Bulgaria gained its independence on 5 October 1908, after 500 years of Ottoman rule. During the Second World War it joined the Axis powers and was invaded by Soviet troops in 1944. A referendum held on 8 September 1946 abolished the monarchy and transformed the state into a People’s Republic under the influence of the USSR. The process of becoming a democracy began in 1989 and continued thereafter.
According to the Constitution issued on 12 July 1991, the President is elected directly for a five-year mandate and can only be re-elected once. The National Assembly has 240 members who are directly elected for four years.

Defence.
Military service is voluntary. In 2019, the purchase of new F-16 aircraft opened a dispute between the pro-Russian President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Justice.
The legal system is based on Continental Civil Law.

Population by age and gender (% - 2020)
	75+ 60-74 45-59 30-44 15-29 0-14
MALE	AGE	FEMALE

The Bulgarian population has been decreasing for some time due to emigration and the fall in the birth-rate: it is estimated that the country will lose 23% of its population by 2050.

Economic situation.
The economic growth estimated in 2021 (+4.4%) will bring the GDP back to pre-Covid levels after the 3.8% decline in 2020. After having reached record lows (4.2% in 2019), the pandemic brought the unemployment rate to above 5%. The tourism sector is suffering in particular.

Primary sector
Agriculture and forests.
The main crops are cereals, cultivated principally in the Danube plains (wheat and maize) and in Thrace (wheat and rice). Large amounts of sunflowers and tobacco are grown for export. Typical crops are roses (in the Tundzha Valley) and strawberries (in the area of Plovdiv). The cultivation of vines produces high-quality wines. Much of the land is covered in forest, especially in the Rila, Rhodope and Pirin Massifs.
Livestock and fishing.
The large expanses of meadows and pastureland are ideal for livestock farming; poultry farming is also common. The main fishing ports are Burgas and Varna on the Black Sea.

Secondary sector
Minerals.
Bulgaria has modest reserves of oil, especially on the Black Sea, and natural gas. Coal and lignite mining is still underway.
There are also manganese, lead, zinc, copper, salt, gold and silver mines.
Energy and industry.
The two active reactors at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant generate more than one-third of the electric energy produced in the country. The search for potential investors in another power plant in Belene is still ongoing, although the existing one could be expanded.
The country remains highly dependent on gas supplies from Russia: with a Russia-Bulgaria connection to the TurkStream pipeline having been approved, delays and tensions between the two countries have been confirmed.
In 2016, a bidirectional pipeline running between Romania and Bulgaria was inaugurated, allowing Sofia to import gas from the EU.
The most highly developed industrial segments are iron and steel, and metal-working, with industrial plants concentrated in the Sofia area, at Burgas and Plovdiv.
The chemicals sector is very important and dynamic; pharmaceuticals factories are located at Sofia and Troyan. There are refineries at Ruse and Burgas. The country has a longstanding textile tradition. Other relatively important sectors include engineering (vehicle assembly plants, shipyards) rubber, leather, cement and tobacco processing. There are several breweries and sugar refineries.

Main exports (M US$ - 2017) electrical and electronic equipment 2 995, refined copper 2 757, machinery and home appliances 2 429, petroleum products 1 678, apparel and accessories 1 647, iron and steel 1 569, cereals 1 048, pharmaceuticals 952, vehicles and parts thereof 872, plastics 848, chemicals 822, furniture and accessories 697, oil seeds 684, metal ores 558, electric energy 550, glass 428, aluminium 421, technical and electro-medical appliances 387, timber 364, vegetable oils 344, timber 344, rubber articles 343, cosmetics 325, toys and sports equipment 296, cigarettes and tobacco 293, footwear 263

Education, culture & research.

Education is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16 years. Bulgaria’s most renowned university is in Sofia.