republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing agreement mandated by international mediators
Independence date
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)
Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7% (2008 est) note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)
Languages
Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken
Exports
clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
External Debt
$43,240,000,000 $
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
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia
Area
110,879 km sq
322,463 km sq
Coastline
354 km
515 km
Climate
temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)
