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Interactive map of Bulgaria. © Google Maps & quikmaps

Key facts:

Official Name:

Republic of Bulgaria

Population:

7,563,710 (National Statistical Institute - NSI, 2009)
83.9% Bulgarian, 9.4% Turks, 4.7% Roma (Census 2001)

Capital city:

Sofia (1,249,798 inhabitants, NSI, 2009)

Area:

110,910 km2

Currency:

Bulgarian Lev (BGL)

GDP:

EUR 33.868 million = BGN 66.256 million (NSI, 2009)

GDP per capita:

EUR 3,773 = BGN 7,379 (BNB, 2007)

Unemployment:

9,7 % (Eurostat, 2010)

Average monthly wage:

EUR 2325 = BGN 636 (NSI, June 2010)

 

 

 

Short chronology of EU accession:

 

March 1993

Europe Agreement signed (an association agreement providing mainly for preferential trade measures)

31 December 1993

Interim Agreement enters into force (provides for the interim application of the Association Agreement until ratification by all EU members)

1 February 1995

Association Agreement enters into force (replacing interim agreement)

13 December 1997

Candidate status (European Council Luxembourg)

15 February 2000

Start of accession negotiations with the European Commission

15 June 2004

Closure of negotiations

13 April 2005

European Parliament gives assent to Accession Treaty (534 votes in favour, 88 against, 69 abstentions)

25 April 2005

Signing of accession treaty

1 January 2007

EU accession

 

 

 

Prime ministers during the accession process:

 

12 Feb - 20 May 1997

Stefan Sofianski (Union of Democratic Forces - UDF; interim government)

21 May 1997 - 24 July 2001

Ivan Kostov (Union of Democratic Forces - UDF)

24 July 2001 - 17 Aug 2005

Simeon Saxe-Coburgotski (National Movement Simeon II)

since 17 August 2005

Sergei Stanishev (Bulgarian Socialist Party)

 

 

 

Membership in other international organisations:

 

UN

14 December 1955

OSCE

25 June 1973 (founding member)

Council of Europe

7 May 1992

WTO

1 December 1996

NATO

29 March 2004

 

 

 

Politics:

President:

Georgi Parvanov (re-elected for second term in October 2006)

Prime minister:

Boyko Borisov (since July 2009)

Political Parties:

Following the last elections held on 5 July 2009, 6 parties are represented in the 240 seat unicameral parliament. Citizens for the European development of Bulgaria (GERB),  a center-right party leaded by Boyko Borisov – the former mayor of Sofia-, took 39% of the votes and 116 seats, and became the first party in the country. GERB decided to govern without a coalition, with the minority in the Parliament. Boyko Borisov has been appointed Prime Minister.

 
  • Coalition for Bulgaria led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) gained 40 seats in the last elections. This coalition, centre-left oriented, is led by former Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev.
  • Movement for Rights and Freedoms, mainly representing Bulgaria's Turkish minority, has 38 seats in the Parliament. A liberal party, it is chaired since its establishment by Ahmed Dogan.
  • National Union Attack, an extreme right wing party, has 21 seats. Its leader is Volen Siderov.
  • Blue Coalition gathers together a group of centre-right parties, with 11 seats in the Parliament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 2010

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