The Blagoevgrad region
Blagoevgrad Province, also known in certain contexts as Pirin Macedonia, is a province (oblast) of southwestern Bulgaria. Part of the wider Macedonian
region, it borders four other Bulgarian provinces, as well as Greece and the Republic of Macedonia. It has 14 municipalities with 12 towns. The province's
major city is Blagoevgrad, while other significant towns include Bansko, Gotse Delchev, Melnik, Petrich, Razlog, Sandanski and Simitli.
The province has a territory of 6,449.5 km² and a population of 341,245. It is the third largest in Bulgaria after Burgas and Sofia Provinces and comprises
5.8% of the country's territory. Blagoevgrad Province 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.
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............
Adopted from and read more at:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blagoevgrad_Province |
