(f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery
and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food,
textiles

Imports - partners: Russia 24%, Germany 14%, Italy 8%, Greece 5%,
France 5%, Romania 4%, Turkey 3%, US 3% (2000)

Debt - external: $10.4 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $1 billion (1999 est.)

Currency: lev (BGL)

Currency code: BGL

Exchange rates: leva per US dollar - 2.0848 (January 2001), 2.1233
(2000), 1.8364 (1999), 1,760.36 (1998), 1,681.88 (1997), 177.89
(1996)

note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July
1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev

Fiscal year: calendar year

Bulgaria Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 3.255 million (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 596,000 (2000)

Telephone system: general assessment: extensive but antiquated

domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential;
telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern
digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of
the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio
relay

international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 93, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 4.51 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 96 (plus 1,030 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code: .bg

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 26 (2000)

Internet users: 200,000 (2000)

Bulgaria Transportation

Railways: total: 4,294 km

standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified; 917
km double track)

narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (1998)

Highways: total: 36,724 km

paved: 33,786 km (including 314 km of expressways)

unpaved: 2,938 km (1999)

Waterways: 470 km (1987)

Pipelines: petroleum products 525 km; natural gas 1,500 km (1999)

Ports and harbors: Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin

Merchant marine: total: 81 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
938,706 GRT/1,440,374 DWT

ships by type: bulk 44, cargo 16, chemical tanker 4, container 2,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 6, railcar carrier 2,
refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1,
specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 215 (2000 est.)