Bulgaria

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Bulgaria's Information


Capital	Sofia
Languages	Bulgarian (official) 76.8%, Turkish 8.2%, Romani 3.8%, other 0.7%, unspecified 10.5% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Bulgarian 76.9%, Turkish 8%, Romani 4.4%, other 0.7% (including Russian, Armenian, and Vlach), other (unknown) 10% (2011 est.)
Religion	Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Jewish) 1.7%, none 3.7%, unspecified 27.4% (2011 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)
Area	110,879.00 km²
Water Area	2,390.00 km²
Land Area	108,489.00 km²
Population	7,144,653.00 A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations
Location	Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
No. Bordering Countries	5
Bordering Countries	Greece 472 km, Macedonia 162 km, Romania 605 km, Serbia 344 km, Turkey 223 km
GDP(PPP)	$143,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$20,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Germany, Italy, Turkey, or Romania.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are clothing, footwear, iron and steel, and machinery.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Germany, Russia, and Italy.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, metals and ores, and chemicals.
Climate	Temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain	Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Where is Bulgaria?

Located in Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria has a 1,806.00 km border with Greece (472 km), Macedonia (162 km), Romania (605 km), Serbia (344 km) and Turkey (223 km). It has a 354.00 km coastline.

Sofia is the capital, largest, and most populous city in Bulgaria. It is the primary economic and administrative center of the country. It is located in the western part of the country on the foot of the Vitosha Mountain in the Sofia Basin. The city proper has a population of 1.3 million people while the urban environment has a population of 1.6 million. The city experiences a humid continental climate classified as Dfb under the Köppen climate classification. The city’s average annual temperature is about 10.6 degrees Celsius with an annual average precipitation is 22.91 inches.

Geography

Bulgaria has a mean elevation of 472 m above sea level.

It has a temperate climate with cold, damp winters and hot, dry summers. Its terrain is mostly mountainous with some lowlands.

Population

Bulgaria has a population of 7,144,653 making it the 101st largest in the world. The country has a fairly even population distribution.

Bulgarian is the official language; Turkish and Romani are both also spoken. The major ethnic groups reported are Bulgarian and Turkish. The population is mostly Eastern Orthodox Christian with a large Muslim minority.

The Bulgarian language is Bulgaria’s official language. It is a southern Slavic language that is part of the Indo-European group of languages. The language is native to about 83.93% of Bulgarians but is spoken by 88.46% as a first language. It is also one of the official languages of the EU. The other two primary but unofficial languages are Turkish which is considered native to 9.42% and Romani which is native to 4.67%, but only 1.13% of the population use it as the first language. English, French, Russian, German, and Spanish are some of the foreign languages used in the country.

Government

Bulgaria is an independent country. It gained complete independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Its constitution was last ratified in 1991.

Bulgaria is a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president is the head of state while the prime minister is the head of government. The president is elected by a popular vote by the people to serve for a five-year term which is renewable once. The 240 members of the National Assembly are elected by proportional representation. The government must be formed by more than one party.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Bulgaria's GDP is $143,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $20,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 76th largest economy and its citizens the 83rd richest in the world. The currency of Bulgaria is the Lev (BGN).

Its major export partners are Germany, Italy, Turkey, or Romania. Its main exports are clothing, footwear, iron and steel, and machinery. Its major import partners are Germany, Russia, and Italy. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, metals and ores, and chemicals.

Flag

The flag of Bulgaria is striped with red, green, and white. The first version of the flag was adopted in 1878. Within the flag, white represents peace, green represents agricultural and the environment, while the red color represents courage and the sacrifice of the Bulgarians. The current flag was adopted in 1991 and confirmed by law as the national flag in 1998. The former flag had a coat of arms portraying a lion surrounded by wheat spikes tied with a ribbon with the inscription 681 and 1944.