Conventional Long Form Name: Republic of Bulgaria
Capital City: Sofia
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Date of Independence: 4 March, 1878
National Holidays: Libertarian Day, March 3
Chief of State: President Rosen Plevneliev and Vice President Margarita Popova
Head of Government: Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Deputy Prime Ministers: Rumyana Bachvarova, Tomislav Donchev, Meglena Kuneva, and Ivailo Georgiev Kalfin
Executive Branch/Powers Description: The President and Vice President are elected on the same ballot by majority vote which occurs in two rounds if needed, they are in for a five year term. The chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) is elected by the National Assembly and the deputy Prime Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister who is elected by the National Assembly.
Legislative Branch/Powers Description: Unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie consists of 240 seats: members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve for year terms.
Judicial Branch/Powers Description: The highest courts: Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized in 2 colleges with a variety consisting of panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices). Judge Selection and Term of Office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges are elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (which consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and is appointed by the president; Constitutional Court justices are elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years. Subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial.
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal.
Ambassador in the United States: Elena Poptodorova
Location of Embassy in the United States: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of Consultants in the United States: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
United States Ambassador in Bulgaria: Charge d’Affaires Martina Strong
Location of United States Embassy in Bulgaria: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
Location of Consultants in Bulgaria from the United States: N/A
Representative to the United Nations: Stefan Tafrov
Description of the flag: Three equal horizontal bands of white (on top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue.
National Symbols: The lion. The national colors white, green, red.
International Disputes: None
Quantity of Refugees: 8,501 (Syria) (2014)
Quantity of Internally Displaced People: 8,568
Quantity of Stateless Persons: 67 (2014)
Human Trafficking: Bulgaria is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor, it is one of the main sources of human trafficking in the EU. They are forced laborers in agriculture, construction, and the service sector. The main sex trafficking in Bulgaria involves Romanian girls.
Illicit Drugs: The European market is filled with South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and precursor chemicals. These drugs open up the possibility of money laundering because of corruption and organized crime.
Capital City: Sofia
Type of Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Date of Independence: 4 March, 1878
National Holidays: Libertarian Day, March 3
Chief of State: President Rosen Plevneliev and Vice President Margarita Popova
Head of Government: Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Deputy Prime Ministers: Rumyana Bachvarova, Tomislav Donchev, Meglena Kuneva, and Ivailo Georgiev Kalfin
Executive Branch/Powers Description: The President and Vice President are elected on the same ballot by majority vote which occurs in two rounds if needed, they are in for a five year term. The chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) is elected by the National Assembly and the deputy Prime Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister who is elected by the National Assembly.
Legislative Branch/Powers Description: Unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sabranie consists of 240 seats: members are directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve for year terms.
Judicial Branch/Powers Description: The highest courts: Supreme Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges); Supreme Administrative Court (organized in 2 colleges with a variety consisting of panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court (consists of 12 justices). Judge Selection and Term of Office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges are elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (which consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and is appointed by the president; Constitutional Court justices are elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years. Subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial.
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal.
Ambassador in the United States: Elena Poptodorova
Location of Embassy in the United States: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of Consultants in the United States: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
United States Ambassador in Bulgaria: Charge d’Affaires Martina Strong
Location of United States Embassy in Bulgaria: American Embassy Sofia, US Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740
Location of Consultants in Bulgaria from the United States: N/A
Representative to the United Nations: Stefan Tafrov
Description of the flag: Three equal horizontal bands of white (on top), green, and red; the pan-Slavic white-blue-red colors were modified by substituting a green band (representing freedom) for the blue.
National Symbols: The lion. The national colors white, green, red.
International Disputes: None
Quantity of Refugees: 8,501 (Syria) (2014)
Quantity of Internally Displaced People: 8,568
Quantity of Stateless Persons: 67 (2014)
Human Trafficking: Bulgaria is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor, it is one of the main sources of human trafficking in the EU. They are forced laborers in agriculture, construction, and the service sector. The main sex trafficking in Bulgaria involves Romanian girls.
Illicit Drugs: The European market is filled with South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and precursor chemicals. These drugs open up the possibility of money laundering because of corruption and organized crime.
Chief of State:
Head of Government:
National Flag of Bulgaria
Audio of the National Anthem of Bulgaria