Plovdiv Province


Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of with a population, as of February 2011, of 683,027 inhabitants. The province is named after its administrative and industrial centre — the city of Plovdiv.

Geography

Plovdiv Province includes parts of the Upper Thracian Plain, the Rhodopes, Sredna Gora, the Sub-Balkan valleys and Stara Planina, including its highest peak, Botev. The main rivers in the province are Maritsa, Stryama, Pyasachnik. There are numerous dams, the most important of which is Pyasachnik. Mineral springs are abundant; there are several major spa resorts — Hisarya, Narechen, Banya and minor spas at Klisura, Asenovgrad, Kuklen, Rosino, Krasnovo, Stoletovo and others. There are many natural landmarks, especially in the Central Balkan National Park, including the spectacular waterfall Raysko Praskalo, the highest in the Balkans.

Municipalities

Plovdiv Province contains 18 municipalities. The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village, and the population of each as of December 2009.
MunicipalityCyrillicPop.Town/VillagePop.
Asenovgrad:bg:Община Асеновград|Асеновград65,222Asenovgrad51,499
Brezovo:bg:Община Брезово|Брезово7,943Brezovo1,886
Hisarya:bg:Община Хисаря|Хисаря13,113Hisarya7,410
Kaloyanovo:bg:Община Калояново|Калояново12,402Kaloyanovo2,417
Karlovo:bg:Община Карлово|Карлово54,925Karlovo25,149
Krichim:bg:Община Кричим|Кричим8,590Krichim8,590
Kuklen:bg:Община Куклен|Куклен6,540Kuklen5,896
Laki:bg:Община Лъки|Лъки3,387Laki2,491
Maritsa :bg:Община Марица|Марица31,447Plovdivsee below
Perushtitsa:bg:Община Перущица|Перущица5,194Perushtitsa5,194
Plovdiv :bg:Община Пловдив|Пловдив348,465Plovdiv348,465
Parvomay:bg:Община Първомай|Първомай27,813Parvomay13,984
Rakovski:bg:Община Раковски|Раковски26,683Rakovski15,265
Rodopi :bg:Община Родопи|Родопи32,286Plovdivsee above
Sadovo:bg:Община Садово|Садово15,714Sadovo2,507
Sopot:bg:Община Сопот|Сопот10,354Sopot9,299
Stamboliyski:bg:Община Стамболийски|Стамболийски20,879Stamboliyski11,721
Saedinenie:bg:Община Съединение|Съединение11,193Saedinenie6,050

Towns

The province's capital is the city of Plovdiv; other towns include Karlovo, Sopot, Klisura, Kalofer, Hisarya, Saedinenie, Rakovski, Brezovo, Stamboliyski, Krichim, Perushtitsa, Sadovo, Parvomay, Asenovgrad, Laki, Katunica, Yiagodovo.

Population

Plovdiv Province had a population of 715,904 according to a 2001 census, of which were male and were female.
As of the end of 2009, the population, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 701,684 of which are over 60 years of age.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:

Ethnic groups

Total population : 683 027

Ethnic groups :
Identified themselves: 620 373 persons:
A further 60,000 persons in Plovdiv Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.
Ethnic groups according to the 2001 census, when 715 816 people of the population of 715,904 of Plovdiv Province identified themselves :
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:

Economy

The economy of the province is of great importance. The agricultural production is intensive and efficient with high levels of irrigation. The major crops are fruit, grapes, melons and watermelons, vegetables, wheat, rice, barley and others. Industry is very well developed: ferrous metallurgy near Plovdiv; thriving electronics industry in Plovdiv, Saedinenie, Voivodinovo, Radinovo and other villages in the area; agricultural machinery in Karlovo; weapon and military plants in Sopot, Karlovo, Plovdiv; chemical industry in Plovdiv, Asenovgrad; food industry is developed almost everywhere, most notably in Plovdiv and Asenovgrad. Tourism is a growing industry with the rich cultural heritage of the province and the numerous mineral springs which are of international importance.