Compare Bulgaria (2003) - Portugal (2003)

Compare Bulgaria (2003) z Portugal (2003)

	Bulgaria (2003)	Portugal (2003)

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	18 districts (distritos, singular - distrito) and 2 autonomous regions* (regioes autonomas, singular - regiao autonoma); Aveiro, Acores (Azores), Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisboa, Madeira, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Setubal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu
Age structure	0-14 years: 14.2% (male 549,142; female 520,057) 15-64 years: 68.8% (male 2,551,548; female 2,632,978) 65 years and over: 17% (male 535,165; female 749,039) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 16.8% (male 874,198; female 825,742) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 3,326,957; female 3,461,425) 65 years and over: 16% (male 651,697; female 962,003) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets	grain, potatoes, olives, grapes; sheep, cattle, goats, poultry, beef, dairy products
Airports	216 (2002)	66 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 128 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 92 (2002)	total: 40 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 88 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 74 (2002)	total: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 25 (2002)
Area	total: 110,910 sq km land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km	total: 92,391 sq km land: 91,951 sq km water: 440 sq km note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Tennessee	slightly smaller than Indiana
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 its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
Birth rate	8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	11.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $5.57 billion expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)	revenues: $45 billion expenditures: $48 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital	Sofia	Lisbon
Climate	temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers	maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south
Coastline	354 km	1,793 km
Constitution	adopted 12 July 1991	25 April 1976, revised 30 October 1982, 1 June 1989, 5 November 1992, and 3 September 1997
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria conventional short form: Bulgaria	conventional long form: Portuguese Republic conventional short form: Portugal local long form: Republica Portuguesa local short form: Portugal
Currency	lev (BGL)	euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Death rate	14.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$10.3 billion (yearend 2002)	$13.1 billion (1997 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, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77	chief of mission: Ambassador John N. PALMER embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon mailing address: PSC 83, APO AE 09726 telephone: [351] (21) 727-3300 FAX: [351] (21) 726-9109 consulate(s): Ponta Delgada (Azores)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174 FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973 consulate(s): New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Pedro Manuel Dos Reis Alves CATARINO chancery: 2125 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-8610 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3726 consulate(s) general: Boston, New York, Newark (New Jersey), and San Francisco consulate(s): Los Angeles, New Bedford (Massachusetts), Providence (Rhode Island)
Disputes - international	joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Romania based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920	Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain
Economic aid - donor	-	ODA, $271 million (1995)
Economic aid - recipient	$300 million (2000 est.)	-
Economy - overview	Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. As a result, the government became committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment.	Portugal has become a diversified and increasingly service-based economy since joining the European Community in 1986. Over the past decade, successive governments have privatized many state-controlled firms and liberalized key areas of the economy, including the financial and telecommunications sectors. The country qualified for the European Monetary Union (EMU) in 1998 and began circulating the euro on 1 January 2002 along with 11 other EU member economies. Economic growth has been above the EU average for much of the past decade, but fell back in 2001-03. GDP per capita stands at 70% of that of the leading EU economies. A poor educational system, in particular, has been an obstacle to greater productivity and growth. Portugal has been increasingly overshadowed by lower-cost producers in Central Europe and Asia as a target for foreign direct investment. The coalition government faces tough choices in its attempts to boost Portugal's economic competitiveness and to keep the budget deficit within the 3% EU ceiling.
Electricity - consumption	32.52 billion kWh (2001)	41.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	6.79 billion kWh (2001)	3.479 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	830 million kWh (2001)	3.743 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	41.38 billion kWh (2001)	44.32 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 47.8% hydro: 8.1% nuclear: 44.1% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 64.5% hydro: 31.3% nuclear: 0% other: 4.1% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Musala 2,925 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Ponta do Pico (Pico or Pico Alto) on Ilha do Pico in the Azores 2,351 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	soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in coastal areas
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: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban
Ethnic groups	Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998)	homogeneous Mediterranean stock; citizens of black African descent who immigrated to mainland during decolonization number less than 100,000; since 1990 East Europeans have entered Portugal
Exchange rates	leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84 (1999), 1.76 (1998) 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	euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999)
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), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003) 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 Jorge SAMPAIO (since 9 March 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 6 April 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister note: there is also a Council of State that acts as a consultative body to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA January 2006); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president election results: Jorge SAMPAIO reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge SAMPAIO (Socialist) 55.8%, Joaquim FERREIRA Do Amaral (Social Democrat) 34.5%, Antonio ABREU (Communist) 5.1%
Exports	NA (2001)	28,830 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities	clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels	clothing and footwear, machinery, chemicals, cork and paper products, hides
Exports - partners	Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%, US 4.8% (2002)	Spain 20.3%, Germany 18.4%, France 12.6%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy 4.8%, Belgium 4.5% (2002)
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)	two vertical bands of green (hoist side, two-fifths) and red (three-fifths) with the Portuguese coat of arms centered on the dividing line
GDP	purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $195.2 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 13.7% industry: 28.5% services: 57.9% (2001)	agriculture: 3.6% industry: 28.7% services: 67.7% (2001)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.8% (2002 est.)	0.4% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	43 00 N, 25 00 E	39 30 N, 8 00 W
Geography - note	strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia	Azores and Madeira Islands occupy strategic locations along western sea approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Heliports	1 (2002)	-
Highways	total: 37,286 km paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)	total: 68,732 km paved: 59,110 km (including 1441 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,622 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 4.5% highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)	lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.4% (1995 est.)
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	gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to Europe; consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
Imports	NA (2001)	357,300 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities	fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles	machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, petroleum, textiles, agricultural products
Imports - partners	Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%, Turkey 5% (2002)	Spain 28.1%, Germany 15%, France 10.2%, Italy 6.5%, UK 5.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2002)
Independence	3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire)	1143 (independent republic proclaimed 5 October 1910)
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	textiles and footwear; wood pulp, paper, and cork; metalworking; oil refining; chemicals; fish canning; wine; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: 5.73 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	5.9% (2002 est.)	3.7% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC	AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	200 (2001)	16 (2000)
Irrigated land	8,000 sq km (1998 est.)	6,320 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 or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (judges appointed for life by the Conselho Superior da Magistratura)
Labor force	3.83 million (2000 est.)	5.1 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.)	services 60%, industry 30%, agriculture 10% (1999 est.)
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: 1,214 km border countries: Spain 1,214 km
Land use	arable land: 39% permanent crops: 1.8% other: 59.2% (1998 est.)	arable land: 20.57% permanent crops: 7.74% other: 71.69% (1999 est.)
Languages	Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown	Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Legal system	civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	civil law system; the Constitutional Tribunal reviews the constitutionality of legislation; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (230 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - PSD 40.1%, PS 37.8%, PP 8.7%, PCP/PEV 6.9%, The Left Bloc 2.7%; seats by party - PSD 105, PS 96, PP 14, PCP/PEV 12, The Left Bloc 3
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 71.8 years male: 68.26 years female: 75.56 years (2003 est.)	total population: 76.35 years male: 72.86 years female: 80.07 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.6% male: 99.1% female: 98.2% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 93.3% male: 95.5% female: 91.3% (2003 est.)
Location	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey	Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Map references	Europe	Europe
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496 DWT ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)	total: 132 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 993,325 GRT/1,533,255 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 62, chemical tanker 18, container 7, liquefied gas 8, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 3, vehicle carrier 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Belgium 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 6, Germany 20, Greece 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Lebanon 1, Liberia 1, Monaco 2, Norway 5, Panama 5, Spain 22, Switzerland 8, UK 1, Virgin Islands (UK) 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)	Army, Navy (PON) (includes Marines), Air Force, Republican Guard (includes Fiscal Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$356 million (FY02)	$1.286 billion (FY99/00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.7% (FY02)	2.2% (FY99/00)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 1,854,049 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 2,520,852 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 1,551,485 (2003 est.)	males age 15-49: 2,017,678 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	19 years of age (2003 est.)	20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 54,107 (2003 est.)	males: 67,816 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)	Portugal Day, 10 June (1580)
Nationality	noun: Bulgarian(s) adjective: Bulgarian	noun: Portuguese (singular and plural) adjective: Portuguese
Natural hazards	earthquakes, landslides	Azores subject to severe earthquakes
Natural resources	bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land	fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate	-4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003)	gas 482 km (2003)
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]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and other center-right parties)	The Greens or PEV [no leader]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party/The Greens or PCP/PEV [Carlos CARVALHAS]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Eduardo Ferro RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO]; United Democratic Coalition or CDU [Carlos CARVALHAS]; The Left Bloc [no leader]
Political pressure groups and leaders	agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas	NA
Population	7,537,929 (July 2003 est.)	10,102,022 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	12.6% (2001 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	-1.09% (2003 est.)	0.17% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin	Aveiro, Funchal (Madeira Islands), Horta (Azores), Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto, Ponta Delgada (Azores), Praia da Vitoria (Azores), Setubal, Viana do Castelo
Radio broadcast stations	AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)	AM 47, FM 172 (many are repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
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: 2,850 km broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified) narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
Religions	Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998)	Roman Catholic 94%, Protestant (1995)
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: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 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: undergoing rapid development in recent years, Portugal's telephone system, by the end of 1998, achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53% domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations international: 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region) is planned
Telephones - main lines in use	3,186,731 (2001)	5.3 million (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1.054 million (2001)	3,074,194 (1999)
Television broadcast stations	39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)	62 (plus 166 repeaters) note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands (1995)
Terrain	mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast	mountainous north of the Tagus River, rolling plains in south
Total fertility rate	1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.)	1.49 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	18% (2002 est.)	4.7% (2002 est.)
Waterways	470 km (1987)	820 km note: relatively unimportant to national economy, used by shallow-draft craft limited to 300 metric-ton or less cargo capacity

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