Facts of Bulgaria

If you want to know what is what in Bulgaria, here are some plain facts....

By Louise R. Candy

Capital: Sofia

Area: total: 110,910 sq km, land: 110,550 sq km, water: 360 sq km

Population: 7,450,349 (July 2005 EST.)

Language: Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)

Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)

Life Expectancy: male: 68.41 years, female: 75.87 years (2005 EST.)

Government: parliamentary democracy

Currency: Lev (BGL)

GDP (per capita): purchasing power - $8,200 (2004 EST.)

Labor Force: 3.398 million (2004 EST.)

Exports: $9.134 billion f.o.b. (2004 EST.)

Imports: $12.23 billion f.o.b. (2004 EST.)

Natural Resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Climate: cold winters, hot and dry summers