THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Area: 110,993 sq km (42,823 sq mi)
Population: 8m
Capital City: Sofia
People: Bulgarian (83%), Turk (8.5%),
Roma (2.6%)
Languages: Bulgarian
Religion(s): Bulgarian Orthodox (83.5%),
Muslim (13%), Roman Catholic (1.5%),
Jewish (0.8%)
Currency: Lev (Lv)
Major political parties: National
Movement of Simeon II (NMSII),
Bulgarian Socialist Party
(BSP), United Democratic Forces
(UtDF), Movement for Rights and
Freedoms
Government: Parliamentary Republic
Membership of international
groupings/ organisations: Council of
Europe (COE), European Organization
for Nuclear Research (CERN),
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
(EAPC), European Bank of
Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), European Union
(EU)(currently in negotiations),
International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development (IBRD), IHO (pending
member), International Labour
Organisation (ILO), International
Monetary Fund (IMF), Organisation for
Co-operation and Security in Europe
(OSCE), Partnership for Peace (PfP),
WEU (associate partner), WFTU,
World Health Organisation (WHO),
WIPO, WMO, World Trade Organisation
(WTO)
GEOGRAPHY
Bulgaria covers an area of about
42,800 square miles, comprised mostly
of mountains with lowlands in the north
and southeast. It shares borders with
Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia
and Turkey.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
Recent History
After the Second World War the
Bulgarian Communist Party emerged to
become the leading political force in the
country. Under Soviet guidance, a
massive and brutal purge destroyed
the remnants of the old regime, and by
1947 all opposition was suppressed.
Policies were a direct imitation of
Soviet practice: nationalisation of
industry and collectivisation of
agriculture. From 1954 to 1989 political
life was dominated by Todor Zhivkov.
Unlike other Soviet satellites, Bulgaria
remained entirely acquiescent to Soviet
hegemony. A good deal of economic
progress was achieved, with significant
industrialisation and the development of
tourism and agriculture. But by the
1980s, as elsewhere in Eastern Europe,
the economy stagnated and levels of
indebtedness became critical. Finally in
1989 Zhivkov was ousted by members
of the Communist Party, and
democratic elections took place in 1990.
Longer Historical Perspective
The Bulgarians descended from the
Slavs who migrated into the Balkan
peninsula from the 5th Century. In the
7th Century a new wave of migrants,
the Bulgars, arrived in what would
soon become Bulgaria. The first
Bulgarian Kingdom was declared in 681
when the Byzantine Emperor was
forced to cede Moesia (the northern
half of present-day Bulgaria) to Khan
Asparukh. The Bulgars were eventually
assimilated into the majority Slav
population leaving only their name as a
legacy. Under the Bulgar Khans,
Bulgaria expanded taking Central
Macedonia and Albania from
Constantinople. From 1390 Bulgaria was
subjected to 500 years of Ottoman
rule, which was finally brought to an
end with the help of Russia in 1877.
However, Bulgaria remained under
Ottoman suzerainty until 1908, at which
time full independence was declared.
BBC News Country Timeline: Bulgaria
POLITICS
Recent Political Developments
In the years following the collapse of
the Communist regime Bulgaria
suffered from a series of weak
governments. The Bulgarian Socialist
Party, (BSP - the renamed
Communists), won a clear majority in
elections in 1994, raising international
expectations of a strong and
purposeful government. But effective
action was not taken against corruption
and organised crime, and much-needed
fundamental economic reforms were
not implemented.
The tide turned against the BSP at the
end of 1996 amid hyperinflation and
crisis in the banking sector. The
opposition candidate, Peter Stoyanov,
won convincingly in the presidential
elections in November 1996. In
December 1996, the BSP government
was forced to resign amid public
demonstrations and strikes. Following
parliamentary elections in April 1997, a
coalition dominated by the centre-right
UDF (Union of Democratic Forces)
formed the government. .
Also represented in the parliament for
the first time was the Movement for
Rights and Freedom (MRF), a party
representing the Turkish minority.
vThe government's priorities included
economic reform, setting up of a
currency board, the fight against
organised crime and corruption, and
membership of NATO and the EU.
Unfortunately, although reforms
started to take effect, employment
levels and standards of living fell, as
subsequently did the government in the
parliamentary elections of April 2001.
The election was won by Former King
Simeon II 'National Movement Simeon
II' (SNM) on a platform of improved
standards of living within 800 days. His
simple message of lower taxes, higher
pensions and the elimination of
corruption had broad appeal. The
party, made up mostly of people with
no previous political experience, won
43% of the vote and half of the 240
seats in Parliament. In order to form a
governing coalition they allied with
MRF. The UDF suffered a humiliating
defeat, receiving a mere 18% of the
vote, only 1% higher than that won by
the BSP.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$50.6 billion (2002 est.)
GDP per head: US$6,600 (2002 est.)
Annual Growth: 4.8 % (2003)
Inflation: 4.1% (2003)
Major Industries: Machine building and
metal working, food processing,
chemicals, construction materials,
ferrous and non-ferrous metals,
power generation (including nuclear)
Major trading partners: Russia,
Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, US
Unemployment: 15.5% (2003)
Further information about Bulgaria's
economy can be found at Trade
Partners UK Country Profile: Bulgaria
Bulgaria has made significant economic
advances in the last two years. In the
banking sector, the authorities have
successfully sold the country's two
largest state-owned banks to foreign
strategic investors and most of the
banking sector has now been
successfully privatised. . In the
enterprise sector, privatisation is
almost completed. Many state-owned
assets have been sold to the public,
although most public utilities are still
state-owned. The key challenges for
the government are to attract greater
foreign investment and to complete the
privatisation process. A transparent
and predictable business climate needs
to be created by tackling corruption
and promoting institution building and
public sector reform.
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