Smolyan Province

Smolyan Province ( - Oblast Smolyan, former name Smolyan okrug) is a province in soothren-central Bulgarie, locatit in the Rhodope Muntains, neebourin Greece tae the sooth. It is namit efter its admeenistrative an industrial centre - the ceety o Smolyan. The province embraces a territory o 3,192.8 km² Bulgarian Provinces area and population 1999 — National Center for Regional Development — page 90-91 that is dividit intae 10 municipalities wi a total population o 124,795 inhabitants, as o December 2009. Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - Bulgarian provinces and municipalities in 2009  „WorldCityPopulation“„pop-stat.mashke.org“

Municipalities

The Smolyan province (Област, oblast) contains 10 municipalitiesOblast Haskovo , official website (singular: община, obshtina - plural: Общини, obshtini). The follaein table shows the names o each municipality in Scots an Cyrillic, the main toun or veelage (touns are shown in bauld), an the population o each as o December 2009.

 Municipality Cyrillic Pop. Toun/Veelage Pop. Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - Bulgarian towns in 2009 „pop-stat.mashke.org“ Bulgarian National Statistical Institute – Bulgarian villages under 1000 inhabitants – December 2009 Bulgarian National Statistical Institute – Bulgarian Settlements 1000–5000 inhabitants – December 2009 Banite Баните 4,972 Banite 1,047 Borino Борино 3,618 Borino 2,516 Chepelare Чепеларе 8,045 Chepelare 5,412 Devin Девин 13,204 Devin 7,054 Dospat Доспат 9,526 Dospat 2,604 Madan Мадан 12,606 Madan 6,007 Nedelino Неделино 7,577 Nedelino 4,641 Rudozem Рудозем 9,801 Rudozem 3,583 Smolyan Смолян 43,186 Smolyan 31,718 Zlatograd Златоград 12,260 Zlatograd 7,110

Demografiek
260px|thumb|right|The Miraculous bridges

The Smolyan province haed a population o 140,066 accordin tae the 2001 census, o which  wur male an  wur female. Population to 01.03.2001 by Area and Sex from Bulgarian National Statistical Institute: Census 2001
As o the end o 2009, the population o the province, annooncit bi the Bulgarie Naitional Statistical Institute, numbered 124,795 of which  are inhabitants aged over 60 years. Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - Population by age in 2009 

The follaein table represents the chynge o the population in the province efter Warld War II:

Releegion
The Smolyan province alang wi the Kardzhali Province is a province whare the predominant releegion is Islam. Housomeivver, unlike Kardzhali whare the majority o the population is Turkis, the Muslim population o the Smolyan province is made up amaist entirely o Muslim Bulgaries.

Releegious adherence in the province accordin tae 2001 census: Religious adherence in Bulgaria - census 2001
 Census 2001 releegious adherence   population % Orthodox Christians 41,599	 	  	    29.70%	 	  Muslims 58,75841.95% Roman Catholics 100 0.07% Protestants 930.06% Ither 513 	0.37% Releegion no mentioned 39,003 	27.85% total 140,066	100%

Leid
In the 2001 census, 135,761 fowk frae the Smolyan province identifee'd ane o the follaein as their mither tongue (wi percentage o total population): 
129,181 Bulgarie (), 
5,782 Turkis (), 532 Roma (Gypsy) () 
an 266 ither (). Population to 01.03.2001 by District and Mother Tongue from Bulgarian National Statistical Institute: Census 2001

Ethnic groups
In the 2001 census, 132,654 fowk frae the Smolyan province identife'd thairsels as belangin tae ane o the follaein ethnic groups (wi percentage o total population): Population to 01.03.2001 bi Destrict an Ethnic Group frae Bulgarian National Statistical Institute: Census 2001

 Ethnic group  Population  Percentage Bulgarie  122,806   Turkis  6,212   Roma (Gypsy)  686   Roushie  111   Armenie  42   Greek  13   Ukrainian  27   Jewish   1   Romanian  1   Ither  55  

 Economy 
The economy o the province is based on tourism, minin, timber an machine industries an livestock raisin. The main crops o the region are potatoes (aboot 30% o the naitional production), rye an barley; but sheep, pigs an cattle are o greater importance for the agricultur. In the eastren pairts o the province are locatit mair nor 20 lead an zinc mines, which form ane o the maist extensive ore deposits in the Balkans. The dense coniferous forests are prerequisite for well developed timber industrie in Dospat, Smolyan, Devin. In Smolyan there are big plants producin machine tuils an ither machinery, while textile industrie is mainly developit tae the east in Nedelino, Zlatograd, Madan an Rudozem. There is a synthetic rubber plant in Madan an aw.

Nouadays, tourism is the backbane o the economy, especially in winter due tae the excellent ski resorts o Pamporovo an Chepelare; haein been completely renovatit an modrenizit. The anerlie factory for skiin equipment is locatit in Chepelare an employs 400 fowk. The mineral springs in Devin an Beden are vera popular amang tourists. The bonnie, unspoilt natur an the spectacular gorges, rock brigs an caves attract mony fowk frae aroond the kintra as well as foreign tourists, while the numerous dams are popular wi campers an fishermen.

See an aw
Provinces o Bulgarie
Leet o veelages in Smolyan Province

References

 Freemit airtins 
 Picturs frae Smolyan Province 

Category:Provinces o Bulgarie