NORTH-WEST REGION - Geography and history
The centre of nuclear energy in Bulgaria
In ancient times Thracian tribes inhabited this region. Following the Roman conquest, many important military and trade centres such as Bononia, Raciaria, Montanezium were established. After medieval Balgari was divided in 1375, this area was part of a separate autonomous Bulgarian state called Vidin kingdom, which lasted until 1396. Under Ottoman rule many important trade routes to Serbia and Austria crossed this territory both on the Danube River and by land.
The region is broken down into 3 sub-regions, which have a total of 32 municipalities and 395 settlements between them. The main centres are Vratsa, with a population of 74 000 people, followed by Vidin and Montana.
As its name implies, the region is situated in northwestern Bulgaria. The Iskar river bounds the region to the east, the Timok river to the west, the Danube river to the north and the Balkan mountain range to the south. The northern border is a natural one, and coincides with the state frontier with Romania. The biggest Bulgarian ports are at Lom, Vidin, Kozlodui and Oriahovo. The trade routes to Central and Eastern Europe pass thorough Vidin and Oriahovo. The main border crossings are at Oriahovo (Romania) and Vrashka Chuka (Serbia and Montenegro). Many settlements in the eastern part of the region are strongly influenced by the town of Pleven in neighbouring North-central region.
Bulgaria's only nuclear power plant, Kozlodui, is sited here, supplying some two fifths of the country's total electricity production. It has been the catalyst of development in a region which is highly peripheral to the main centres of economic activity.
Geographical position offers great potential
The region's geographical location is its strongest asset, since the 4th and 7th European traffic corridors cross its territory. An important prerequisite for future economic development is regional stability around the border areas at Vidin, Oriahovo and Vrashka Chuka. Military conflict in the region's northwest neighbour, Serbia and Montenegro, has had a negative impact on its development in recent years. It had a stagnating effect on the economy, increased the population decline, and was an impediment to the optimal use of the region's favourable geographical position.
A second important regional advantage lies in its fertile soils and good climate, which favour the development of ecological agriculture, tourism and other economic activities. The region's specialisation in agricultural production confirms the existence of copious natural resources.
Furthermore, its high industrial capacity and skilled labour force are also among the region's positive aspects. The greatest potential is in the energy sector and in the chemical and food industry.
One of the major problems here is the large population decline, which is a result of a negative natural increment and migratory flows, due mainly to the economic hardship which people face. Any future improvement to the demographic situation is closely related to economic development, which in turn is dependent on improvements to the region's infrastructure.
Another regional drawback is the substantial drop in industrial and agricultural production. This is a result of the restructuring and the privatisation of the main industrial enterprises. The construction of a second bridge over the Danube river should boost economic activity here, and improve the attractiveness of the region for investment.
Last but not least is the problem of environmental pollution here. This problem is particularly serious in the frontier and mountainous areas. A shortage of water and the lack of protection for forested zones are also among the region's weaknesses.
Natural variety
Covering 10 288 km2 or 9.3% of the country's total area, the north-west region is the smallest of the six regions. The relief is varied. Running from north to south it comprises the following natural zones: the lowlands, the Danube plain, the Northern Balkans and the Balkan mountain range. The Danube plain encompasses the largest area, covering over 50% of the whole territory. The relief in the Northern Balkans is predominantly hilly and mountainous.
The climate is moderate, except in the region's southern parts which are mountainous. The average July temperature reaches 20°C and the average January temperature - 0°C, the temperature declining from north to south. The average annual rainfall amounts to 600 mm. In the winter, northeasterly winds prevail, which blow the snow cover off the crops.
With only a limited amount of water at its disposal, the hydroelectric potential is estimated to be small in proportion to the size of the region, and is not used optimally. The only hydroelectric power plants, Petrohan and Gorni Lom, are situated in the Balkan Mountains. The Iskar, Archar, Lom and Danube rivers are used predominantly for irrigation and industrial purposes. The water supply to the population comes from the artificial lake Ogosta, which helped to solve the problem of the shortage of drinking water to a large extent. The thermal mineral springs at Varshetc are also an important part of the region's water resources.
Soils are the black earth kind, covering 44% of the region's area, and predominantly situated in the Danube valley. The soil in the valleys and plains favours agricultural development, so that arable land accounts for 39.2% of the region's total area (2002 data), a percentage that is higher than the national average of 29.5%.
The quality and quantity of ores and minerals in the region do not allow for the development of mining. Deposits of copper and lead ores have been extracted in the Chiprovtsi Mountain, but this activity has gradually declined. There are limited deposits of limestone and marl at Beli Izvor and Kunino and granite at Berkovitsa.
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