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&nbsp;km² that is dividit intae 10 municipalities wi a total population o 124,795 inhabitants, as o December 2009.

## Municipalities

The Smolyan province (Област, *oblast*) contains 10 municipalities (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.

## Demografiek

The Smolyan province haed a population o 140,066 accordin tae the 2001 census, o which  wur male an  wur female.
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.

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:

### 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&nbsp;(Gypsy) () 
an 266 ither ().

### 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):

## 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