarian Agrarian National Union) [leader NA]; Euro-left [Aleksandur TOMOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or UMRO [Aleksander KARAKACHNOV]; Kingdom of Bulgaria Federation [leader NA]; Movement for Rights and Freedom or DPS [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II [Simeon II, former king]; New Civic Party for Bulgaria [Bogomil BONEV]; People's Union or PU (includes Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union and Democratic Party) [Anastasiya MOZER]; St. George's Day [Lyuben DILOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF (an alliance of pro-democratic parties) [Ivan KOSTOV] Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Green Leaf Party (no longer active) [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi SANDAK]; Herut (no longer active) [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Shimon PERES]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meretz (merged with YAHAD) [Zahava GALON]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Ephraim "Efie" EITAM]; National Union (Haichud Haleumi) [Avigdor LIBERMAN] (includes Tekuma Moledet and Yisra'el Beiteinu); One Nation [David TAL]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Yosef "Tommy" LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN]; YAHAD [Yossi BEILIN]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA (merged with Likud) [Natan SHARANSKY]
Political pressure groups and leaders agrarian movement; Bulgarian Democratic Center; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Democratic Alliance for the Republic or DAR; New Union for Democracy or NUD; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors human rights abuses
Population 7,707,495 (July 2001 est.) 6,199,008


note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than 5,000 in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 35% (2000 est.) 18% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate -1.14% (2001 est.) 1.29% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Radio broadcast stations AM 24, FM 93, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 4.51 million (1997) -
Railways total:
4,294 km

standard gauge:
4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified; 917 km double track)

narrow gauge:
245 km 0.760-m gauge (1998)
total: 640 km


standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Religions Bulgarian Orthodox 83.5%, Muslim 13%, Roman Catholic 1.5%, Uniate Catholic 0.2%, Jewish 0.8%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 1% (1998) Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 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:
0.73 male(s)/female

total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
extensive but antiquated

domestic:
more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay

international:
direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest


domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital


international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 3.255 million (2000) 3.006 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 596,000 (2000) 6.334 million (2002)
Television broadcast stations 96 (plus 1,030 repeaters) (1995) 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate 1.13 children born/woman (2001 est.) 2.47 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 17.7% (2000 est.) 10.7% (2003 est.)
Waterways 470 km (1987) -
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