otal area: 110,910 km2; land area: 110,550 km2

_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Tennessee

_#_Land boundaries: 1,881 km total; Greece 494 km, Romania 608 km,
Turkey 240 km, Yugoslavia 539 km

_#_Coastline: 354 km

_#_Maritime claims:

Contiguous zone: 24 nm;

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Disputes: Macedonia question with Greece and Yugoslavia

_#_Climate: temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

_#_Terrain: mostly mountains with lowlands in north and south

_#_Natural resources: bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber,
arable land

_#_Land use: arable land 34%; permanent crops 3%; meadows and pastures
18%; forest and woodland 35%; other 10%; includes irrigated 11%

_#_Environment: subject to earthquakes, landslides; deforestation;
air pollution

_#_Note: strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key
land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

_*_People
_#_Population: 8,910,622 (July 1991), growth rate - 0.2% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 13 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Bulgarian(s); adjective--Bulgarian

_#_Ethnic divisions: Bulgarian 85.3%, Turk 8.5%, Gypsy 2.6%,
Macedonian 2.5%, Armenian 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, other 0.6%

_#_Religion: Bulgarian Orthodox 85%; Muslim 13%; Jewish 0.8%;
Roman Catholic 0.5%; Uniate Catholic 0.2%; Protestant,
Gregorian-Armenian, and other 0.5%

_#_Language: Bulgarian; secondary languages closely correspond to
ethnic breakdown

_#_Literacy: 93% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1970 est.)

_#_Labor force: 4,300,000; industry 33%, agriculture 20%, other 47%
(1987)

_#_Organized labor: Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of
Bulgaria (KNSB); Edinstvo (Unity) People's Trade Union (splinter
confederation from KNSB); Podkrepa (Support) Labor Confederation,
legally registered in January 1990

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Bulgaria

_#_Type: emerging democracy, continuing significant Communist party
influence

_#_Capital: Sofia

_#_Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (oblasti, sing