KARDZHALI - Geography and history
The Eastern Rhodope Mountains
The region with Kardzhali as its administrative centre is situated in Southern Bulgaria. It borders Smolyan, Plovdiv and Haskovo regions. To the south the regional boundary overlaps with part of the state frontier between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Greece. Within its present boundaries Kardzhali Region covers an area of 3 209 km2 or 2.9% of the national territory. It is divided into 7 municipalities, comprising 472 settlements, including 5 cities. Some of the larger cities are Kardzhali, Momchilgrad and Krumovgrad.
In 2002, the population was 162 332 inhabitants or 2.1% of the national total, with around a third living in urban locations. In 2002, the average population density of 51 inhabitants per km2 is below the national average.
The physical geographic characteristics of the region are influenced by the fact that it extends over large sections of the Rhodope Mountains, making its relief undulating, mountainous and severely indented by the river valleys. These peculiarities of the relief are the reason for the fact that a large portion of the region's area is occupied by forest. This geographic diversity is complemented by the climatic characteristics, which is transient continental with some Mediterranean climatic influence along the valley of the River Arda. Summers are hot and winders mild.
The region is drained by the river Arda and its larger tributaries, the rivers Varbitsa, Krumovitsa, Borovitsa and Perperek. Two of the three dams built on the river Arda, Studen Kladenets and Kardzhali, are situated here as well. The soil variety comprises different types of forest soils. Along the river valleys alluvial-meadow soils prevail. Among the region's various mineral materials lead-zinc ore and chromium ore are of greatest economic significance. Other resources include deposits of mica, trass, feldspar, perlite, and zeolite.
Opportunities for cross-border co-operation
In Kardzhali Region the right conditions, such as numerous historical, archaeological and natural landmarks, are in place for the development of different forms of tourism, such as cultural tourism, hiking, hunting, and angling. The setting up of a new border-crossing point between Bulgaria and Greece in the region of the Makaza Pass will improve conditions for the development of tourism as well as increase opportunities for other forms of cross-border co-operation.
Despite the current difficulties faced by the sector, the development of tobacco cultivation has good prospects for further growth. Furthermore, quite large amounts have already been invested in the region, particularly in the clothing industry.
While road density in the region is above average (190 km per 1 000 km2 in 2002), roads here tend to be lower class C and D roads, which are in need of up-grading. Together with depopulation, these two problems are among the most acute faced by the region.
Non-ferrous metallurgy and tobacco growing
The majority (around two-thirds) of the population belongs to the Turkish ethnic community. The population under 25 years accounts for 32% of the total population (in 2002), the highest share amongst the Bulgarian regions with Sliven, while the share of those aged 65 or more is just 14%, which is among the lowest in the country. These indicators reveal a positive age structure of the population. The number of inhabitants in the region has however decreased, both as a result of low natural population growth and emigration by those of Turkish origin for economic reasons. The birth rate was established at 9.1 per thousand in 2002(higher than the country average of 8.5 per thousand) while the death rate was of 10.3 per thousand (against 14.3 nationally). Infant mortality at 13.5 per thousand live births (in 2002) is slightly above the national average of 13.3.
Industry employs around 19% of the active population (in 2000), which is substantially below the national average of 28%. The region's industrial development was dependent mainly on the strong mining industry, but this activity has declined in recent years. The main sectors are non-ferrous metallurgy, machines tool engineering and metal processing. The cities of Kardzhali, Momchilgrad, Krumovgrad and Djebel are the major industrial centres.
Arable land accounts for 6.8% of the total area of Kardzhali Region (in 2002). Agriculture has an important role in the regional economy, with a share of 19.9% in the regional value added (in 2002). Furthermore, the proportion employed in this sector is 55% of the total labour force, which is the highest figure nationally. Agriculture covers tobacco growing, of mainly oriental tobaccos, and stock breeding (sheep, goats and cattle).
The private sector occupies an important place in the regional economy. The number of small and medium-sized enterprises is growing. Those employed in the regional economy account for 2.6% of the total number employed nationally (in 2000). The unemployment rate (9.8% in 2002), is below the national average, while at the same time the number of persons employed per 1 000 inhabitants in working age (between 15 and 65) was 485 in 2002, above the national average (403 people).
Rail transport in the region is limited to a section of the Rousse-Dimitrovgrad-Kardzhali-Podkova railroad. The communications network is less developed than the national average, with a fewer than average number of telephones per 1 000 inhabitants. 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 40 504 of which 84% for households.
The social infrastructure also features parameters that are below average. 6 hospital beds are provided per 1 000 inhabitants, which is below the national average. At the first of January 2003, there were 401 physicians, out of which 22% were all-practical, 92 dentists as well as 673 people with intermediate level of medical education. Taken together, this represented 6% of the staff of the South Central region.
However, the town of Kardzhali has a number of facilities, including a theatre, a district hospital, high schools, and a college. In 2002, there were 2 museums, 2 cinemas and 1 theatre in the region. During the 2002/2003 school year, there were 926 students in colleges and universities, out of which 89% were at University or equivalent higher schools. Furthermore, 107 teachers were registered, representing 2.6% of all the teachers registered in the South Central region.
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