Country Bulgaria License plate CO Population 247,489 (2011) | Time zone EET (UTC+2) Capital Sofia Municipalities 22 | |
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University International Business School Points of interest Borovets, Iskar, Rila, Musala, Malyovitsa Destinations Borovets, Rila National Park, Central Balkan National, Samokov, Koprivshtitsa | ||
Sofia Province (Bulgarian: Софийска област, Sofiyska oblast) is a province (oblast) of Bulgaria. The province does not include Sofia in its territories, but Sofia remains its administrative center. The province borders on the provinces of Pernik, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Lovech, Vratsa, Montana and "Sofia-Capital" (which is in a separate oblast, see Sofia Administration), to the northwest there is border with Serbia.
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Map of Sofia Province, Bulgaria
The province's territory is 7 059 km² and has 247,489 inhabitants according to the 2011 Bulgarian Census. The land is predominantly mountainous. To the north are the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains and to the south rises Rila with the highest point in the peninsula Musala. There are also several smaller mountains and spacious valleys. One of the most important ski resorts in Bulgaria, Borovets, is located here close to Samokov.
Industry is well developed. Mining and ferrous metallurgy are the backbone of the economy with the largest copper refinery in South Eastern Europe in Pirdop and important copper mines at Chelopech and Etropole. Machinery is well developed in Botevgrad (buses, car components, electronics), Pravets (computers), Etropole, Samokov, Elin Pelin, Ihtiman, Slivnitsa, Godech. The centre of food and sugar industry is Svoge.
Municipalities
The Sofia province (Област, oblast) contains 22 municipalities (singular: oбщина, obshtina - plural: Общини, obshtini). The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town (in bold) or village, and the population of each as of 2009.
Population
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
The province had a population of 273 252 (also given as 273,240) according to a 2001 census, of which 7001492000000000000♠49.2% were male and 7001508000000000000♠50.8% were female.
Ethnic groups
Total population (2011 census): 247 489
Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 230 781 persons:
Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census: 253 536 Bulgarians (7001928000000000000♠92.8%),
16 748 Roma (Gypsy) (7000610000000000000♠6.1%) and 2956 others and unspecified (7000110000000000000♠1.1%).
Religion
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census: