SOUTH-EAST REGION - Geography and history
Close to Black Sea countries
As in the other regions, in ancient times Thracian tribes inhabited this area. The Thracian town of Kabile (today Yambol) was an important stronghold under the rule of Philip of Macedonia. The Ellen colonizers established many settlements along the Black Sea coast, the main ones being Apolonia (Sozopol) and Mesemvria (Nesebar). Under the Romans, settlements were founded at Debeltrus, Bourgas, Dianopolis and Yambol. After the foundation of the Bulgarian state this territory played an important role in the country's development.
Administratively the region is broken down in 3 sub-regions - Bourgas, Yambol and Sliven. The have 22 municipalities and 486 settlements between them. The major centres are Bourgas with 195 000 citizens, followed by Sliven and Yambol.
The region spans the country's south-eastern parts. Its northern border passes along the Balkan mountain ridge and reaches the Black Sea to the east. Connections to the North-East and North-Central regions run through the low passes at Vratnic and Kotlenski. The South-Central region borders the region to the west, while its southern border coincides with the state frontier with Turkey. The Black Sea forms a natural border to the east. The region is open both eastwards and westwards, which facilitates connections with other regions and with the countries in the Black Sea region.
Opportunities for cross-border cooperation
The South-East region's geographic location is extremely favourable for its future economic growth. Good potential exists for cross-border co-operation, both by land and sea. The large port at Bourgas and the free trade zone there should stimulate this development. Additionally, a part of the 8th European traffic corridor crosses the region. The opportunities for cooperation with Turkey are not fully exploited, despite the fact that relations between the two countries have improved in recent years. However, the opening of a new border crossing at Lesovo should further strengthen ties with Bulgaria's south-eastern neighbour. Furthermore, the region's favourable location has increased its attractiveness in the eyes of foreign investors.
Another regional strength is the abundance of natural resources. The Black Sea water resources, the variety of soils and good climate have spurred the development of tourism and agriculture. Not surprisingly, the region is the leader in the production of vegetables and grapes. A further distinctive feature is the oil refinery in Bourgas, which has the largest capacity in south-eastern Europe, and is the largest contributor to the region's economy.
The major regional drawback is the uneven allocation of both the population and the industrial capacity. The largest population density and industrial concentration is in the major towns, and especially in Bourgas region, while the smallest is in the Strandja area. This misbalance forces the population to be relatively mobile.
Environmental pollution is among the region's other problems, mainly due to the emissions of the largest enterprise, Neftohim. Other problems of lesser importance are the drop in industrial and agricultural production, the increase in the unemployment level and weaknesses in the services sector.
Varied landscape
The South-East region covers 14 648 km2, or 13.2% of the country's area. The largest part belongs to the Bourgas oblast, which spans 52.9% of the region's territory. Second is Sliven with 24.2%, followed by the smallest region, Yambol, accounting for 22.9%.
Running from north to south, the region comprises the following natural zones, the eastern parts of the Balkan mountains, (around 1 000 m in altitude), the Balkan basin, lowlands and low mountains (Strandja). The Bourgas and Tundja lowlands cover more than 50% of the region's total area. The Black Sea coast is deeply indented, the Bourgas bay being the biggest one in Bulgaria. Most economic activity and the majority of the population are concentrated in the Bourgas and Tundja valleys.
In terms of its climate, the region is influenced by moderate, transitional-continental and Mediterranean air masses, although the Black Sea has the greatest influence. The average January temperatures reach 4°C, while the annual precipitation reaches 700 mm in the Strandja valley. Throughout the winter north-easterly winds prevail, which cause rainstorms and blow the snow cover off the crops. Both night and day breezes are characteristic of this region.
The region's limited water resources come mainly from the Tundja, Luda Kamchia and Aheloi rivers, where many artificial lakes have been built. Tourism has been developed around the lower courses of the Ropotamo, Veleka, and Rezovska rivers, as well as on the coastal lakes.
Arable land accounts for 29.8% of the region's total area (in 2000), and the soil is most suitable for agricultural development.
An inadequate amount of ores and minerals are extracted in this region. The most important for the mining sector are the black coal deposits at Tvardica, brown coal at Bourgas and lignite at Elhovo. Other important deposits for the mining sector are the zinc and copper deposits at Rosen and Malko Tarnovo respectively.
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