BULGARIA



Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Prime Minister

Bulgaria

(pronounced "SIM-e-ohn SAX KO-berg GOE-tha")

"Although I am pragmatic and realistic, I will take the liberty of dreaming of a richer, stronger, more secure, fairer and more moral Bulgaria. The road will be hard but my government and I are confident in our success."

Bulgaria is situated in the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its territory covers 110,910 sq km (42,811 sq mi). It shares borders with Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, and Romania. To the east lies the Black Sea. About three-quarters of the countryside is mountainous. The country's total population was estimated in 2002 at 7.7 million. Of this number, ethnic Bulgarians comprise 83.6%; ethnic Turks9.5%; Roma 4.6%; and other groups 2.3%. Most Bulgarians (83.8%) belong to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Other religions practiced in Bulgaria are Islam (12.1%), Roman Catholicism (1.7%), and Judaism (0.8%). Most people speak Bulgarian, a Slavic language written in the Cyrillic alphabet. The other significant language in Bulgaria is Turkish, spoken by the ethnic Turkish minority.

The national currency is the lev. Bulgaria was traditionally an agricultural country, but industrialization accelerated during the communist period. Major industries include machinery, metallurgy, and fuel and chemical production. Major agricultural products include tobacco, grain, wine, and produce.

ADDRESS

Prime Minister
Veliko Narodno Subraine
Sofia 1000
Bulgaria
Web site: http://www.government.bg

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