results: percent of vote by party - GERB 39.7%, BSP 17.7%, MRF 14.4%, ATAKA 9.4%, Blue Coalition 6.8%, RZS 4.1%, other 7.9%; seats by party - GERB 117, BSP 40, MRF 37, ATAKA 21, Blue Coalition 15, RZS 8, independents 2
Judicial branch:
independent judiciary comprised of judges, prosecutors and investigating magistrates who are appointed, promoted, demoted, and dismissed by a 25-member Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 members, half of whom are elected by the National Assembly and the other half by the bodies of the judiciary for a 5-year term in office); three levels of case review; 182 courts of which two Supreme Courts act as the last instance on civil and criminal cases (the Supreme Court of Cassation) and appeals of government decisions (the Supreme Administrative Court)
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian National Union or ANU [Stefan LICHEV]; ATAKA (Attack party)
[Volen SIDEROV]; Blue Coalition [Ivan KOSTOV and Martin DIMITROV] (a
coalition of center-right parties dominated by UDF and DSB);
Bulgarian New Democracy [Borislav RALCHEV]; Bulgarian Socialist
Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Citizens for the European
Development of Bulgaria or GERB [Boyko BORISSOV]; Coalition for
Bulgaria or CfB [Sergei STANISHEV] (coalition of parties dominated
by BSP); Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB [Ivan KOSTOV];
Gergyovden [Petar STOYANOVICH]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization or IMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Liberal Initiative for
Democratic European Development or LIDER [Khristo KOVACHKI];
Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National
Movement for Stability and Progress or NDSV [Hristina HRISTOVA]
(formerly National Movement Simeon II or NMS2); New Time [Emil
KOSHLUKOV]; Order, Law, Justice or RZS [Yane YANEV]; Union of
Democratic Forces or UDF [Martin DIMITROV]; Union of Free Democrats
or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Agrarians [Anastasia MOZER]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB;
Podkrepa Labor Confederation
other: numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO,
G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO,
NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Elena POPTODOROVA
chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387–0174
FAX: [1] (202) 234–7973
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James B. WARLICK, Jr
embassy: 16 Kozyak Street, Sofia 1407
mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521–5740
telephone: [359] (2) 937–5100
FAX: [359] (2) 937–5320
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue
note: the national emblem, formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe, has been removed
National anthem:
name: "Mila Rodino" (Dear Homeland)
lyrics/music: Tsvetan Tsvetkov RADOSLAVOV
note: adopted 1964; the anthem was composed in 1885 by a student en route to fight in the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Economy ::Bulgaria
Economy - overview:
Bulgaria, a former Communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, averaged more than 6% growth from 2004 to 2008, driven by significant amounts of foreign direct investment and consumption. Successive governments have demonstrated a commitment to economic reforms and responsible fiscal planning, but the global downturn sharply reduced domestic demand, exports, capital inflows, and industrial production. GDP contracted by approximately 5% in 2009, and stagnated in 2010, despite a significant recovery in exports. The economy is expected to grow modestly in 2011, however. Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain significant challenges.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$91.83 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 $91.83 billion (2009 est.)
$96.67 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$44.84 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 190 −5% (2009 est.)
6.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$12,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 $12,700 (2009 est.)
$13,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 7.5%
industry: 27.6%
services: 64.9% (2009 est.)
