Minority issues have been the focus of several governments as part of their internal affairs and simultaneously as branch of foreign policy between the host country and the country of origin of the minority groups. My essay deals with the assimilation and integration policies that were used by the Bulgarian state towards two minority groups: the Roma and the ethnic Turks; in retrospection, these policies were meant to be if not beneficial at least harmless to the interests of the state. The formulas used for this purpose though have varied considerably throughout history, since they have always depended upon the existing social context and political framework. It would be interesting to examine the variation in the integrating and assimilating mechanisms adopted by the Bulgarian state in both the Communist and Post-Communist Bulgaria, which have been interrelated with the current trends in each period.
Πέμπτη 21 Απριλίου 2011
Τετάρτη 20 Απριλίου 2011
Comments on the 2011 Bulgarian Census regarding population data
I was anticipating the results of the latest statistics of the 2011 Bulgarian Census, so that I could use -in an essay on Bulgarian minorities I am working on- relevant references and statistical data on ethnic groups that comprise the Bulgarian population. Taking into consideration the previous census conducted in Bulgaria, I expected to see something similar regarding the variation in ethnic group presence. To my surprise, there was no hint about ethnic groups in this one at all –at least concerning the results released so far, I don’t know or rather I doubt that anything else would be added. Below one can see data about population by districts and ethnic group from the 2001 Bulgarian Census and then the population research categories in the 2011 Bulgarian Census. The only reference to non-Bulgarian people is in the “PERMANENT RESIDENT FOREIGNERS IN BULGARIA BY CITIZENSHIP AS OF 31.12.” that concerns the period from 2004 up to 2009! With the voices of ethnic Turks and Roma being too “loud” to be ignored and with an abstract definition of minorities provided by the international law failing to apply in many cases, the Bulgarian state officially disregards a reality that cannot be denied. With this practice continuing and by banning the creation of political parties of ethnic composition, it seems that the diverse ethnic identities become an ideal to fight for. The MRF (Movement for Rights and Freedom) is a political party consisting mostly of ethnic Turks that based on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (part of the European Law) performs against any act of discrimination of that kind. Consequently, both the Bulgarian state and the ethnic/national minorities use their own tools to achieve their goals, playing though in a broader field framed by the European Council’s decisions and under its observation.
Before the data of the census, a small comment is provided from the European Free Alliance Youth webpage:
There are several documents that regulate Population and housing censuses in the EU but they do not oblige the EU countries to include the different ethnic identities and languages in the Census form. The proposed topics do not give a clear picture of the structure of the population. Acknowledging the presence of minorities and stateless nations through the Census is crucial to the preservation of the democratic values of the EU. It is important to mention that the Annex of the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council under recommended topics mentioned and included notions of ethnicity and language. However these notions do not appear in the adopted Regulation.(source:http://europeanfreeallianceyouth.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/national-census-forms-fail-to-acknowledge-bulgaria%E2%80%99s-and-albania%E2%80%99s-minority-populations)
Before the data of the census, a small comment is provided from the European Free Alliance Youth webpage:
National Census forms fail to acknowledge Bulgaria’s and Albania’s minority populations
The democratic values of the EU have been compromised with the upcoming census in Bulgaria. The column for Macedonian ethnicity has been erased from the census form after some of the experts from the National Statistics Institute included it in the online trial version of the census (alongside with a column for the other smaller minorities in Bulgaria). Due to the tensed atmosphere that arouse in Bulgarian society, five experts were dismissed following a thorough investigation ordered by the Prime Minister. At the same time, a cabinet minister openly agitated against the freedom of citizens to determine their own ethnicity and nobody from the Government reacted. The fact that Government officials speak openly against the Macedonian identity (please read the comments of Mr. Bozidar Dimitrov) as well as the fact that many Macedonians have been threatened after deciding to express their identity during the last Census in 2001 creates an atmosphere of fear and sends the message that being a Macedonian in Bulgaria is forbidden and could be punished. This is the main reason why the number of people who identify as Macedonians in Bulgaria has dropped significantly in 2001 compared to the Census in 1992. In 2001, in some parts of the country, the Census forms were filled out with a pencil which left space for manipulation and modification of the data. This eloquently illustrates the fact that the policies of assimilation and denial are still part of the official political agenda of the Bulgarian Government...There are several documents that regulate Population and housing censuses in the EU but they do not oblige the EU countries to include the different ethnic identities and languages in the Census form. The proposed topics do not give a clear picture of the structure of the population. Acknowledging the presence of minorities and stateless nations through the Census is crucial to the preservation of the democratic values of the EU. It is important to mention that the Annex of the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council under recommended topics mentioned and included notions of ethnicity and language. However these notions do not appear in the adopted Regulation.(source:http://europeanfreeallianceyouth.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/national-census-forms-fail-to-acknowledge-bulgaria%E2%80%99s-and-albania%E2%80%99s-minority-populations)
POPULATION BY DISTRICTS AND ETHNIC GROUP AS OF 1.03.2001
Districts | Total | Bulgarian | Turkish | Gypsies | Other | Not stated | Unknown |
Total | 7 928 901 | 6 655 210 | 746 664 | 370 908 | 69 204 | 62 108 | 24 807 |
Blagoevgrad | 341 173 | 286 491 | 31 857 | 12 405 | 5 519 | 4 242 | 659 |
Burgas | 423 547 | 338 625 | 58 636 | 19 439 | 3 728 | 1 919 | 1 200 |
Varna | 462 013 | 393 884 | 37 502 | 15 462 | 9 866 | 3 830 | 1 469 |
Veliko Tarnovo | 293 172 | 259 099 | 22 562 | 6 064 | 2 495 | 2 014 | 938 |
Vidin | 130 074 | 118 543 | 139 | 9 786 | 528 | 553 | 525 |
Vratsa | 243 036 | 223 692 | 2 000 | 14 899 | 608 | 984 | 853 |
Gabrovo | 144 125 | 131 494 | 9 109 | 1 611 | 939 | 615 | 357 |
Dobrich | 215 217 | 164 204 | 28 231 | 18 649 | 1 588 | 1 854 | 691 |
Kurdzhali | 164 019 | 55 939 | 101 116 | 1 264 | 385 | 4 565 | 750 |
Kyustendil | 162 534 | 152 644 | 146 | 8 294 | 416 | 508 | 526 |
Lovech | 169 951 | 152 194 | 8 476 | 6 316 | 891 | 1 522 | 552 |
Montana | 182 258 | 157 507 | 235 | 22 784 | 649 | 322 | 761 |
Pazardzhik | 310 723 | 261 260 | 20 448 | 23 970 | 1 461 | 2 978 | 606 |
Pernik | 149 832 | 145 642 | 108 | 3 035 | 375 | 270 | 402 |
Pleven | 311 985 | 280 475 | 16 931 | 9 777 | 1 702 | 2 135 | 965 |
Plovdiv | 715 816 | 621 338 | 52 499 | 30 196 | 7 274 | 2 869 | 1 640 |
Razgrad | 152 417 | 67 069 | 71 963 | 8 733 | 1 444 | 2 739 | 469 |
Ruse | 266 157 | 213 408 | 37 050 | 9 703 | 3 076 | 2 071 | 849 |
Silistra | 142 000 | 84 178 | 48 761 | 6 478 | 1 461 | 656 | 466 |
Sliven | 218 474 | 163 188 | 22 971 | 26 777 | 3 193 | 1 597 | 748 |
Smolyan | 140 066 | 122 806 | 6 212 | 686 | 250 | 9 696 | 416 |
Sofia-cap. | 1 170 842 | 1 124 240 | 6 036 | 17 885 | 13 652 | 4 645 | 4 384 |
Sofia | 273 240 | 253 536 | 654 | 16 748 | 821 | 661 | 820 |
Stara Zagora | 370 615 | 319 379 | 18 529 | 26 804 | 2 400 | 2 308 | 1 195 |
Targovishte | 137 689 | 76 294 | 49 495 | 9 868 | 324 | 1 259 | 449 |
Haskovo | 277 478 | 224 757 | 31 266 | 17 089 | 1 143 | 2 302 | 921 |
Shumen | 204 378 | 123 084 | 59 551 | 16 457 | 2 344 | 2 350 | 592 |
Yambol | 156 070 | 140 240 | 4 181 | 9 729 | 672 | 644 | 604 |
2011 Bulgarian Census – National Statistical Institute (categories)
1. Fertility
1.1. Births
1.1.1. Births by place of residence, statistical regions, districts and sex
1.1.2. Mean age of the mother at birth by place of residence, statistical regions and districts
1.2. Live births
1.2.1. Live births by districts, municipalities and sex
1.2.2.Marital and extra-marital live births by districts, municipalities and place of residence
1.2.3.Live births by districts, municipalities and mother’s age
1.3. Birth rates
1.3.1. Crude birth rate by statistical regions, districts and place of residence
1.3.2. Total fertility rate by statistical regions, districts and place of residence
2. Mortality
2.1. Deaths by districts, municipalities and sex
2.2. Deaths by districts, age, place of residence and sex
2.3. Infant deaths under 1 year of age by districts, municipalities and sex
2.4. Infant deaths under 1 year of age by statistical regions, districts, completed days and sex
2.5. Crude death and infant mortality rates by place of residence, statistical regions, districts and sex
3. Mortality and life expectancy
3.1. Mortality and life expectancy by sex and place of residence
3.2. Life expectancy by sex and age under hypotheses for exclusion of the basic causes for death
3.3. Probabilities for dying by sex, age and basic causes of death
3.4. Life expectancy by districts and sex
4. Marriages and divorces
4.1. Marriages
4.1.1. Marriages by districts and place of residence
4.1.2. Marriages by place of residence and partners’ age
4.1.3. Marriages by place of residence and partners’ marital status before the marriage
4.1.4. Marriages by place of residence and rank
4.1.5. Marriages by districts and partners’ age
4.1.6. Marriages by districts and partners’ marital status before the marriage
4.1.7. Marriages by districts and rank
4.2. Divorces
4.2.1. Divorces by districts and place of residence
4.2.2. Divorces by place of residence and age of the ex-spouses
4.2.3. Divorces by place of residence and ex-spouses’ previous marital status
4.2.4. Divorces by place of residence and rank
4.2.5. Divorces by districts and age of the ex-spouses
4.2.6. Divorces by districts and ex-spouses’ previous marital status
4.2.7. Divorces by districts and rank
5. Migration
5.1. Mechanical movement of the population by districts, municipalities and sex
5.2. Mechanical movement of the population by place of residence, districts, reasons and sex
5.3. Mechanical movement of the population by place of residence, districts, age and sex
5.4. Internal migration of the population between statistical regions by sex
5.5. Internal migration of the population between towns and villages by sex
5.6. Mechanical movement of the population between districts
5.7. External migration by age and sex
5.8. Permanent resident foreigners in Bulgaria by citizenship
6. Population and demographic projections
6.1. Population
6.1.1. Population by districts, municipalities, place of residence and sex
6.1.2. Population by statistical regions, age, place of residence and sex
6.1.3. Population by districts, age, place of residence and sex
6.1.4. Population by towns and sex
6.1.5. Average annual population by districts, municipalities and place of residence
6.1.6. Average annual population by statistical regions, districts, place of residence and sex
6.1.7. Natural movement of the population by districts, municipalities and sex
6.1.8. Natural increase per 1 000 persons of the population by statistical regions, districts and place of residence
6.1.9. Residence structure, sex ratio and age dependency ratio
6.2. Population projections
6.2.1. Population projections by sex and age
6.2.2. Population projections by districts and sex
Population – Table data
PERMANENT RESIDENT FOREIGNERS1 IN BULGARIA BY CITIZENSHIP AS OF 31.12. | ||||||
Citizenship | Permanent resident foreigners | |||||
As of 31.12.2004 | As of 31.12.2005 | As of 31.12.2006 | As of 31.12.2007 | As of 31.12.2008 | As of 31.12.2009 | |
Total | 50756 | 53197 | 55653 | 63615 | 66806 | 69423 |
Europe | 35437 | 37051 | 38988 | 44261 | 47106 | 49379 |
EU - 27 | 5690 | 5949 | 6245 | 6861 | 6904 | 6948 |
Austria | 119 | 145 | 176 | 185 | 187 | 189 |
Belgium | 47 | 57 | 62 | 63 | 66 | 69 |
UK | 196 | 226 | 269 | 290 | 292 | 304 |
Germany | 1228 | 1295 | 1372 | 1402 | 1407 | 1411 |
Greece | 814 | 837 | 892 | 937 | 955 | 963 |
Denmark | 28 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
Estonia | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Ireland | 15 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Spain | 33 | 36 | 41 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
Italy | 317 | 341 | 358 | 379 | 382 | 388 |
Cyprus | 82 | 80 | 80 | 84 | 85 | 85 |
Latvia | 25 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
Lithuania | 41 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
Luxembourg | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Malta | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Netherlands | 82 | 88 | 103 | 107 | 107 | 109 |
Poland | 1538 | 1558 | 1564 | 1657 | 1659 | 1660 |
Portugal | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Romania2 | . | . | . | 338 | 339 | 341 |
Slovakia | 182 | 189 | 196 | 198 | 199 | 200 |
Slovenia | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Hungary | 214 | 225 | 227 | 234 | 234 | 234 |
Finland | 34 | 34 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 |
France | 121 | 132 | 143 | 149 | 151 | 151 |
Czech Republic | 467 | 485 | 493 | 504 | 505 | 506 |
Sweden | 62 | 63 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 |
Other EU | 29747 | 31102 | 32743 | 37400 | 40202 | 42431 |
of which: | ||||||
Albania | 99 | 113 | 142 | 198 | 229 | 265 |
Belarus | 283 | 306 | 326 | 351 | 362 | 377 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 46 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 58 | 63 |
The former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia | 821 | 918 | 1115 | 2188 | 4375 | 5507 |
Moldova, Republic of | 1643 | 1626 | 1703 | 2071 | 2203 | 2403 |
Norway | 43 | 39 | 43 | 45 | 45 | 46 |
Romania2 | 267 | 290 | 307 | . | . | . |
Russian Federation | 18639 | 18947 | 19216 | 21171 | 21309 | 21483 |
Serbia | 1068 | 1116 | 1121 | 1326 | 355 | 593 |
Turkey | 1880 | 2583 | 3361 | 3778 | 3828 | 4092 |
Ukraine | 4500 | 4659 | 4861 | 5263 | 5350 | 5514 |
Croatia | 43 | 43 | 43 | 50 | 49 | 53 |
Switzerland | 58 | 66 | 75 | 83 | 83 | 83 |
Asia | 7060 | 7700 | 8162 | 9308 | 9623 | 9888 |
Armenia | 873 | 1018 | 1142 | 1268 | 1322 | 1380 |
Viet Nam | 796 | 832 | 867 | 1033 | 1043 | 1040 |
Iraq | 359 | 366 | 369 | 430 | 437 | 443 |
China | 1081 | 1421 | 1581 | 1785 | 1934 | 2011 |
Lebanon | 794 | 817 | 832 | 913 | 932 | 953 |
Syrian Arabic Republic | 1617 | 1648 | 1690 | 1929 | 1945 | 1987 |
Other Asia | 1540 | 1598 | 1681 | 1950 | 2010 | 2074 |
Africa | 546 | 562 | 591 | 611 | 627 | 651 |
Algeria | 80 | 79 | 85 | 89 | 90 | 91 |
Egypt | 75 | 86 | 89 | 94 | 102 | 106 |
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya | 39 | 42 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 38 |
Morocco | 50 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 56 | 57 |
Nigeria | 87 | 86 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 96 |
Tunisia | 43 | 45 | 50 | 46 | 46 | 47 |
Other Africa | 172 | 175 | 189 | 203 | 207 | 216 |
America | 618 | 669 | 732 | 821 | 838 | 890 |
Canada | 38 | 41 | 40 | 43 | 45 | 49 |
Cuba | 157 | 158 | 160 | 200 | 203 | 204 |
Nicaragua | 55 | 55 | 54 | 58 | 57 | 58 |
Peru | 20 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 25 |
United States of America | 221 | 273 | 332 | 360 | 374 | 412 |
Chile | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Other America | 100 | 95 | 97 | 109 | 109 | 115 |
Australia and New Zealand | 30 | 34 | 39 | 39 | 44 | 48 |
Stateless | 1749 | 1896 | 1903 | 2157 | 2167 | 2171 |
ex-USSR | 5316 | 5285 | 5238 | 6404 | 6386 | 6372 |
Unknown citizenship | - | - | - | 13 | 14 | 23 |
Release from citizenship | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1 Ministry of interior is the sourse of date on the permanent resident foreigners in Bulgaria | ||||||
2 Romania has been a member of the EU since 2007 |
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