VRATSA - Geography and history
Mineral wealth
Vratsa Region is situated in North-western Bulgaria between the river Danube and the Balkan mountain range. It has a broad outlet onto the river Danube to the North and internally is surrounded by the regions of Pleven and Lovech to the East, Sofia Region to the South and Montana Region to the West.
The region, whose administrative centre is the city of Vratsa, extends over an area of 3 620 km2 or 3.3% of the national territory and it is thus the largest region by both area and population size in the North-West Region. It comprises 10 municipalities, within which there are 123 settlements.
Thracian tribes (such as the Myzians) are the most ancient settlers of this area for whom historical evidence has been found. During the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages important roads ran in the direction of Vidin (Bononia, Bdin), Oryahovo and the river Danube. The city of Vratsa emerged in the first half of the 15th century as a fortified settlement.
The relief of the area comprises both flat land (part of the Danube Plain) and semi-mountainous and mountainous areas. The climate is moderately continental. A part of the central course of the river Iskar - the longest river in Bulgaria - runs through the region. Another larger river flowing through the area is the river Ogosta. Fertile soils cover the flatland. This natural wealth is a good prerequisite for growing cereals, sunflower, sugar beat, grapes and vegetables.
The explored ore deposits ( copper and mixed ores) serve as the basis for the development of non-ferrous metallurgy, particularly in Eliseyna. Natural gas, marble and building stones are of considerable importance for the local economy. There are rich deposits of limestone (in the village of Beli Iskar in the municipality of Vratsa), which are used for cement production.
Environmental and demographic problems
It has been noted that some environmental problems are caused from time to time by the CHIMCO Combined Chemical Works, which is situated in the city of Vratsa. Till now the Kozloduy nuclear power plant has not emitted any radioactive substances which might be dangerous for human health.
In addition to its good transport network, Vratsa Region has favourable agro-climatic conditions, considerable production capacity for the chemical industry, machine tools engineering, metallurgy, and canning industry, as well as its own energy generation facilities (Kozloduy NPP). This is Bulgaria's only nuclear power plant, in operation since 1974. Located near the city of Kozloduy on the river Danube, it has 6 nuclear power units capable of generating 3 760 MW of power and is therefore the largest national electricity producer. Well over half of the total revenue from gainful employment is generated by the industrial sector here.
The Oryahovo-Beket ferry is one of Bulgaria's gateways to Central and Western Europe. This transport connection is of international significance for freight transport to and from Macedonia, Greece and other countries.
Economic development here would be much more successful if only some negative features could be overcome. These include a deteriorating demographic situation (declining population combined with a birth rate under the national average), a shortage of investment, relatively obsolete production facilities, and inadequate road maintenance.
Nuclear power and chemical industry
219 830 people or 2.8% of the total population of Bulgaria live here (2002 data), and its population density of 60.7 inhabitants per km2 is below average as is the size of its urban population. The regional centre Vratsa is the largest of the region's 9 cities (Vratsa, Mezdra, Kozloduy, Byala Slatina, Knezha, Roman, Oryahovo, Miziya, and Krivodol).
A large share of the population is above active age, i.e. over 65 years old (19.8%, compared to a national average of 17.0% in 2002). Some people of Wallachian (Romanian) origin live alongside the river Danube. In 2002, natural population growth was negative due to the low birth rate (8.3 per thousand) and high death rate (17.6 per thousand). Infant mortality was under the national average.
2.6% of the toatal Bulgarian labour force live in the region, which has a lower than average employment rate per 1 000 inhabitants and fewer than average employees in the private sector (in 2002). An increase in the unemployment rate as a consequence of ongoing restructuring of the economy has been noted (25.8% in 2002, compared to the 16.8% national average).
Agriculture plays an important role here with cereals, sunflower, vines, and sugar beat grown. Arable land accounts for 55.4% of the total area of the region (in 2002).
It is hoped that foreign investment, presently concentrated in the regional centre, will increase after the construction of a bridge over the river Danube at Vidin, although Vratsa is already an important transport centre with a well-developed railway and road network. There are 625 km of roads here, giving a density of 193.2 km per 1 000 km2 (in 2002). In 2001, 48 400 private vehicles were estimated to have been registered in the region. At the end of 2002, the number of telephone posts (including the installed direct, party-line and supplementary telephone apparatus to the settlements' telephone exchanges) was 81 540 of which 88% for households.
All settlements in the region have a water supply, however not all of them are connected to a sewerage network. Medical services are provided by 5 hospitals and more than 100 clinics and health centres. At the end of 2002, the region counted 682 physicians, 108 dentists and 1 218 personnel with intermediate level of medical education and personnel graduated in medical colleges with level "specialist".
As well as numerous primary and secondary schools, there is a division of the Sofia University for National and World Economics in Vratsa. Scientific research is carried out at the Maize Research Institute at Knezha and the Experimental Station in Vratsa. During the school year 2002/2003, there were 177 students and 69 teachers in the colleges of the district.
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