:

Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other
4% (2001 census)

Languages:

Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8%
(2001 census)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.2%
male: 98.7%
female: 97.7% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

4.5% of GDP (2005)

Government
Bulgaria

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
conventional short form: Bulgaria
local long form: Republika Balgariya
local short form: Balgariya

Government type:

parliamentary democracy

Capital:

name: Sofia
geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas,
Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana,
Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen,
Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora,
Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Independence:

3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman
Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman
Empire)

National holiday:

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

Constitution:

adopted 12 July 1991

Legal system:

civil and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Georgi PARVANOV (since 22 January 2002);
Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV (since 16 August
2005); Deputy Prime Ministers Ivaylo KALFIN, Daniel VULCHEV, and
Emel ETEM (since 16 August 2005) and Meglena PLUGCHIEVA (since 25
April 2008)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
elected by the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
election last held 22 and 29 October 2006 (next to be held in 2011);
chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by
the