SILISTRA - Geography and history
Window on the Danube
Situated in Northeastern Bulgaria, the region of Silistra covers an area of 2 846 km2, equivalent to 2.6% of the national territory. It borders the regions of Dobrich, Shumen, Razgrad, and Rousse, as well as having part of part of the national frontier with Romania (some of which is along the river Danube). The region has a population of 138 994 inhabitants (2002), representing 1.8% of the national total and ranking Silistra as one of Bulgaria's smaller regions. The population density is 48.8 inhabitants per km2, somewhat below the national average of 70.7. The region comprises 7 municipalities, within which there are 118 settlements.
The region extends over part of the eastern end of the Danube Plain and the northern sections of the Ludogorie area. With the region broadly open to the river Danube, this encourages the development of navigation and fishing. Water from the river Danube is also used for irrigation.
Of historical note is the regional centre, the city of Svishtov, which developed on the remains of the Roman fortress of Durostorum. During the Middle Ages, the city was known under the name of Druster. In the Ottoman period, it was an important military fortress and was besieged on a number of occasions by Russian troops. From 1913 till 1940, this area was within the boundaries of Romania.
The climate is moderately continental with cold winters and hot dry summers. The river Danube is the principal river running through this territory, the other rivers are short and of no economic significance. Humus soils, suitable for growing cereal crops and vegetables, predominate.
Sreburna Lake is a national reserve, which is included in the UNESCO list of World National and Historical Heritage Sites. It is an important point on the so-called Via Pontitsa, along which every year birds of passage migrate to the Mediterranean and Africa.
Advantageous location under-exploited
Silistra region features an advantageous transport and geographic location as well as opportunities for the promotion of cross-border co-operation, thanks to its wide access onto the river Danube. While the region enjoys good conditions for the development of agriculture, a skilled labour force, and the capacity to attract foreign investment, these aspects are however not sufficiently utilised.
Conditions here are extremely suitable for the development of the fruit growing industry and particularly for apricot growing. In addition, Silistra possess some of the largest woodworking capacity in Bulgaria.
On the less positive side, unemployment is growing as a consequence of the restructuring of industry. The opportunities, which the ferry connection from Bulgaria to Romania and other countries offers, are not adequately used. There are also some environmental problems in connection with cross-border air pollution from Romanian enterprises. The scarce deposits of underground water are another severe problem for the region and make it necessary to drill deep wells to provide an adequate water supply.
A problem specific to Silistra region arises from the fact that the state frontier with Romania passes close to the city boundary of Silistra and therefore hinders its expansion to the east.
Industry, apricots and cereal crops
The economy here is an industrial-agrarian one. Machine tool engineering and metal processing (electronic calculators, metal-cutting machine tools, agricultural machines, gas-fired devices) are leading industries, followed by food and beverages production (vegetable oil, canning industry, flour, meat and dairy products). The woodworking and textile industries are other major branches of the regional economy.
Arable land accounts for 50.1% of the region's area (in 2002), 7% of which requires irrigation. The major crops are cereals, forage crops, industrial crops (sunflower, hemp, broad-leaf tobacco), vegetables, fruit and vines. The region is Bulgaria's largest producer of apricots. All types of stock are bred, and fishing is also well developed.
The labour force of the region account for 1.6% of the persons employed nationally (in 2002) and the unemployment rate of 24.2% (in 2002) is well above the national average.
With 500 km of roads, the road density at 175.7 km per 1 000 km2 is in line with the national average. The major roads are those from Silistra to Ruse, Dobrich, Shumen and Razgrad. In addition to a border crossing point with Romania, the city of Silistra has a civilian airport as well.
Although all settlements have electricity, there are problems with the water supply. 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 42 915 of which 87% for households.
In addition to its primary schools, general and vocational high schools, there is a teachers' training college here. In Silistra, there is a research centre devoted to apricots. During the school year 2002/2003, there were 485 students and 97 teachers in colleges, universities and equivalent higher schools.
Medical services are provided by one regional and several district hospitals. At the end of 2002, the region counted 343 physicians, 64 dentists and 706 personnel with intermediate level of medical education and personnel graduated in medical colleges with level "specialist".
The birth rate, 8.2 per thousand in 2002, was slightly below the national average, whereas the death rate, 15.6 per thousand, was over the rate for Bulgaria as a whole. Infant mortality at 13.2% (in 2002) is just below the national average.
In 2000 there were also a theatre, 4 museums and 4 cinemas in the district. The only Museum of Fishing on the Danube is situated in the city of Tutrakan.
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