ment, fuels

Exports - partners:

Turkey 11.5%, Germany 10.3%, Italy 10.2%, Greece 9.1%, Belgium 6.2%,
Romania 4.9% (2007)

Imports:

$28.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics;
fuels, minerals, and raw materials

Imports - partners:

Russia 12.3%, Germany 12.3%, Italy 8.7%, Ukraine 7.2%, Turkey 6.9%,
Greece 6.2%, Romania 4.5%, Austria 4.3% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$742 million (2005-06 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$17.38 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$34.88 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$33.91 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$559 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$10.32 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

lev (BGN)

Currency code:

BGN

Exchange rates:

leva (BGN) per US dollar - 1.4366 (2007), 1.5576 (2006), 1.5741
(2005), 1.5751 (2004), 1.7327 (2003)

Communications
Bulgaria

Telephones - main lines in use:

2.3 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

9.897 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications
network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the
Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated
in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to
its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has
been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular
telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of
cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population
domestic: 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: country code - 359; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable
and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania,
and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the
Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001)

Radios:

4.51 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001)

Televisions:

3.