3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)
Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10%
Languages
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area)
Exports
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
External Debt
$46,840,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.3171 (2008 est.), 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741 (2005), 1.5751 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
5
0
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
110,879 km sq
27,830 km sq
Coastline
354 km
0 km
Climate
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January)
