Bulgaria Passport

The Republic of Bulgaria (also known as the Republic of Bulgaria).

[Area] 111000 square kilometers.

Population: 6.44 million people (2022). Bulgarians account for 84%, Türkiye accounts for 9%, Roma accounts for 5%, Macedonians and Armenians account for 2%. Bulgarian is the official language, while Turkish is the main minority language. 85% of the residents believe in Eastern Orthodoxy, 13% believe in Islam, and the rest believe in Catholicism and Protestantism.

Sofia, the capital, has a population of 1.274 million people as of 2022.

[Head of State] President Rumen Radev was elected in November 2016 and inaugurated in January 2017 for a term of 5 years. In November 2021, President Radev was re elected and will begin his second term in January 2022. Vice President Iliana Jotova (female).

[Important festival] National Day: March 3 (March 3, 1878, when the Ottoman Türkiye rule was broken). Education Culture and Slavic Language Festival: May 24th.

【 Overview 】 Located in Southeast Europe and the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It faces Romania across the Danube River in the north, Serbia and Northern Macedonia in the west, Greece and Türkiye in the south, and the Black Sea in the east, with a total coastline of 378 kilometers. The northern region has a continental climate, while the southern region has a Mediterranean climate. The average temperature is about 0 ℃ in January and about 24 ℃ in July.

The Thracians are the oldest inhabitants of Bulgaria. In 681, the Thracians, Slavs, and ancient Bulgarians established the Slavic Bulgarian Kingdom in the Danube River basin, known as the First Bulgarian Kingdom in history. It was occupied by Byzantium in 1018. The Second Kingdom of Bulgaria was established in 1185. In 1396, it was annexed by the Ottoman Türkiye Empire. In 1877, Russia declared war on Ottoman Türkiye, and Türkiye was defeated. Bulgaria declared independence from Ottoman Türkiye the following year. Bulgaria became a defeated country in both World Wars. In September 1944, the Fatherland Front government, mainly composed of the Bulgarian Communist Party and the Farmers' Union, was established and the People's Republic of Bulgaria was declared. Afterwards, the Bulgarian Communist Party held power for a long time. During the 1989 Eastern European upheaval, Bulgaria underwent a regime change and switched to a multi-party parliamentary democracy. In November 1990, the country's name was changed to the Republic of Bulgaria.

In June 2022, the Bulgarian National Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the government. In August, President Radev announced the dissolution of the 47th National Assembly and appointed Gleb Donev as the caretaker prime minister. Early parliamentary elections will be held on October 2nd. On October 21st, the 48th National Assembly was established. In February 2023, the 48th National Assembly of Bulgaria was dissolved. In April, Bulgaria held its 49th National Assembly election. In June, Nikolai Denkov became the Prime Minister of the government. In March 2024, the Bulgarian parliament approved the resignation of Prime Minister Denkov. In April, President Radev appointed the Auditor General of the Audit Office, Dimitar Grafchev, as the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the caretaker government. Early parliamentary elections will be held on June 9th. On June 17th, the 50th National Assembly was established. In August, President Radev reappointed Grafchev as the caretaker prime minister of the government.

The current Constitution was adopted on July 12, 1991 and came into effect the next day after its publication. According to the constitution, Bulgaria is a parliamentary country, and the president symbolizes national unity and represents the country in foreign relations.

The Bulgarian Parliament is called the National Assembly, and the Speaker is called the President of the National Assembly. According to the Constitution, the parliament exercises legislative and supervisory powers, and has the power to make decisions on major issues such as domestic and foreign affairs. Implement a unicameral system with a total of 240 seats, and members are elected directly through proportional representation for a term of 4 years.

In June 2024, the 50th National Assembly elections in Bulgaria were held. The European Progressive Citizens' Party Democratic Forces Alliance has 68 seats, the Rights and Freedom Movement Party has 47 seats, the "We Continue to Change - Democratic Bulgaria" Alliance has 39 seats, the Renaissance Party has 38 seats, the Socialist Party has 19 seats, the "People with Such People" Party has 16 seats, and the "Great" Party has 13 seats. On June 20, 2024, Raja Nazarian (female) was elected as the Speaker of the Parliament.

The government is called the Council of Ministers. On August 27, 2024, Bulgarian President Radev appointed a caretaker government and Grafchev as its Prime Minister. The government members include: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Lyudmila Petkova (female), Minister of Internal Affairs Atanas Ilkov (female), Minister of Regional Development and Public Affairs Violetta Kolitarova (female), Minister of Labor and Social Policy Ivano Ivanov (female) Defense Minister Atanas Zaplyanov, Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov, Justice Minister Maria Pavlova, Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov, Health Minister Jia Liya Kondeva Monkova (Галя Кондева - МЪНКОвА), Female), Minister of Culture Naiden Todorov, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Petr Dimitrov, Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgy Taghov, Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimila Stoyanova Viko Nikolaov, Minister of Economy and Industry, ПеткоНイКОлОлО, Minister of Innovation and Growth, Rosen Karadimov, Minister of Energy, Vladimir Malinov, Minister of Electronic Affairs, Valentin Mondrov. Minister of Tourism, Eftim Miloshev, Youth and Sports Minister Georgi Hlushkov.

【 Main website 】

President Office: www.president.bg

Parliament: www.parliament.bg

Government: www.government.bg

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mfa.bg

There are a total of 28 major regions and 265 cities in the administrative divisions.

The judicial institutions include the Supreme Judicial Council, the Supreme Court of Appeal, the Supreme Administrative Court, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Special Investigation Bureau, and the Supreme Lawyers' Committee. Each administrative region and city has courts and procuratorates. Boyan Magdalinchev, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, took office in October 2017; The President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Galina Zakharova (ГалинаZyАХАパОXBА, female), took office in February 2022; Georgy Chorakov, President of the Supreme Administrative Court, took office in November 2017; In June 2023, the Prosecutor General will be temporarily appointed by Borislav Sarafov (Борислав САрАцв); The Director of the Special Reconnaissance Bureau, Antonin Getchev, took office in June 2021.

[Political Party]

Implement a multi-party system. There are over 300 registered political parties, with the main ones being:

1. Bulgaria's Civic Party for European Progress (ГражданизаЕвропейскоパазвитиенаБългария), abbreviated as the Civic Party. Established in December 2006. Party Chairman Boyko Borisov.

2. We Continue to Change - Democratic Bulgaria "Alliance (ПродължавамеПромяната - ДемократиチнаБългария): led by Kirill Petkov (КирилПЕТКОв) and Arsen Vasilev (АсенвААス Atanas Atanasov (АтанасАТАНАСОв), leader of the Democratic Bulgarian Union. The party was established in April 2022. The Democratic Bulgaria Alliance was established in April 2018, consisting of three political parties: the "Yes Bulgaria!" party, the "Pursuit of a Strong Bulgarian Democratic Party", and the "Green Movement" party. Later, the "Green Movement" party withdrew.

3. Ba'ath Party: Established in August 2014. Party Chairman Kostaddin Kostadinov.

4. Bulgarian Socialist Party (БългарскаСоциалистиチескаПартия): abbreviated as Socialist Party (БСП). Its predecessor was the Social Democratic Labour Party, established in August 1891. In May 1919, it was renamed the Communist Party and joined the Third International. He ruled continuously for 47 years after 1944. In February 1990, the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China decided to take the path of democratic socialism and changed its name to the Socialist Party in April. He was in power from 1994 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2009. Acting Party Chairman Atanas Zafirov.

5. The Party of 'There is Such a People' (いмаТакъвНарод) was established in February 2020. Party Chairman Slavi Trifonov.

6. The Movement for Rights and Freedom (ДвижениезаПраваиСвободи): it was founded in January 1990 and registered as a political party in April. It is a party of Bulgarian Türkiye origin. It is now divided into two factions, one is the "Power and Freedom Alliance" led by honorary chairman Ahmet Dugan, and the other is the "Struggle for Rights and Freedom Movement - New Beginning" led by former party chairman Perevsky.

[Important Figures]

Rumen Radf: The President. Born in 1963 in Dimitrovgrad, Haskovo Region. After graduating from high school, I applied to aviation school and later served in the Bulgarian Air Force. In 1992 and 2002, he went to the Maxwell Military Academy in the United States for further studies. In June 2014, he was appointed as the Commander and Major General of the Bulgarian Air Force. Announced retirement in August 2016 and participated in the presidential election. Elected as President in November 2016, sworn in on January 22, 2017, with a term of 5 years. In November 2021, President Radev was re elected, and in January 2022, Radev began his second term.

Dimitar Grafchev: Prime Minister of the caretaker government. Born in Sofia in August 1963. Graduated from the National and World Economics University of Bulgaria with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's degree in World Economic Relations. Formerly served as Vice Chairman, Chairman, and Auditor General of the National Audit Office. Member of the 41st to 46th National Assembly. Appointed as the Prime Minister of the caretaker government on August 22, 2024, with a term until the formation of a new government.

Laya Nazarian: Speaker. Born in September 1985 in the city of Varna. Graduated from the Law program at the National and World Economics University in Bulgaria. Formerly served as Vice Chairman of the Anti Corruption Committee of the 48th National Assembly and member of the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee. In June 2024, elected as the Speaker of the 50th National Assembly.

Before the dramatic changes in Eastern Europe in 1989, 90% of the national income relied on import and export trade, and the main foreign trade partners were countries in the Economic Cooperation Council. After 1989, we gradually transitioned to a market economy and developed various forms of ownership, including private ownership, with priority given to agriculture, light industry, tourism, and service industries. At the end of 2004, most state-owned assets were privatized. From 2001 to 2008, the annual economic growth rate remained above 5%. In 2009, the economy declined due to the impact of the international financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. Since 2010, the economy has gradually stabilized and rebounded. The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 93.95 billion euros

Per capita GDP: 14600 euros

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 1.8%

Inflation rate: 3.1%

Unemployment rate: 4.3%

Currency name: Lev (лев); 1 Lev=100 Stodenka (стотинки)

Exchange rate: 1 euro ≈ 1.96 lev; 1 US dollar ≈ 1.77 lev

Natural resources are relatively scarce, and the supply of raw materials and energy heavily relies on imports. The main mineral deposits include coal, lead, zinc, copper, iron, uranium, manganese, chromium, mineral salts, and a small amount of petroleum. The forest area is 4.12 million hectares, accounting for 34% of the national land area.

The main industrial sectors include machinery manufacturing, electronics, metallurgy, food, textiles, papermaking, chemical industry, etc. In 2022, the industrial output value was 24.945 billion euros, accounting for 29.5% of the gross domestic product.

Agriculture is rich in agricultural resources and has a long history of traditional agriculture. The main agricultural products include wheat, sunflower seeds, corn, tobacco, etc. The agricultural output value in 2022 is 4.228 billion euros, accounting for 5.0% of the gross domestic product.

Since the 1990s, the service industry has maintained rapid development, with tourism being one of the important industries. In 2022, the output value of the service industry was 55.386 billion euros, accounting for 65.5% of the gross domestic product.

The tourism industry has abundant tourism resources. In 2022, the insurance company will receive 10.888 million foreign tourists, mainly from Romania, Türkiye and Greece. As of December 2022, there are 2072 accommodation facilities in the area with over 10 beds, totaling 57500 rooms and 118300 beds. Famous attractions include Nevsky Cathedral, Roman Amphitheatre, Grand Ternovo Castle, Kazanlak Rose Valley, Lira National Park, Nesebar, and more.

【 Transportation 】 Land transportation is the main mode of transportation. In 2021, the freight volume was 61.649 million tons, including 32.077 million tons by land, 29.546 million tons by water, and 26000 tons by air; The passenger volume is 510 million, including 310 million by land, 153000 by water, 5.276 million by air, and 190 million by urban electricity transportation. The main airports are Sofia Airport, Plovdiv Airport, Burgas Airport, and Varna Airport. The main ports are Varna Port, Burgas Port, and Rousse Port.

As of the end of 2022, the total external debt amounted to 41.67 billion euros, accounting for 55.5% of the gross domestic product.

In 2022, the total amount of foreign trade was 108.96 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 39.6%, including exports of 50.73 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 37.9%, and imports of 58.23 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 41.1%. The main exports include machinery and transportation equipment, industrial products, food, and chemical products, while the main imports include mechanical and electrical products, metal ores, chemical materials, fuels, and food. The main export destinations are Germany, Italy, Romania, Türkiye, Greece and France; The main import sources are Germany, Russia, Italy, Romania, Türkiye and Spain.

Foreign Capital: The Foreign Investment Law was promulgated and implemented on May 17, 1991, and was revised and reissued in 1992. Foreign investors are allowed to engage in joint ventures or sole proprietorships in Bulgaria, except in specific sectors and fields such as the military. The profit margin of foreign enterprises is 40%. If the foreign shares exceed 49% and the value is over 100000 US dollars, a discount rate of 30% can be levied. Foreign investors can remit the foreign exchange profits, interest, dividends, and other foreign exchange income obtained from their investments abroad. In 2022, foreign direct investment in Bulgaria amounted to 2.279 billion euros.

The Bulgarian army was established in September 1944. On January 26, 1990, the State Council decided to prohibit party activities in the military. In September of the same year, the Presidential Security Council was established, with the President serving as its chairman. The Security Committee is responsible for formulating domestic and foreign policies related to the armed forces, and formulating guidelines and policies against foreign aggression during wartime. On November 8, 1991, the Minister of National Defense was replaced by a civilian official. At present, Bulgaria has a total military force of about 30000 people and a defense budget of 2.08 billion euros for 2022.

Education: 12 years of compulsory education will be popularized nationwide, with 4 years for primary, middle, and high schools. In the 2022/2023 academic year, there were 2415 teaching units of various types, with 1.151 million students and 107000 teachers. There are 1942 primary and secondary schools, 419 secondary vocational and technical schools and vocational training centers, and 54 higher education institutions. Famous higher education institutions include Sofia University, Plovdiv University, Velikovsky University, Novobulgaria University, National and World Economy University, etc.

The main newspapers and magazines include: Labor Daily, founded in 1946; 24-hour newspaper, founded on April 18, 1991; Speech Daily, formerly known as Workers' Career Daily, was founded on March 5, 1927 and renamed on April 4, 1990; Monitor Daily, founded in 1998; Present Daily, founded on October 21, 1997; Standard Daily, founded on August 10, 1992; The Journal was founded on February 12, 2001.

The main news agencies are Bulgarian News Agency and Sofia News Agency. The main radio stations include: National Radio, Horizon Radio, Darik Radio, etc. The main television stations include Bulgarian National Television, bTV Television, NOVA Television, etc.