Blagoevgrad Municipality
Blagoevgrad Municipality
Община Благоевград | |
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UTC+3 (EEST) | |
Website | www |
Blagoevgrad Municipality (Bulgarian: Община Благоевград, Obshtina Blagoevgrad) is the most populated municipality in Blagoevgrad Province. It includes Blagoevgrad and 25 villages with population of 77,441 (2011).
Geography
Blagoevgrad municipality is situated in the northwestern part of
.Climate
The climate is transitional-continental with strong Mediterranean influence and the weather is mild in the winter and hot in the summer in the valley of Struma river and in the lower parts – 80% of the territory of the municipality. In the higher parts of the municipality the climate is mountainous – the other 20%.
Nature
The most parts of the municipality are covered with forests. Small subsidiaries of
Population and settlements
The population of the municipality is 77,441, according to the last count in 2011 year. Men are 48%, women 52% of the population. The municipality is highly urbanized – 91% of all the people live in Blagoevgrad.[1] The mountainous villages are very sparsely populated.
The following table shows the change of the population during the last four decades.
Blagoevgrad Municipality | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | 1975 | 1985 | 1992 | 2001 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 |
Population | 58,812 | 72,498 | 78,810 | 78,175 | 77,346 | 76,257 | 76,812 | 77,441 |
Sources: Census 2001,[2] Census 2011,[3] „pop-stat.mashke.org“,[4] |
Ethnic composition
According to the 2011 census, among those who answered the optional question on ethnic identification, the ethnic composition of the municipality was the following:
Ethnic group | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Bulgarians | 68702 | 95.9% |
Roma (Gypsy) | 1836 | 2.6% |
Other | 700 | 1% |
Undeclared | 282 | 0.4% |
Religion
According to the latest Bulgarian census of 2011, the religious composition, among those who answered the optional question on religious identification, was the following:
Roads and transportation
The municipality has a very favorable location.
Economy
There are few big industrial subjects in the municipality and they are concentrated in Blagoevgrad. Trade and services form significant part of the municipal economy. The presence of two universities and a lot of young people is boosting them and also providing qualified labor force. Agriculture and forestry are important parts of the regional economy too.
Tourism
There are more than 10 hotels in Blagoevgrad. Visitors can see a neighborhood with old houses "Varosha". The hot mineral water in Blagoevgrad is not widely utilized, but there is communal bath. The mountains in the region offers a lot of places for hiking and picnics. All the cultural institutions are in Blagoevgrad – the theater, museums, art galleries and cultural centers.
References
- ^ Population data in Bulgarian 2011[permanent dead link]
- ^ National Statistical Institute – Census 2001
- ^ „pop-stat.mashke.org“
- ^ "Population of Bulgarian divisions". Pop-stat.mashke.org. 2011-02-01. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ "Religious composition of Bulgaria 2011". pop-stat.mashke.org.
- ^ Greece Halts All International Trains to Bulgaria
External links
Media related to Blagoevgrad Municipality at Wikimedia Commons