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Compare Bulgaria (2003) - Portugal (2004)

Compare Bulgaria (2003) z Portugal (2004)

 Bulgaria (2003)Portugal (2004)
 BulgariaPortugal
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: 16.7% (male 916,106; female 840,574)


15-64 years: 66.4% (male 3,454,970; female 3,535,108)


65 years and over: 16.9% (male 735,407; female 1,041,980) (2004 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 (2003 est.)
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: 42


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)
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: 23


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 22 (2004 est.)
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 is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
Birth rate 8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 10.9 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.57 billion


expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $64.81 billion


expenditures: $69.09 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 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, 3 September 1997, 12 December 2001, and 24 July 2004
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.) 10.37 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $10.3 billion (yearend 2002) $250.7 billion (2003 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Adrienne S. O'NEAL


embassy: Avenida das Forcas Armadas, 1600-081 Lisbon


mailing address: Apartado 4258, 1507 Lisboa Codex; 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 some Portuguese groups assert dormant claims to territories ceded to Spain around the town of Olivenza
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 Economic and 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)
-
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
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 - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (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 Pedro SANTANA LOPES (since 17 July 2004); note - Prime Minister Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO resigned 5 July 2004 to take over the Presidency of the European Commission; Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES and his government resigned 11 December 2004, but will stay on in a caretaker capacity until February 2005 elections


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 22.7%, Germany 15.2%, France 12.9%, UK 10.5%, US 5.8%, Italy 4.8%, Belgium 4.6% (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) 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 - $181.8 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 13.7%


industry: 28.5%


services: 57.9% (2001)
agriculture: 5.8%


industry: 30.7%


services: 63.2% (2003)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2002 est.) -1.3% (2003 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 (especially from Brazil); 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 29.1%, Germany 14.7%, France 9.9%, Italy 6.4%, UK 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2003)
Independence 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire) 1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (independent republic proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2002 est.) 0.4% (2003 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: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.9% (2002 est.) 3.3% (2003 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, 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), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 200 (2001) -
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.) 5.409 million (2003)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) agriculture 10%, industry 30%, services 60% (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: 21.75%


permanent crops: 7.81%


other: 70.44% (2001)
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 20 February 2005); note - President SAMPAIO called for early elections after dissolving Parliament on 10 December 2004 because he lacked confidence in the four-month center-right government


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: 77.35 years


male: 74.06 years


female: 80.85 years (2004 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
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 872,557 GRT/1,236,025 DWT


by type: bulk 12, cargo 49, chemical tanker 19, container 8, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 5, vehicle carrier 2


foreign-owned: Australia 1, Belgium 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 7, Germany 21, Greece 2, Guadeloupe 1, Iceland 1, Italy 16, Japan 1, Malta 1, Norway 7, Panama 1, Spain 18, Switzerland 7, Ukraine 1, United Kingdom 1


registered in other countries: 24 (2004 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; including Marines), Air Force (FAP), Republican Guard (including Fiscal Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $356 million (FY02) $3,497.8 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (FY02) 2.3% (2003)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,854,049 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 2,628,892 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,551,485 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 2,107,502 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 54,107 (2003 est.) males: 72,821 (2004 est.)
National holiday Liberation Day, 3 March (1878) Portugal Day, 10 June (1580); note - also called Camoes Day, the day that revered national poet Luis de Camoes (1524-80) died
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), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, arable land, hydropower
Net migration rate -4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003) gas 1,099 km; oil 8 km; refined products 174 km (2004)
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) Green Ecologist Party or PEV [Heloisa APOLONIA]; Popular Party or PP [Paulo PORTAS]; Portuguese Communist Party or PCP [Jeronimo de SOUSA]; Portuguese Socialist Party or PS [Jose SOCRATES Carvalho Pinto de Sousa]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pedro Miguel SANTANA LOPES]; The Left Bloc or BE [Franciso Anacleto LOUCA]
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.) 10,524,145 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 12.6% (2001 est.) NA
Population growth rate -1.09% (2003 est.) 0.41% (2004 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 (2003)
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: 1.09 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 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: Portugal's telephone system has 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: country code - 351; 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) 4,278,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.054 million (2001) 9,341,400 (2003)
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.) 1.46 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 18% (2002 est.) 6.4% (2003 est.)
Waterways 470 km (1987) 210 km (on Douro River from Porto) (2003)
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