Bulgaria:
Military & Transnational Issues


Military branches	Definition Bulgarian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Bulgarian Air Forces (Bulgarski Voennovazdyshni Sily, BVVS) (2008)
Military service age and obligation	Definition 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 9 months; as of May 2006, 67% of the Bulgarian Army comprised of professional soldiers; conscription ended as of 1 January 2008; Air and Air Defense Forces and Naval Forces became fully professional at the end of 2006 (2008)
Manpower available for military service	Definition males age 16-49: 1,701,979 females age 16-49: 1,691,092 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service	Definition - World rank and map males age 16-49: 1,364,029 females age 16-49: 1,401,348 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually	Definition males age 16-49: 39,477 females age 16-49: 37,339 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	Definition - World rank and map 2.6% (2005 est.)

Disputes - international	Definition none
Illicit drugs	Definition major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions