Pazardzhik Province
Encyclopedia
Pazardzhik Province is a province
in Southern Bulgaria
, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the town of Pazardzhik
. It embraces a territory of 4,456.9 km² that is divided into 11 municipalities with a total population of 290,614 inhabitants, as of December 2009.
and Bronze Age
settlements. The earliest civilization to inhabit the region were the Thracians
. The remains of the Thracian town Besapara are located in the hills near the provincial capital Pazardzhik. The Panagyurishte Treasure
unearthed near the northern town of the same name is known as one of the finest examples of Thracian art. The 6.164 kg of 23-karat gold treasure which consists of nine vessels has been dated back to the 4th and 3rd century BC. In the 1st century BC the region became a Roman
province and remained in the Byzantine Empire
after the fall of Rome.
Most of the region became part of the Bulgarian Empire
in the beginning of the 9th century and remained in Bulgarian hands until the fall of the First Empire. With the rise of the Second Bulgarian Empire
the region once again became part of the country until it was overran by the Ottomans in the late 14th century. Some of medieval fortresses are Tsepina
near the village of Dorkovo
and Krasen
in the vicinities of Bata
.
The April Uprising
of 1876 against the Ottoman rule was widely supported within the region and the town of Panagyurishte
became the center of the uprising. The Bulgarian population also rebelled to the south where the Ottoman atrocities culminated in the Batak massacre
. According to the Treaty of Berlin after the Liberation of Bulgaria
in 1878 the region was included in the autonomous region Eastern Rumelia
which united with the Principality of Bulgaria
on 6 September 1885.
The Pazardzhik Province is situated in central part of southern Bulgaria and borders the provinces of Plovdiv
, Smolyan
, Blagoevgrad
and Sofia
. The total area of the region is 4,458 km² which is 4% of the national territory. Forests account for more than half of the area (57.1%); the arable land is 35.6%, urban territory is 3.3%, rivers and lakes occupy 2.6%, road infrastructure - 0.6% and quarries and mines - 0,4%.
The northern parts of the region include the middle ridges of the Sredna Gora
mountain, to the south the relief flattens and forms the western-most parts of the Upper Thracian Plain
and to the south are located the Rhodope Mountains
where most of the forests are situated. The highest point of the region is Savov Vrah at an altitude of 2,306 m while the lowest altitude is around 200 m in the plains of the central area. The climate is transcontinental with milder winter than northern Bulgaria in the lowlands but with very low temperatures and high snowfall in the mountain areas. The average annual temperature is 11.3°C.
The province is abundant in water resources
, its main waterway
is the river Maritsa
and its catchment basin includes the Topolnitsa River and Luda Yana River from the north and Stara Reka from the south. There are three main reservoirs all situated in the Rhodope Mountains within the municipal limits of Batak
- Batak Reservoir, Golyam Beglik
and Shiroka Polyana
. A fourth large dam lake, the Dospat Reservoir is only partially in the region. In Sredna Gora to the north is Topolnitsa Reservoir
shared with the Sofia Province and a dam near Panagyurishte which is in initial stages of construction.
of 310,741 (310,723 also given) according to a 2001 census
, of which were male
and were female
.
As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 290,614 of which are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II
:
260,817 Bulgarian
,
24,204 Roma (Gypsy) ,
21,902 Turkish
and 3800 others and unspecified .
261,260 Bulgarians
,
23,970 Roma (Gypsy) ,
20,448 Turks
and 5045 others and unspecified .
The backbone of the economy in the region is industry. The "Batashki Vodnosilov Pat" is an important hydrocomplex consisting of three hydro power plants- "Batak", "Peshtera" and "Aleko" with combined capacity of around 250 MW. Copper extracting industry is of national and European importance with major mines located around Panagyurishte (Asarel and Medet), Elshitsa
, Tsar Asen
and Mina Radka. Machine building industry is developed in Pazardzhik
(lead acid batteries), Panagyurishte
(optical), Velingrad
. There is flourishing pharmaceutical industry in Peshtera
with more than 1 000 employees in the plant. Paper industry is developed in Belovo
. Timber industry is very important in the southern part of the region (the Rhodopes)- Batak
, Peshtera
, Rakitovo
and Velingrad
. The manufacturing of textiles is well developed in Pazardzhik
, Panagyurishte
and Velingrad
. There is a huge footwear plant in Peshtera
. Food processing industry is developed in most of the towns.
Agriculture is also important, especially in the fertile central parts of the region. The most important crops are orchards (apples, plums and strawberries), grapes, wheat, barley, rye and rice. Livestock breeding is relatively well developed in the mountainous areas.
The province has considerable opportunities to develop mountain and rural tourism, especially in the southern parts where the Rhodope
mountains are located. The slopes are covered with dense deciduous and higher up, coniferous forests, dotted with numerous artificial lakes. The largest one is the Batak Dam
, on whose shores are built two resorts: Tsigov Chark and Saint Konstantin as well as many villas and shrines. Fish is abundant in the dams, including carp
, rudd
, roach
barbel, perch
, zander
and many others; the mountain streams are rich in trout
. There are spa resorts in Velingrad
, Strelcha
, Banya
, Varvara
. The most famous landmarks are located in Panagyurishte
, Pazardzhik
, Batak
, Velingrad
.
Impressive ruins of an ancient basilica (the Belovo Basilica
) rise in the hilly country, close to the town of Belovo
. Numerous ruined fortresses are scattered around the province, the most famous of these are Tsepina
, and the ramparts near Bata
and Strelcha
. The medieval Church of St Demetrius
in the village of Patalenitsa
has frescoes dating to the 12th–13th century.
runs through the middle of the region. The main railway between Sofia
and Plovdiv
also runs through it. There are two other railways: to Panagyurishte
and to Peshtera
. There are several military airports.
As everywhere in Bulgaria
, every town and village in the region is provided with electricity, drinking water and telephone network. Each town and some villages are provided with Internet connection, and the cellular phone coverage is almost 100%, as most people own GSMs.
Some of the interconnecting roads, especially higher up the mountain, are currently in a very bad state following heavy downpours in 2005 and 2006.
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
in Southern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the town of Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
. It embraces a territory of 4,456.9 km² that is divided into 11 municipalities with a total population of 290,614 inhabitants, as of December 2009.
History
The territory of the Pazardzhik Province has been inhabited since very early times. There are more than 50 discovered Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlements. The earliest civilization to inhabit the region were the Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
. The remains of the Thracian town Besapara are located in the hills near the provincial capital Pazardzhik. The Panagyurishte Treasure
Panagyurishte treasure
The Panagyurishte Treasure is a Thracian treasure excavated on December 8, 1949 by three brothers, Pavel, Petko and Michail Deikov who worked together at the region of “Merul” tile factory near the town of Panagyurishte, Bulgaria. It consists of a phiale, an amphora and seven rhytons with total...
unearthed near the northern town of the same name is known as one of the finest examples of Thracian art. The 6.164 kg of 23-karat gold treasure which consists of nine vessels has been dated back to the 4th and 3rd century BC. In the 1st century BC the region became a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
province and remained in the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
after the fall of Rome.
Most of the region became part of the Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
in the beginning of the 9th century and remained in Bulgarian hands until the fall of the First Empire. With the rise of the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
the region once again became part of the country until it was overran by the Ottomans in the late 14th century. Some of medieval fortresses are Tsepina
Tsepina
Tsepina was a castle and town in the western Rhodope mountains, southern Bulgaria, now in ruins. It is located at 6 km from the Dorkovo village in the north-eastern part of the Chepinska valley....
near the village of Dorkovo
Dorkovo
Dorkovo is a village in the Rakitovo municipality, Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. The population of the village is 2,955.-Geography:Dorkovo is situated in the western Rhodope Mountains on the two banks of the river Matnitsa in the north-eastern parts of the Chepino Valley...
and Krasen
Krasen
Krasen or Krasen Kale is a Bulgarian fortress near the village of Bata in the Pazardzhik Province. It is situated at around 3 km of the village and 6 km to the south of the municipal center Panagyurishte....
in the vicinities of Bata
Bata, Pazardzhik Province
Bata is a village in the Panagyurishte municipality in western Bulgaria. It has 1 345 inhabitants.- Geography :Bata is located in a mountainous region. The village lies in the Sredna Gora mountain, in the Bata-Banya valley. The river Banska Luda Yana runs through the village and flows in the...
.
The April Uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
of 1876 against the Ottoman rule was widely supported within the region and the town of Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
became the center of the uprising. The Bulgarian population also rebelled to the south where the Ottoman atrocities culminated in the Batak massacre
Batak massacre
Batak massacre refers to the massacre of Bulgarians in Batak by Ottoman irregular troops in 1876 at the beginning of the April Uprising. The number of victims ranges from 3,000 to 5,000, depending on the source.- The Massacre :...
. According to the Treaty of Berlin after the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
in 1878 the region was included in the autonomous region Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
which united with the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
on 6 September 1885.
Geography
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
, Smolyan
Smolyan Province
-Religion:The Smolyan province along with the Kardzhali Province is a province where the predominant religion is not Orthodox Christianity but Islam. However, unlike Kardzhali where the majority of the population is Turkish, the Muslim population of the Smolyan province is made up almost entirely...
, Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province , also known as Pirin Macedonia , is a province of southwestern Bulgaria. It borders four other Bulgarian provinces to the north and east, Greece to the south, and the Republic of Macedonia to the west. The province has 14 municipalities with 12 towns...
and Sofia
Sofia Province
Sofia Province is a province of Bulgaria. The province does not include Sofia in its territories, but Sofia however remains its administrative center...
. The total area of the region is 4,458 km² which is 4% of the national territory. Forests account for more than half of the area (57.1%); the arable land is 35.6%, urban territory is 3.3%, rivers and lakes occupy 2.6%, road infrastructure - 0.6% and quarries and mines - 0,4%.
Sredna Gora
Sredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
mountain, to the south the relief flattens and forms the western-most parts of the Upper Thracian Plain
Upper Thracian Plain
The Upper Thracian Plain constitutes the northern part of the historical region of Thrace. It is located in southern Bulgaria, between the Sredna Gora mountains to the north and west; the Rhodopes, Sakar and Strandzha to the south; and the Black Sea to the east. A fertile agricultural region, the...
and to the south are located the Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
where most of the forests are situated. The highest point of the region is Savov Vrah at an altitude of 2,306 m while the lowest altitude is around 200 m in the plains of the central area. The climate is transcontinental with milder winter than northern Bulgaria in the lowlands but with very low temperatures and high snowfall in the mountain areas. The average annual temperature is 11.3°C.
The province is abundant in water resources
Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
, its main waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
is the river Maritsa
Maritsa
The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
and its catchment basin includes the Topolnitsa River and Luda Yana River from the north and Stara Reka from the south. There are three main reservoirs all situated in the Rhodope Mountains within the municipal limits of Batak
Batak, Bulgaria
Batak is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, not far from the town of Peshtera. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Batak Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,498 inhabitants.- Geography :...
- Batak Reservoir, Golyam Beglik
Golyam Beglik
Golyam Beglik is a dam near the central parts of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. It was formerly officially called the Vasil Kolarov reservoir in honour of Vasil Kolarov, a communist political leader of the People's Republic of Bulgaria....
and Shiroka Polyana
Shiroka Polyana
Shiroka Polyana is a reservoir lake situated in the Western Rhodopes mountains in Bulgaria.The lake is situated 30 km south of Batak, on the road to Dospat. It is located 1500 meters above sea level amidst a forest of old pine trees. Different legends are told about the lake.The shape of...
. A fourth large dam lake, the Dospat Reservoir is only partially in the region. In Sredna Gora to the north is Topolnitsa Reservoir
Topolnitsa Reservoir
Topolnitsa is a reservoir in the Sredna Gora mountain, western Bulgaria.Its construction began in 1948 and was finished in 1963. It was built on the Topolnitsa river just south of the village of Muhovo. The main purpose of the Topolnitsa Dam is to irrigate agricultural lands in the Upper Thracian...
shared with the Sofia Province and a dam near Panagyurishte which is in initial stages of construction.
Municipalities
The Pazardzik province (oбласт, oblast) contains 11 municipalities . The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village (towns are shown in bold), and the population of each as of December 2009.| Municipality | Cyrillic | Population | Area (km²) |
Density (persons per km²) |
Administrative centre town/village |
Population of the centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pazardzhik Pazardzhik municipality Pazardzhik municipality is the second largest municipality in Pazardzhik Province, after Velingrad. It occupies 640 km² or 14,3% of the province. Its territory encompasses the western-most parts of the Upper Thracian Plain and is famous for its fertility... |
Пазарджик | 121,366 | 636.8 | 190.59 | Pazardzhik Pazardzhik Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality... |
75,346 |
| Velingrad | Велинград | 41,613 | 803.2 | 51.81 | Velingrad Velingrad Velingrad is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of Chepino Valley, part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Velingrad Municipality and one of the most popular Bulgarian balneological resorts... |
23,686 |
| Septemvri | Септември | 27,304 | 361.3 | 75.57 | Septemvri Septemvri Septemvri is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of the Upper Thracian Lowland, away to the west from the city of Pazardzhik. It is the administrative centre of homonymous Septemvri Municipality... |
8,422 |
| Panagyurishte Panagyurishte municipality Panagyurishte Municipality is located in the Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. It is one of the 11 municipalities in the province. Its territory is 598,5 km² being fourth in the province after the municipalities of Velingrad, Batak and Pazardzhik. The relief is mountainous and semi-mountainous... |
Панагюрище | 26,095 | 589.5 | 44.27 | Panagyurishte Panagyurishte Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte... |
17,959 |
| Peshtera | Пещера | 21,691 | 135.4 | 160.20 | Peshtera Peshtera Peshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality... |
19,363 |
| Rakitovo | Ракитово | 15,482 | 246.6 | 62.78 | Rakitovo Rakitovo Rakitovo is a town in the Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria. As of 2005 the population is 8 952. It is located in the northern part of the Rhodopi mountains at 12 km to the east of Velingrad and 7 km to the southwest of the Batak Dam. There is timber industry in the town. People from the... |
8,261 |
| Bratsigovo | Брацигово | 10,290 | 229.4 | 44.86 | Bratsigovo Bratsigovo Bratsigovo is a town in Southern Bulgaria. It is located in the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains, on the banks of the Umishka River in Pazardzhik oblast, and is close to the towns of Peshtera and Krichim.... |
4,452 |
| Belovo | Белово | 9,282 | 336.2 | 27.61 | Belovo Belovo, Bulgaria Belovo is a town in South West Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province, where the Yadenitza flows into the Maritza river, at the foot of three mountain ranges , on the western end of the Thracian Plain... |
3,837 |
| Batak | Батак | 6,331 | 677.2 | 9.35 | Batak Batak, Bulgaria Batak is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, not far from the town of Peshtera. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Batak Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,498 inhabitants.- Geography :... |
3,498 |
| Lesichovo | Лесичово | 5,809 | 208.9 | 27.81 | Lesichovo Lesichovo Lesichovo is a village in the Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria. As of 2005 it has 982 inhabitants. The village is a centre of the Lesichovo municipality. It hosts an annual Kukeri festival.... |
975 |
| Strelcha | Стрелча | 5,351 | 224.5 | 23.84 | Strelcha Strelcha Strelcha is a small Bulgarian town with a population of 4,858 . The town lies 13 km to the east of Panagyurishte and 41 km to the north of Pazardzhik and is part of Pazardzhik Province... |
4,273 |
| Total | 290,614 | 4,456.9 | 65.2 |
Demography
The Pazardzhik province had a populationPopulation
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 310,741 (310,723 also given) according to a 2001 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, of which were male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
and were female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
.
As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 290,614 of which are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
:
Religion
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:| Census 2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| religious adherence | population | % |
| Orthodox Christians | 250,556 | 80.64% |
| Muslim Muslim A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable... s |
46,338 | 14.91% |
| Roman Catholics | 260 | 0.08% |
| Protestants Protestantism Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the... |
2,913 | 0.94% |
| Other | 1,142 | 0.37% |
| Religion not mentioned | 9,514 | 3.06% |
| total | 310,723 | 100% |
Languages
Mother tongues in the province according to 2001 census:260,817 Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
,
24,204 Roma (Gypsy) ,
21,902 Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and 3800 others and unspecified .
Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census:261,260 Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
,
23,970 Roma (Gypsy) ,
20,448 Turks
and 5045 others and unspecified .
Economy
Elshitsa
Elshitsa is a village in the Panagyurishte municipality, western Bulgaria with 970 inhabitants. There is a large copper mine of great importance nearby. The village is the site of a pool with an Olympic size. One of the first and best Bulgarian pellet production factories is also located there....
, Tsar Asen
Tsar Asen
Tsar Asen is a village in the Pazardzhik Province, southern Bulgaria. it has 384 inhabitants. The village is located on one of the several roads between Pazardzhik and Panagyurishte. There is a copper mine in the vicinity....
and Mina Radka. Machine building industry is developed in Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
(lead acid batteries), Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
(optical), Velingrad
Velingrad
Velingrad is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of Chepino Valley, part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Velingrad Municipality and one of the most popular Bulgarian balneological resorts...
. There is flourishing pharmaceutical industry in Peshtera
Peshtera
Peshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality...
with more than 1 000 employees in the plant. Paper industry is developed in Belovo
Belovo, Bulgaria
Belovo is a town in South West Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province, where the Yadenitza flows into the Maritza river, at the foot of three mountain ranges , on the western end of the Thracian Plain...
. Timber industry is very important in the southern part of the region (the Rhodopes)- Batak
Batak, Bulgaria
Batak is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, not far from the town of Peshtera. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Batak Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,498 inhabitants.- Geography :...
, Peshtera
Peshtera
Peshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality...
, Rakitovo
Rakitovo
Rakitovo is a town in the Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria. As of 2005 the population is 8 952. It is located in the northern part of the Rhodopi mountains at 12 km to the east of Velingrad and 7 km to the southwest of the Batak Dam. There is timber industry in the town. People from the...
and Velingrad
Velingrad
Velingrad is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of Chepino Valley, part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Velingrad Municipality and one of the most popular Bulgarian balneological resorts...
. The manufacturing of textiles is well developed in Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
, Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
and Velingrad
Velingrad
Velingrad is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of Chepino Valley, part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Velingrad Municipality and one of the most popular Bulgarian balneological resorts...
. There is a huge footwear plant in Peshtera
Peshtera
Peshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality...
. Food processing industry is developed in most of the towns.
Agriculture is also important, especially in the fertile central parts of the region. The most important crops are orchards (apples, plums and strawberries), grapes, wheat, barley, rye and rice. Livestock breeding is relatively well developed in the mountainous areas.
Tourism
Rhodope
Rhodope may mean:* Queen Rhodope, a figure of Greek mythology* Rhodope Mountains, in Bulgaria and Greece* Rhodope Prefecture, of Greece* Rhodope * 166 Rhodope, an asteroid...
mountains are located. The slopes are covered with dense deciduous and higher up, coniferous forests, dotted with numerous artificial lakes. The largest one is the Batak Dam
Batak Dam
The Batak Reservoir is located in the Rhodope Mountains and is the third largest in Bulgaria. It attracts many tourists and fishermen, and the resort Tsigov Chark was built on its shore. The lake is situated just above the historic town of the same name....
, on whose shores are built two resorts: Tsigov Chark and Saint Konstantin as well as many villas and shrines. Fish is abundant in the dams, including carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, rudd
Rudd
The common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
, roach
Rutilus
Rutilus is a genus of fishes in the family Cyprinidae, commonly called roaches. Locally, the name "roach" without any further qualifiers is also used for particular species, particularly the Common Roach Rutilus (Latin for "shining, red, golden, auburn") is a genus of fishes in the family...
barbel, perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, zander
Zander
Zander is a species of fish. The scientific name is Sander lucioperca , and it is closely allied to perch. Zander are often called pike-perch as they resemble the pike with their elongated body and head, and the perch with their spiny dorsal fin. Zander are not, as is commonly believed, a pike and...
and many others; the mountain streams are rich in trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
. There are spa resorts in Velingrad
Velingrad
Velingrad is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of Chepino Valley, part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Velingrad Municipality and one of the most popular Bulgarian balneological resorts...
, Strelcha
Strelcha
Strelcha is a small Bulgarian town with a population of 4,858 . The town lies 13 km to the east of Panagyurishte and 41 km to the north of Pazardzhik and is part of Pazardzhik Province...
, Banya
Banya, Pazardzhik Province
Banya is a village in the Panagyurishte municipality, Bulgaria. As of 2007 it has 856 inhabitants. The village is famous throughout the region with its mineral baths and its spa resort. The ruins of an ancient fortress are located 3 km to the south....
, Varvara
Varvara
Varvara is a village in southeastern Bulgaria, located in the Tsarevo municipality of the Burgas Province. This seaside resort is situated on the Black Sea coast, between the towns of Tsarevo and Ahtopol, near the border with Turkey. It lies at and the mayor is Irina Petkova...
. The most famous landmarks are located in Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
, Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
, Batak
Batak, Bulgaria
Batak is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, not far from the town of Peshtera. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Batak Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,498 inhabitants.- Geography :...
, Velingrad
Velingrad
Velingrad is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, located at the western end of Chepino Valley, part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Velingrad Municipality and one of the most popular Bulgarian balneological resorts...
.
Impressive ruins of an ancient basilica (the Belovo Basilica
Belovo Basilica
The Belovo Basilica is a large partially preserved Christian basilica from Late Antiquity near the village of Golyamo Belovo in Belovo Municipality, Pazardzhik Province, southwestern Bulgaria. Located on a hill in the vicinity of the village, the church dates to the 6th century and was first...
) rise in the hilly country, close to the town of Belovo
Belovo
Belovo may refer to:*Belovo, Bulgaria, a town in Pazardzhik Oblast, Bulgaria*Belovo, Russia, a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia*Belovo, Slovenia, a settlement in the Laško municipality, Slovenia...
. Numerous ruined fortresses are scattered around the province, the most famous of these are Tsepina
Tsepina
Tsepina was a castle and town in the western Rhodope mountains, southern Bulgaria, now in ruins. It is located at 6 km from the Dorkovo village in the north-eastern part of the Chepinska valley....
, and the ramparts near Bata
Bata, Pazardzhik Province
Bata is a village in the Panagyurishte municipality in western Bulgaria. It has 1 345 inhabitants.- Geography :Bata is located in a mountainous region. The village lies in the Sredna Gora mountain, in the Bata-Banya valley. The river Banska Luda Yana runs through the village and flows in the...
and Strelcha
Strelcha
Strelcha is a small Bulgarian town with a population of 4,858 . The town lies 13 km to the east of Panagyurishte and 41 km to the north of Pazardzhik and is part of Pazardzhik Province...
. The medieval Church of St Demetrius
Church of St Demetrius, Patalenitsa
The Church of St Demetrius is a medieval Eastern Orthodox church in southwestern Bulgaria. It lies in the village of Patalenitsa, administratively part of Pazardzhik Municipality within Pazardzhik Province. The church was built in the 11th–14th century, with a possible dating to 1091 based on a...
in the village of Patalenitsa
Patalenitsa
Patalenitsa is a village in southwestern Bulgaria, administratively part of Pazardzhik Municipality within Pazardzhik Province. It lies southwest of Pazardzhik, at the northern foot of the Karkaria ridge of the western Rhodope Mountains, some above sea level...
has frescoes dating to the 12th–13th century.
Transportation and communications
The road network is not dense. The Trakiya motorwayTrakiya motorway
The Trakia motorway or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway currently in construction in Bulgaria. It is planned to connect the capital of Sofia with Burgas on the Black Sea through Plovdiv and with Kalotina on the Serbian border. The motorway is named after the historical region of...
runs through the middle of the region. The main railway between Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
and Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
also runs through it. There are two other railways: to Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
and to Peshtera
Peshtera
Peshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality...
. There are several military airports.
As everywhere in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, every town and village in the region is provided with electricity, drinking water and telephone network. Each town and some villages are provided with Internet connection, and the cellular phone coverage is almost 100%, as most people own GSMs.
Some of the interconnecting roads, especially higher up the mountain, are currently in a very bad state following heavy downpours in 2005 and 2006.