Key Facts

GDP (ppp) per CAPITA

$12,900 (2008 est.)

Inflation Rate

12.3% (2008)

Population

7,204,687 (July 2009 est.)

Country Risk Ratings

B

Ease of Doing Business

45/181

Global Competitiveness

76/134

Country Map

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gE Network

There are 12 members in the
gE Network for this country.

Bulgaria : Introduction

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.

Bulgaria: The Pari Daily

Biweekly free edition of Pari, the Bulgarian financial and business news daily. You can browse the most recent issue and search all previous issues. You can also access information for Pari itself which is also published on the web, but provides access through subscription only. Published in Bulgarian and English.

Sources:
CIA World Factbook (September 2009)
U.S. Dept. of State Country Background Notes (April 2009)