Blagoevgrad Oblast

Blagoevgrad Oblast Област Благоевград
—  Oblast (Province)  —
Sinanitsa Peak in Pirin
Location of Blagoevgrad Oblast in Bulgaria
Coordinates: 45°41′N 23°15′E
Country	Bulgaria
Capital	Blagoevgrad
Obshtinas	Blagoevgrad, Bansko, Belitsa, Garmen,Gotse Delchev, Hadzhidomovo, Kresna, Petrich, Razlog, Sandanski, Satovcha, Simitli, Strumyani , Yakoruda
Government
• Governor	Valeri Smilenov
Area
• Total	6,449.5 km2 (2,490.2 sq mi)
Population
• Total	323,552
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Vehicle registration	E

Blagoevgrad Oblast (Province) (Bulgarian: област Благоевград, oblast Blagoevgrad or Благоевградска област, Blagoevgradska oblast), also known as Pirin Macedonia (Bulgarian: Пиринска Македония, Pirinska Makedoniya), is a province (oblast) of southwestern Bulgaria. It borders four other Bulgarian provinces to the north and east, to the Greek region of Macedonia to the south, and the Republic of Macedonia to the west. The province has 14 municipalities with 12 towns. Its principal city is Blagoevgrad, while other significant towns include Bansko, Gotse Delchev, Melnik, Petrich, Razlog, Sandanski and Simitli.

Geography and climate

Geography

Blagoevgrad oblast has a territory of 6,449.5 km² and a population of 323,552. It is the third largest in Bulgaria after Burgas and Sofia Oblasts and comprises 5.8% of the country's territory. Blagoevgrad Oblast includes the mountains, or parts of, Rila (highest point of the Balkans — Musala summit, 2925 m), Pirin (highest point — Vihren summit, 2914 m), the Rhodopes, Slavyanka, Belasitsa, Vlahina, Maleshevo, Ograzhden and Stargach. There are two major rivers — Struma River and Mesta River — with population concentrations along their valleys, which are also the main transport corridors.

Climate

The climate varies from temprerate continental to Mediterranean in the southernmost parts. Natural resources are timber, mineral springs, coal, construction materials, including marble and granite. The beautiful and preserved environment is widely considered an important resource. A number of national parks and protected territories care for the biodiversity. Arable land is 38.8% and forests constitute 52% of the province's territory.

History

Blagoevgrad Oblast was originally part of ancient Thrace and inhabited by the Thracian tribe Maedi. Alexander the Great founded his first town/colony Alexandrupolis in 340 BC. Afterwards the town was probably destroyed by a local Thracian raid.

Obshtinas

Map of Blagoevgrad Oblasts showing the obshtinas (communes) and the communal centres

Blagoevgrad Oblast (oбласт, oblast) contains 14 obshtinas (communes) (singular: oбщина, obshtina - plural: oбщини, obshtini). The following table shows the names of each obshtina in English and Cyrillic, the main town (in bold) or village, and the population of each as of 2011.

Obshtina (Commune)	Cyrillic	Pop. census 2011	Town/Village	Pop. census 2011
Bansko	Банско	13,125	Bansko	8,562
Belitsa	Белица	9,927	Belitsa	3,362
Blagoevgrad	Благоевград	77,441	Blagoevgrad	70,881
Garmen	Гърмен	14,981	Garmen	1,982
Gotse Delchev	Гоце Делчев	31,236	Gotse Delchev	19,219
Hadzhidimovo	Хаджидимово	10,091	Hadzhidimovo	2,730
Kresna	Кресна	5,441	Kresna	3,470
Petrich	Петрич	54,006	Petrich	28,902
Razlog	Разлог	20,598	Razlog	11,960
Sandanski	Сандански	40,470	Sandanski	26,472
Satovcha	Сатовча	15,444	Satovcha	2,434
Simitli	Симитли	14,283	Simitli	6,674
Strumyani	Струмяни	5,778	Strumyani	998
Yakoruda	Якоруда	10,731	Yakoruda	5,792

Economy

The region is characterized with diversified economic branch structure: food and tobacco processing industries, agriculture, tourism, transport and communications, textile industry, timber and furniture industries, iron processing and machinery industry, construction materials industry, as well as pharmaceuticals, plastics, paper and shoes production. Approximately 10% of the population is unemployed (close to the national average). There are 4 major hospitals in the province.

With its railway line and road connection, the region forms the heart of the land-based trading route between northern Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. Since the early 2000s the province enjoys a mini boom in trade from thousands Greek day-trippers from across the border, purchasing cheaper goods and services (dental, opticians, etc.). Since the early 1990s, the region has also attracted Greek manufacturers who moved their production line from Greece, especially to Petrich. It was an important tourist destination during the communist years for East Germans and is slowly picking up again. The unique town of Melnik was once a wealthy centre built on the back of exiled phanariots from Constantinople. Now it is a centre for wine production and offers eco-tourism.

Infrastructure remains relatively underdeveloped, especially regarding road and rail communications. It remains an important target for potential EU funding. There are two major infrastructural projects in the region. The Struma motorway, which is planned to connect the capital Sofia with the Greek border and the port of Thessaloniki, is going to run through the valley of the Sruma River, and will be ready in a few years. The second project is the airport of Bansko. The cost is currently estimated at around €30,000,000.

Culture, education and monuments

Historical and archaeological monuments include the ruins of antique Thracian and Roman settlements, Early Christian basilicas, medieval Byzantine and Bulgarian towns, monasteries and fortresses, as well as many preserved buildings and whole villages — examples of the architecture from the Ottoman period (like Melnik, the Rozhen Monastery and Bansko).

A theatre, a library with 345,000 tomes, and an opera house are situated in the provincial centre, Blagoevgrad. There are art galleries in Bansko, Blagoevgrad and Sandanski. Many small cultural institutions, chitalishta, are dispersed around the province. The Pirin State Ensemble is the most prominent among the numerous folklore and music bands. There are 10 museums in the province that preserve the rich historical, ethnographic and archaeological heritage. Cultural events include the Theatre Festival in Blagoevgrad, the Jazz Festival in Bansko and the Melnik Evenings of Poetry.

The Southwestern University and the American University in Bulgaria are situated in Blagoevgrad; the latter is the second largest American university campus in Europe and is located in the former headquarters of the communist party. Annually the city draws around 10,000 students from the country and abroad. The number of schools in the province is 182.

Notable Bulgarians from Blagoevgrad Oblast

A number of the province's towns were re-named in honor of major figures such as Sandanski (after Jane Sandanski), Gotse Delchev and Blagoevgrad (named after Dimitar Blagoev).

• Paisiy Hilendarski (1722–1773)
• Neofit Rilski (1793–1881)
• Boris Sarafov(1872–1907)
• Yane Sandanski (1872–1915)
• Nikola Vaptsarov (1909–1942)
• Georgi Pirinski (1948)

Demographics

The oblast had a population of 324,110 according to the 2011 census, of which 49.2% were male and 50.8% were female.

The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:

Blagoevgrad Oblast
Year	1946	1956	1965	1975	1985	1992	2001	2005	2007	2009	2011
Population	252,908	281,015	302,503	322,974	345,942	351,637	341,173	333,577	329,309	327,885	324,110
Sources: National Statistical Institute, „Census 2001“, „Census 2011“, „pop-stat.mashke.org“,??

Religion

Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:

Census 2001
religious adherence	population	%
Orthodox Christians	268,968	78.84%
Muslims	62,431	18.30%
Protestants	1,546	0.45%
Roman Catholics	277	0.08%
Other	933	0.27%
Religion not mentioned	7,018	2.06%
total	341,173	100%

Languages

Mother tongues in the province according to 2001 census: 306,118 Bulgarian (89.7%),
19,819 Turkish (5.8%), 9,232 Roma (Gypsy) (2.7%) and 6004 others and unspecified (1.6%).

Ethnic groups

Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census: 286,491 Bulgarians (84%),
31,857 Turks (9.3%), 12,405 Gypsies (3.6%), 3,117 ethnic Macedonians (0.9%) and 7303 others and unspecified (2.1%).

Ethnic Macedonians

Main article: Ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria

The vast majority of the Slavic population in Pirin Macedonia has a Bulgarian self-consciousness and a regional Macedonian identity, similar to that of the Greek Macedonians. According to the last census from 2011, 561 persons described themselves as ethnic Macedonians in Blagoevgrad Province (0,2%). According to a study by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee performed in 1998, people with a Macedonian national self-consciousness in the entirety of Bulgaria were between 15,000 and 25,000. In 2008, the local ethnic Macedonian political activist Stoyko Stoykov claimed their number to be between 5,000 and 10,000 in the whole of Bulgaria.

Sport

Blagoevgrad Oblast is currently one of the best-represented provinces in Bulgarian football, with 3 teams playing in the Bulgarian A PFG (second only to Sofia with 4) — FC Vihren Sandanski, PFC Belasitsa Petrich and PFC Pirin 1922 Blagoevgrad. One more team from the province, PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (as distinct from Pirin 1922), began the 2005/06 season in the highest Bulgarian division, but disbanded shortly afterwards due to financial problems.

Owing to the alpine features and accessible location, the northern and eastern regionof Blagoevgrad Oblast is also a centre of winter sports. The main centre is Bansko which is becoming a leading skiing resort at European level with rapidly rising property prices.

Gallery

Tevno Vasilashko Lake in Pirin

Kamenitsa Peak and lake Tevno ezero in Pirin

Edelweisses under the Koncheto ridge in Pirin

Dzhengal Peak in Pirin up-close in late April

Vihren Peak in Pirin mountain

The defeat of the army of Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria in the medieval Battle of Kleidion

The Rozhen Monastery from the outside

The Rozhen Monastery, inner yard

Melnik and the famous sand pyramides

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Bansko

Varosha, the old quarter of Blagoevgrad

Genеral Ivan Tsonchev's revolutionary band

Lieutenant Boris Sarafov's revolutionary band

Monument to the IMRO revolutionary Gotse Delchev in Blagoevgrad

Monument to the Bulgarian soldiers who died during World War I in Petrich

View from the centre of Blagoevgrad

Bansko Ski Zone as seen from Razlog

Petrich at night

See also

• Oblasts of Bulgaria
• Obshchinas of Bulgaria
• List of cities and towns in Bulgaria
• List of villages in Blagoevgrad Oblast

References

Printed sources

• Who are the Macedonians? Hugh Poulton. London: 1995.

External links

• Blagoevgrad Province — information on all of cities and villages
• Provincial administration of Blagoevgrad Province
• Municipality of Blagoevgrad
• Municipality of Gotse Delchev
• Municipality of Sandanski
• Municipality of Petrich
• Official website of Bansko
• Pirin National Park
• Rila National Park
• Neofit Rilski Southwestern University
• American University in Bulgaria
• Pirin Folk song and dances State Ensemble
• Historical and Architectural Reserve Village Kovachevitza
• Rozhen Monastery St. Nativity of Virgin Mary
• Bansko Ski Zone
• Kordopulova House in Melnik
• Radio Blagoevgrad online, regional station of the Bulgarian National Radio (Bulgarian)
• Informative site about South-Western Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
• Struma Daily newspaper of South-Western Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
• Village Dabrava - Blagoevgrad