PERNIK - Geography and history
The oldest coal mining region in Bulgaria
Situated in south-western Bulgaria, Pernik region has an area of 2 394 km2 (2.2% of the national territory). The region borders Sofia, Sofia (capital) and Kyustendil regions, while to the west its boundary overlaps with the state frontier of Serbia and Montenegro. It consists of 6 municipalities, comprising 171 settlements, and has the city of Pernik as its administrative centre.
The population of the region amounts to 146 431 inhabitants (in 2002) or 1.9% of the national total. Thus in terms of population size, the region is one of Bulgaria's smaller regions. The average population density is 61.2 inhabitants per km2 (in 2002), which is below the national average.
Pernik Region has a varied relief, extending over parts of Kraishteto, the Pernik, Radomir, Breznik and Znepole Valleys and the surrounding mountains at Vitosha, Lyulin, Zavalska and Konyavska.
The region has a rich historical past. Pernik itself emerged in the 10th century A.D. as an important fortress, later to be defended by Krakra Voivode.
The climate is moderately continental with pronounced temperature inversions in the valleys. The major rivers are the Struma and Erma. The explored deposits of the region include brown coal, the mining of which began at the end of the 19th century, limestone, dolomite, gold, fire clay, and barite. There are mineral springs in Breznik, Roudartsi and elsewhere.
Openings for foreign investment
Pernik Region benefits from its proximity to the capital, with easy access to its markets and cultural attractions. The energy sector offers the necessary facilities for the development of heavy industry, while a skilled labour force is on hand for employment.
There are numerous natural sites to encourage the development of tourism, including the Zhdreloto Gorge on the river Erma, as well as the mineral springs and spa cures at Roudartsi and at Breznik. Furthermore, cross-border co-operation and international transit traffic should help boost the local economy, and at the same time make it more attractive to foreign investors.
However, as a consequence of the ongoing restructuring in industry and agriculture, some negative developments have been noted. There has been an increase in the level of unemployment, the closure of expensive long-term material assets (such as the Radomir Works for heavy machine tool engineering) as well as inadequate utilisation of the available mineral waters. An increase in the concentration of the population in the cities has had a corresponding effect of depopulating the rest of the area. Environmental problems in connection with coal mining, especially in the case of open-cast coal mines, requires investment in cleaning up these areas.
Coal-mining, energy generation and ferrous metallurgy
Demographic data reveal that the birth rate of 5.8 per thousand (in 2002) is largely below average, while the death rate of 15.8 is above the national average. As a result of this situation, the natural population growth was below the national average. Infant mortality is 13.9 per thousand live births (in 2002). The urban population accounts for 74.6% of the total and is therefore above the national average.
The activity rate in the region is 47.0% (in 2002) and is following a downward trend. The labour force in the region accounts for 1.9% of the total number of the persons employed nationally (in 2002) and the unemployment level of 13% (in 2002) is below the national average.
Pernik Region's well developed industrial structure includes ferrous metallurgy, machine tool engineering and metal processing, cement production, glass industry, food and beverages production, and clothing industry. In addition to coal mining, energy is also produced in thermal power plants.
Agriculture is less developed. Arable land accounts for 11.9% of the area (in 2002). Cereals and wheat are grown mainly in the valleys. Stockbreeding is less developed, despite the abundance of pasture land.
The region's 531 km of roads result in a higher than average road density of 221.8 km per 1 000 km2 (in 2002). The international Sofia-Pernik-Kulata-Thessaloniki highway (part of the Trans-European transport corridor No.4) crosses the region, as does a section of the Sofia-Pernik-Kyustendil-Gyueshevo-Skopije highway (part of the Trans-European transport corridor No.8). The Sofia-Kulata-Thessaloniki and Sofia-Gyueshevo railroads also cut through the region, with prospects for the latter to be extended and linked to the railway network of Macedonia.
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 43 099 of which 87% for households.
At the end of 2002, the region counted 464 physicians, 115 dentists and 649 personnel with intermediate level of medical education and personnel graduated in medical colleges with level "specialist".
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