Bulgaria (2005) | French Polynesia (2008) | |
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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 | none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 14.1% (male 539,005/female 512,762)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 2,516,368/female 2,599,524) 65 years and over: 17.2% (male 531,008/female 751,682) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 25.4% (male 36,223/female 34,677)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 98,784/female 91,585) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 8,933/female 8,761) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets | fish; coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products |
Airports | 213 (2004 est.) | 54 (2007) |
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 (2004 est.) |
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 85
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 72 (2004 est.) |
total: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2007) |
Area | total: 110,910 sq km
land: 110,550 sq km water: 360 sq km |
total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Tennessee | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut |
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. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria 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 the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004. | The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded. |
Birth rate | 9.66 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 16.41 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $9.67 billion
expenditures: $9.619 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million (1999) |
Capital | Sofia | name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers | tropical, but moderate |
Coastline | 354 km | 2,525 km |
Constitution | adopted 12 July 1991 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria |
conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
Death rate | 14.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $16.1 billion (November 2004 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW
embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407 mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740 telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100 FAX: [359] (2) 937-5230 |
none (overseas lands of France) |
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) general: Chicago and New York consulate(s): Los Angeles |
none (overseas lands of France) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $300 million (2000 est.) | $579.8 million (2004) |
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. Minerals, including coal, copper, and zinc play an important role in industry. In 1997, macroeconomic stability was reinforced by the imposition of a fixed exchange rate of the lev against the German D-mark and the negotiation of an IMF standby agreement. Low inflation and steady progress on structural reforms improved the business environment; Bulgaria has averaged 4% growth since 2000 and has begun to attract significant amounts of foreign direct investment. Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria. | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services. |
Electricity - consumption | 32.71 billion kWh (2002) | 429.7 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 8.3 billion kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 960 million kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 43.07 billion kWh (2002) | 462 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Musala 2,925 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 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 | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 |
- |
Ethnic groups | Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (2001 census) | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% |
Exchange rates | leva per US dollar - 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003), 2.077 (2002), 2.1847 (2001), 2.1233 (2000)
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 |
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.03 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ivaylo KALFIN (since 16 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and 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 and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister and elected by the National Assembly election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%; Sergei STANISHEV elected prime minister, result of legislative vote - 168 to 67 |
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 13 September 2007); note - President TEMARU resigned on 27 January 2008; President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits) |
Exports | NA | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels | cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat |
Exports - partners | Italy 13.1%, Germany 11.6%, Turkey 9.3%, Belgium 6.1%, Greece 5.6%, US 5.3%, France 4.9% (2004) | France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; note - the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with a blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and a gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue, and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.5%
industry: 30.1% services: 58.4% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2005) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $8,200 (2004 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.3% (2004 est.) | 5.1% (2002) |
Geographic coordinates | 43 00 N, 25 00 E | 15 00 S, 140 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia | includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru |
Government - note | - | under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister |
Heliports | 1 (2004 est.) | 1 (2007) |
Highways | total: 37,077 km
paved: 34,111 km (including 328 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,966 km (2002) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 4.5%
highest 10%: 22.8% (1997) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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 | - |
Imports | NA | 5,678 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials | fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment |
Imports - partners | Germany 15.1%, Italy 10.2%, Russia 7.9%, Greece 7.5%, Turkey 6.9%, France 4.4% (2004) | France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2006) |
Independence | 3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire) | none (overseas lands of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.2% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Industries | electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates |
Infant mortality rate | total: 20.55 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 7.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.1% (2004 est.) | 1.1% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC | FZ, ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WMO |
Irrigated land | 8,000 sq km (1998 est.) | 10 sq km (2003) |
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) | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif |
Labor force | 3.398 million (2004 est.) | 65,930 (December 2005) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 11%, industry 32.7%, services 56.3% (3rd quarter 2004 est.) | agriculture: 13%
industry: 19% services: 68% (2002) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,808 km
border countries: Greece 494 km, Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 40.02%
permanent crops: 1.92% other: 58.06% (2001) |
arable land: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005) |
Languages | Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census) | French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census) |
Legal system | civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 June 2005 (next to be held June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CfB 31.1%, NMS2 19.9%, MRF 12.7%, ATAKA 8.2%, UDF 7.7%, DSB 6.5%, BPU 5.2%; seats by party - CfB 83, NMS2 53, MRF 33, ATAKA 21, UDF 20, DSB 17, BPU 13 |
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 January 2008 (first round) and 10 February 2008 (second round) (next to be held NA 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - Our Home alliance 45.2%, Union for Democracy alliance 37.2%, Popular Rally (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) 17.2% other 0.5%; seats by party - Our Home alliance 27, Union for Democracy alliance 20, Popular Rally 10 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held in September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 72.03 years
male: 68.41 years female: 75.87 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 76.31 years
male: 73.88 years female: 78.86 years (2007 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 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey | Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia |
Map references | Europe | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 757,972 GRT/1,115,238 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 34, cargo 13, chemical tanker 4, container 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3 registered in other countries: 45 (2005) |
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2007) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $356 million (FY02) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.6% (2003) | - |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 3 March (1878) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Bulgarian(s)
adjective: Bulgarian |
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
Natural hazards | earthquakes, landslides | occasional cyclonic storms in January |
Natural resources | bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower |
Net migration rate | -4.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2004) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Attack National Union [Volen Siderov]; ATAKA (Attack Coalition) (coalition of parties headed by the Attack National Union); Bulgarian Agrarian National Union-People's Union or BANU [Anastasia MOZER]; Bulgarian People's Union or BPU (coalition of UFD, IMRO, and BANU); Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; New Time [Emil KOSHLUKOV]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtDF (a coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF) | Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; Our Home alliance; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy alliance or UPD [Oscar TEMARU] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas | NA |
Population | 7,450,349 (July 2005 est.) | 278,963 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 13.4% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.89% (2005 est.) | 1.461% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Burgas, Varna | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001) | AM 2, FM 14, 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 (2004) |
- |
Religions | Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census) | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% |
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: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.045 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.079 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.066 male(s)/female (2007 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: country code - 359; direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 2,868,200 (2002) | 53,600 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,597,500 (2002) | 152,000 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001) | 7 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs |
Total fertility rate | 1.38 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12.7% (2004 est.) | 11.7% (2005) |
Waterways | 470 km (2004) | - |