Bulgaria Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

Bulgaria, State of the Eastern Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe; 110,994 km², 7 million residents (2019).Bulgaria borders in the north to Romania, in the south to Turkey and Greece and in the west to northern Macedonia and Serbia and has coast to the Black Sea to the east. The capital is Sofia (1.2 million residents, 2017).

Country facts

Republic of Bulgaria / Republic of Bulgaria
Country abbreviation: BG
Area: 110 994 km²
Population (2019): 7.0 million residents
Capital: Sofia
Main language: Bulgarian
State: Republic
Head of State: Rumen Radev (President)
Head of Government: Boiko Borisov
Per capita GDP (2018): 9,273
GNI per capita (2018): 8,860
0 US dollars
Currency unit: 1 lev = 100 stotinkiy
Currency code: BGL
Country number (telephony): 359
Internet domain name: eg
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1
National Day: March 3 (Liberation Day, 1878)

Nature

Land use: forest (36%), agricultural land (46%), other (18%)
Highest mountain: Musala (2 925 m asl)

Population

Population density (2019): 63 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): −0.6%; birth rate 9 ‰, death rate 15 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (14%), 15-64 (65%), 65- (21%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 71 years, women 78 years
Infant mortality (2019): 6 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 6 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.813 (place 51 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 74%
Most populous cities (2017): Sofia (1.2 million residents), Plovdiv (343,400), Varna (335,200)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (4%), industry (28%), service (68%)
Exports (2017): US $ 29,080 million
Main export products: clothing, shoes, iron and steel
Main exporting countries: Germany, Italy, Romania
Imports (2017): US $ 31,430 million
Main import products: machinery, minerals, chemicals
Main importing countries: Germany, Russian Federation, Italy
Railway network (2014): 5 110 km

Bulgaria is located on the eastern Balkan Peninsula. The northern part consists of a plateau country, strongly torn by tributaries to the Danube. To the south, the plateau landscape rises slowly and passes without a sharp border in the Balkan mountains, which divide the country geographically. South of the Balkan mountains runs a series of fairly low mountain ranges, commonly called the Antibalkan. Further south, a fertile hilly landscape spreads, which is Bulgaria’s most important economic area.

The executive power lies with the government, which is led by a prime minister. The President, who has a limited role, is Head of State and Commander-in-Chief and is elected for a five-year term. Parliament consists of a Chamber, the National Assembly, whose members are elected for four years.

Business, which was previously strongly linked to the Soviet Union, underwent a painful and sluggish transition to market economy during the 1990s. Both agricultural and industrial production fell sharply. Great efforts were made, and the economy recovered somewhat during the 1990s. Despite economic problems in agriculture, the country still has a large agricultural sector. The industrial sector still has major problems, but during the 00s the textile industry showed a positive development. Otherwise, the greatest growth has occurred in the service and service industries.