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Compare Bulgaria (2002) - Israel (2002)

Compare Bulgaria (2002) z Israel (2002)

 Bulgaria (2002)Israel (2002)
 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: 14.6% (male 572,961; female 543,004)


15-64 years: 68.5% (male 2,569,199; female 2,648,461)


65 years and over: 16.9% (male 540,109; female 747,603) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 27.1% (male 837,491; female 798,695)


15-64 years: 63% (male 1,905,677; female 1,889,525)


65 years and over: 9.9% (male 257,066; female 341,075) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 215 (2001) 54 (2001)
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 (2002)
total: 28


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 87


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 75 (2002)
total: 24


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
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 The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence 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 multiparty 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. 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 (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement. But progress toward a permanent status agreement has been undermined by the outbreak of Palestinian-Israeli violence since September 2000.
Birth rate 8.05 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 18.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.57 billion


expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $40 billion


expenditures: $42.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
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)
Death rate 14.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $10.3 billion (2001 est.) $42.8 billion (2001 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW


embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000


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


telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100


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


embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv


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


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


FAX: [972] (3) 517-4390


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-designate Elena POPTODOROVA


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) 364-5500


FAX: [1] (202) 364-3607


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Disputes - international because of a shift in the Danube course since the last correction of the boundary in 1920, a joint Bulgarian-Romanian team will recommend sovereignty changes to several islands and redefine the boundary 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 $300 million (2000 est.) NA
Economy - overview Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and positive growth rates since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 will help the government maintain economic stability as it seeks to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment and, at the same time, cut the budget deficit and contain inflation. 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 is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. 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 influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR during the period 1989-99 coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began moderating in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 6.4% in 2000. But the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict, increasingly the declines in the high-technology and tourist sectors, and fiscal austerity measures in the face of growing inflation have led to declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002.
Electricity - consumption 34.42 billion kWh (2000) 34.897 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 3.2 billion kWh (2000) 1.27 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 1.5 billion kWh (2000) 12 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 38.84 billion kWh (2000) 38.876 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 48%


hydro: 8%


nuclear: 44%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, 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-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (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 - 2.2147 (January 2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000), 1.8364 (1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997)


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 - 4.2757 (December 2001), 4.2057 (2001), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)


head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), Kostadin PASKALEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001)


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 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister


election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (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 elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA 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 to be held fall of 2007)


election results: Moshe KATSAV 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 $5.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) $28 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
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%, Serbia and Montenegro 8% (2001) US 42.8%, Benelux 7.4%, Hong Kong 6.8%, Germany 4.8%, UK 4.8%, Japan 3.2% (2001)
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 - $50.6 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $122 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 14%


industry: 29%


services: 58% (2001)
agriculture: 3%


industry: 30%


services: 67% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.4% (2002 est.) -1.1% (2002 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 (2002) 3 (2002)
Highways total: 37,288 km


paved: 33,786 km (including 324 km of expressways)


unpaved: 3,502 km (2001)
total: 15,965 km


paved: 15,965 km (including 56 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 5%


highest 10%: 23% (1997)
lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 28% (1992) (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; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly Jordan
Imports $6.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) $30.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
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, consumer goods
Imports - partners Russia 19.9%, Germany 15.3%, Italy 9.6%, France 6.0% (2001) US 23.5%, Benelux 10.2%, Germany 7.9%, uk 6.7%, Switzerland 6.0%, Italy 5.2% (2001)
Independence 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2002 est.) -1.5% (2002 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 14.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 7.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.9% (2002 est.) 5.7% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, 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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 200 (2001) 21 (2000)
Irrigated land 8,000 sq km (1998 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.) 2.4 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) public services 31%, manufacturing 20%, finance and business 13%, commerce 13%, construction 8%, personal and other services 6%, transport, storage, and communications 6%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3% (1996) (1996)
Land boundaries total: 1,808 km


border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 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: 39%


permanent crops: 1.8%


other: 59.2% (1998 est.)
arable land: 17.02%


permanent crops: 4.17%


other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
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 - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CFB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CFB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF 50, CFB 48, MRF 20, independents 12
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 27 January 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


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 Alliance 2.3%, 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 Alliance 3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.5 years


male: 67.98 years


female: 75.22 years (2002 est.)
total population: 78.86 years


male: 76.82 years


female: 81.01 years (2002 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%


male: 97%


female: 93% (1992 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
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 881,758 GRT/1,312,833 DWT


ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 15, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 595,319 GRT/704,544 DWT


ships by type: container 15, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior), Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president) Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (includes ground, naval, and air components with Air Defense Forces), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
Military expenditures - dollar figure $356 million (FY02) $8.97 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (FY02) 8.75% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,873,052 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 1,542,835


females age 15-49: 1,499,830 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,566,816 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 1,262,973


females age 15-49: 1,223,939 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2002 est.) 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 56,104 (2002 est.) males: 51,666


females: 49,207 (2002 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 -4.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 2.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,500 km (1999) crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km
Political parties and leaders Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; People's Union or PU (includes Bulgarian Agrarian National Union and Democratic Party) [Anastasiya MOZER]; St. George's Day [Lyuben DILOV, Jr.]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Ekaterina NADEZHDA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and PU, dominated by the former) Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Herut [michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Binyamin BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meimad [Rabbi Michael MELCHIOR]; Meretz [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union [Benyamin ELON] (includes Tekuma and Moledet); One Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or YBA [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
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 7,621,337 (July 2002 est.) 6,029,529 (July 2002 est.)


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 (February 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 35% (2000 est.) NA%
Population growth rate -1.11% (2002 est.) 1.48% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Radio broadcast stations AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios 4.51 million (1997) 3.07 million (1997)
Railways total: 4,294 km


standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
total: 647 km


standard gauge: 647 km 1.435-m gauge (2001)
Religions Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (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: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 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 (2002 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: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 3,186,731 (2001) 2.8 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.054 million (2001) 2.5 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001) 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 (2002 est.) 2.54 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 18% (2002 est.) 10.4% (2002 est.)
Waterways 470 km (1987) none
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