Silistra Province
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Silistra Province (Template:Langx, Oblast Silistra) is a province of Bulgaria. Formerly known as the Silistra okrug, it is located on the northeast corner of Bulgaria. The province is part of the Southern Dobrudja region, with its largest and major city being Silistra. As of 2021, the province had a population of 97,770 inhabitants, making it the second least populated in the country. It is divided into seven municipalities for administrative purposes.
History
During the reign of the Roman Empire in the first century BCE, the province was the location of the Roman fortress of Durostorum, and a major river port on the Danube river.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 3rd century, it was subject of multiple attacks by the Goths.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Slavs invaded and captured the region in the 6th century.<ref name="Sils">Template:Cite web</ref> During the late Middle Ages, it was part of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires, until it fell to the Ottomans as a result of the Bulgarian–Ottoman wars of the late 14th century. Tt was later involved in the conflicts between the Ottoman and Russian Empires.<ref name="Detail">Template:Cite web</ref> As a part of Southern Dobruja, the region was included in the Principality of Bulgaria, following the liberation of the country in 1878. It was occupied by Romania during the Second Balkan War in 1913<ref name="Detail"/> and remained in Romania until 1940, when it was returned to Bulgaria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Silistra is one of the 28 provinces of Bulgaria. <ref name="Info1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was formerly known as the Silistra okrug.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It shares borders with the provinces of Dobrich, Shumen, Razgard, and Rousse, and an international border with Romania.<ref name="Detail"/>
The province is situated on the eastern end of the Danube river plains. The river is used for navigation, and irrigation purposes. It has a continental climate with hot dry summers and cool winters. The Srebarna Lake in the province is a national reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<ref name="Sils"/><ref name="Detail"/>
Sub-divisions
The province is divided into seven municipalities–Alfatar, Dulovo, Glavinitsa, Kaynardzha Municipality, Silistra, Sitovo, and Tutrakan. The largest is the municipality of Silistra.<ref name="Info"/>
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| Municipality | Cyrillic | Population<ref name="Pop"/><ref name="Info"/> | Largest town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfatar | Алфатар | 3,324 | Alfatar |
| Glavinitsa | Главиница | 12,610 | Glavinitsa |
| Dulovo | Дулово | 28,860 | Dulovo |
| Kaynardzha | Кайнарджа | 5,250 | Kaynardzha |
| Silistra | Силистра | 54,885 | Silistra |
| Sitovo | Ситово | 5,810 | Sitovo |
| Tutrakan | Тутракан | 16,920 | Tutrakan |
Demographics
As of 2021, the province had a population of 97,770 inhabitants, making it the second least populated in the country.<ref name="Info"/> The population consisted of 45,648 males and 49,091 females. About 12,497 inhabitants were below the age of fourteen. About 55.5% of the population was rural, while the rest were classified as urban. Bulgarians formed the major ethnic group with 56% of the population, and Turks formed a significant minority with 37.4% of the population.<ref name="Info"/> Romani people constituted about 5.2% of the inhabitants. Christianity had 45,638 adherents (54.3%), followed by Islam at 35,767 adherents (42.6%).<ref name="Info"/>
Economy
The soil is fertile and rich in humus, and conducive to agriculture. About 50% of the land is arable, and major crops include cereals, vegetables and apricots. The Danube river is used for fishing.<ref name="Detail"/> Major industries include machine tools, electronics, woodworking, textiles, and food processing.<ref name="Detail"/>
Infrastructure
The region is well connected with more than Template:Cvt of roads, with major roads connecting to the neighboring provinces. There is a road border crossing with neighbouring Romania. There is a small civilian airfield at Silistra. All settlements in the province have the supply of electricity. There is a teacher training institute apart from the schools imparting education at various levels. Medical services are provided by a regional and several district hospitals.<ref name="Detail"/>
See also
References
External links
Template:Provinces of Bulgaria Template:Bulgaria topics Template:Authority control