NORTH-WEST REGION - Education, health and culture
Problems in the cultural sphere
Many cultural landmarks are preserved in the North-western region, testifying to past cultural activity, and reflecting the influence of European culture. However, activity in recent years has substantially declined, due to the economic crisis in the country. The cultural institutions in the country cannot function properly due to a lack of financial resources.
The educational infrastructure consists of 316 institutions with 80 000 pupils. While there are no universities in the country, a faculty of the University of national and world economy has been established in Vratsa. There are a total of 307 schools, the majority being secondary schools, with 10 being specialised schools. There are 12 pupils per teacher in the region, which is equal to the national average. During the school year 2002/2003, there were 177 students and 69 teachers in colleges, all located in the district of Vratsa.
The health care sector consists of 20 health institutions and 6 500 hospital beds, concentrated in the towns of Vidin, Montana and Vratsa. At the end of 2002, the region counted 1 567 physicians, 308 dentists and 2 744 personnel with intermediate level of medical education and personnel graduated in medical colleges with level "specialist".
In 2000, there were 5 theatres, 15 museums and 9 cinemas in the region. Among the outstanding cultural landmarks is the Radetcki ship museum which is a part of the Kozlodui memorial, commemorating the great Bulgarian revolutionary, Hristo Botev. Traditional festivals are held in the Baba Vida fortress in Vidin.
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