View source for Provinces of Bulgaria

{{Short description|First-level administrative subdivisions of Bulgaria}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name = Provinces of [[Bulgaria]]<br /> {{native name|bg|Oбласти на България}}
| map = Regions of Bulgaria Map.png
| category = [[Unitary state]]
| territory = {{Flagicon|BUL}} [[Bulgaria|Republic of Bulgaria]]
| upper_unit        = [[NUTS statistical regions of Bulgaria|Regions]]
| current_number = '''28'''
| number_date = 
| population_range = 101,018 ([[Vidin Province|Vidin]]) – 1,291,591 ([[Sofia City Province|Sofia City]])
| area_range = {{Convert|1,348.90|sqkm|abbr=on}} ([[Sofia City Province|Sofia City]])– {{Convert|7,748.07|sqkm|abbr=on}} ([[Burgas Province|Burgas]])
| government = Province government, [[Government of Bulgaria|National government]]
| subdivision = [[Municipalities of Bulgaria|Municipality]]
| status = 
| exofficio = 
}}

{{Politics of Bulgaria}}

The '''provinces of Bulgaria''' ({{langx|bg|области на България|oblasti na Bǎlgariya}}) are the first-level administrative subdivisions of the country.

Since 1999, [[Bulgaria]] has been divided into 28 provinces ({{langx|bg|области|links=no}} – ''oblasti;'' singular: {{lang|bg|област}} – ''[[oblast]]''; also translated as "regions") which correspond approximately to the 28 districts (in {{langx|bg|links=no|окръг}} – ''[[okrug|okrǎg]]'', plural: {{lang|bg|окръзи}} – ''okrǎzi''), that existed before 1987.

The provinces are further subdivided into 265 municipalities (singular: {{lang|bg|община}} – ''[[obshtina]]'', plural: {{lang|bg|общини}} – ''obshtini'').

[[Sofia]] – the capital city of Bulgaria and the largest settlement in the country – is the administrative centre of both [[Sofia Province]] and [[Sofia City Province]] (Sofia-[[Grad (toponymy)|grad]]). The capital is included (together with three other cities plus 34 villages) in [[Sofia Capital Municipality]] (over 90% of whose population lives in Sofia), which is the sole municipality comprising Sofia City province.

== Terminology ==
[[File:NUTS BG Level 1 and 2.png|thumbnail|400px|left|Distribution of provinces by [[NUTS statistical regions of Bulgaria|NUTS]]: Level 1 (regions): North Eastern, North Central, North Western, South Central, South Eastern, South Western ; Level 2 (planning regions)]]

{{clear}}

The provinces do not have official names – legally (in the President's decree on their constitution{{what?|date=May 2023}}), they are not named but only described as "oblast with administrative centre [Noun]" – together with a list of the constituting municipalities. In Bulgaria they are usually called "[Adjective] Oblast"; occasionally they are referred to as "Oblast [Noun]" and rarely as "oblast with administrative centre [Noun]".

The Bulgarian term "област" (''oblast'') is preferably translated into English as "province", in order to avoid disambiguation and distinguish from the former unit called "окръг" (''okrag'', translated as "district") and the term "регион" (always translated as "region"). At any rate, "district" and "region" are sometimes still used to name these contemporary 28 units.
* "region": "28 '''regions''' (en) / région (fr) / oblast (bg)" – in ISO 3166-2 Newsletter II-3 (2011-12-13, corrected 2011-12-15)
* "district": "The territory of the South Central Region encompasses five '''districts''' – Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Smolyan, Haskovo, and Kyrdzhali." – in a website of the European Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Central Planning Region |url=http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/regional-innovation/monitor/base-profile/yugozapadna-i-yuzhna-tsentralna-bulgaria/south-central-planning-region |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013075738/http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/regional-innovation/monitor/base-profile/yugozapadna-i-yuzhna-tsentralna-bulgaria/south-central-planning-region |archive-date=2014-10-13 |access-date=2014-10-07 |website=European Commission}}</ref>

== Provinces ==
{{Bulgaria Provinces}}

<!--{| align="center" style="margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em;"
! colspan="3" style="background-color:#CDCDCD" align="center"| <span style="font-size:125%;">'''Provinces of Bulgaria'''</span>
|- valign="top"
| -->
{| class="wikitable sortable" rules="all" style="border:1px solid #999; border-right:2px solid #999; border-bottom:2px solid #999; background-color:white; margin-top:1em; text-align:right;" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"
|-
!width="120px"| Province
!width="100px"| [[Population]] <small>(Census 2011)<ref name="census2011">{{Cite web |last= |title=Bulgaria: Major Cities |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/bulgaria/cities/ |access-date= |website=citypopulation.de |via=}}</ref></small>
!width="100px"| [[Population]] <small>(Census 2021)<ref name="census2011" /></small>
!width="120px"| [[Population growth|Change]] <small>(2011/2021)<ref name="census2011" /></small>
!width="100px"| [[Land|Land area]] (km<sup>2</sup>)
!width="120px"| [[Population density]] (/km<sup>2</sup>)
!width="120px"| [[Municipalities of Bulgaria|Municipalities]]
!width="120px"| Planning<br>Region
|-
|align="left"| [[Blagoevgrad Province|Blagoevgrad]]   || 323,552 <td> 292,227 </td><td> -9.7% </td><td> 6,449.47 </td>|| 45.31 <td> 14 </td>|| South Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Burgas Province|Burgas]]             || 415,817 <td> 380,286 </td><td> -8.5% </td><td> 7,748.07 </td>|| 49.08 <td> 13 </td>|| South Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Dobrich Province|Dobrich]]           || 189,677 <td> 150,146 </td><td> -20.8% </td><td> 4,719.71 </td>|| 31.81 <td> 8 </td>|| North Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Gabrovo Province|Gabrovo]]           || 122,702 <td> 98,387 </td><td> -19.8% </td><td> 2,023.01 </td>|| 48.63 <td> 4 </td>|| North Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Haskovo Province|Haskovo]]           || 246,238 <td> 211,565 </td><td> -14.1% </td><td> 5,533.29 </td>|| 38.23 <td> 11 </td>|| South Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Kardzhali Province|Kardzhali]]       || 152,808 <td> 141,177 </td><td> -7.6% </td><td> 3,209.11 </td>|| 43.99 <td> 7 </td>|| South Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Kyustendil Province|Kyustendil]]     || 136,686 <td> 111,736 </td><td> -18.3% </td><td> 3,051.52 </td>|| 36.61 <td> 9 </td>|| South Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Lovech Province|Lovech]]             || 141,422 <td> 116,394 </td><td> -17.7% </td><td> 4,128.76 </td>|| 28.19 <td> 8 </td>|| North Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Montana Province|Montana]]           || 148,098 <td> 119,950 </td><td> -19.0% </td><td> 3,635.38 </td>|| 32.99 <td> 11 </td>|| North Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Pazardzhik Province|Pazardzhik]]     || 275,548 <td> 229,814 </td><td> -16.6% </td><td> 4,456.92 </td>|| 51.56 <td> 12 </td>|| South Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Pernik Province|Pernik]]             || 133,530 <td> 114,162 </td><td> -14.5% </td><td> 2,394.22 </td>|| 47.68 <td> 6 </td>|| South Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Pleven Province|Pleven]]             || 269,752 <td> 226,120 </td><td> -16.2% </td><td> 4,653.32 </td>|| 48.59 <td> 11 </td>|| North Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Plovdiv Province|Plovdiv]]           || 683,027 <td> 634,497 </td><td> -7.1% </td><td> 5,972.89 </td>|| 106.22 <td> 18 </td>|| South Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Razgrad Province|Razgrad]]           || 125,190 <td> 103,223 </td><td> -17.5% </td><td> 2,639.74 </td>|| 39.10 <td> 7 </td>|| North Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Ruse Province|Ruse]]                 || 235,252 <td> 193,483 </td><td> -17.8% </td><td> 2,803.36 </td>|| 69.01 <td> 8 </td>|| North Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Shumen Province|Shumen]]             || 180,528 <td> 151,465 </td><td> -16.1% </td><td> 3,389.68 </td>|| 44.68 <td> 10 </td>|| North Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Silistra Province|Silistra]]         || 119,474 <td> 97,770 </td><td> -18.2% </td><td> 2,846.29 </td>|| 34.34 <td> 7 </td>|| North Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Sliven Province|Sliven]]             || 197,473 <td> 172,690 </td><td> -12.6% </td><td> 3,544.07 </td>|| 48.72 <td> 4 </td>|| South Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Smolyan Province|Smolyan]]           || 121,752 <td> 96,284 </td><td> -20.9% </td><td> 3,192.85 </td>|| 30.15 <td> 10 </td>|| South Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Sofia City Province|Sofia City]]     || 1,291,591 <td> 1,274,290 </td><td> -1.3% </td><td> 1,348.90 </td>|| 944.68 <td> 1 </td>|| South Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Sofia Province]]                     || 247,489 <td> 231,989 </td><td> -6.3% </td><td> 7,062.33 </td>|| 32.84 <td> 22 </td>|| South Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Stara Zagora Province|Stara Zagora]] || 333,265 <td> 296,507 </td><td> -11.0% </td><td> 5,151.12 </td>|| 57.56 <td> 11 </td>|| South Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Targovishte Province|Targovishte]]   || 120,818 <td> 98,144 </td><td> -18.8% </td><td> 2,558.53 </td>|| 38.35 <td> 5 </td>|| North Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Varna Province|Varna]]               || 475,074 <td> 432,198 </td><td> -9.0% </td><td> 3,819.47 </td>|| 113.15 <td> 12 </td>|| North Eastern</tr>
|align="left"| [[Veliko Tarnovo Province|Veliko Tarnovo]] || 258,494 <td> 207,371 </td><td> -19.8% </td><td> 4,661.57 </td>|| 44.48 <td> 10 </td>|| North Central</tr>
|align="left"| [[Vidin Province|Vidin]]               || 101,018 <td> 75,408 </td><td> -25.4% </td><td> 3,032.88 </td>|| 24.86 <td> 11 </td>|| North Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Vratsa Province|Vratsa]]             || 186,848 <td> 152,813 </td><td> -18.2% </td><td> 3,619.77 </td>|| 42.21 <td> 10 </td>|| North Western</tr>
|align="left"| [[Yambol Province|Yambol]]             || 131,447 <td> 109,693 </td><td> -16.5% </td><td> 3,355.48 </td>|| 32.69 <td> 5 </td>|| South Eastern</tr>
|-
!{{BGR}}
!7,364,570
!6,519,789
!-11.5%
!111,001.71
!58.73
!265
!
|}

== History ==
[[File:Oblasti de Bulgarie 1987-1999.png|thumbnail|300px|Provinces (with ex-districts) in 1987–1999]]
[[File:Oblasti 1987-1998 by Plamen Tsvetkov.png|thumb|right|300px|Provinces of Bulgaria from 1987 to 1998]]

In 1987, the then-existing 28 districts ([[okrug|okrags]]) were transformed into 9 large units (in Bulgarian called [[oblast]]s – ''provinces''), which survived until 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bulgaria – Government Structure |url=https://countrystudies.us/bulgaria/47.htm |access-date=15 October 2017 |website=countrystudies.us}}</ref>

The 9 large provinces are listed below, along with the pre-1987 districts (post-1999 small provinces) comprising them.

{| class="wikitable"
! 1987–1998<br/>oblasts !! Comprising former districts (future provinces)</tr>
| Burgas  || Burgas, Sliven, Yambol</tr>
| Haskovo || Haskovo, Kardzhali, Stara Zagora</tr>
| Lovech  || Gabrovo, Lovech, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo</tr>
| Montana || Montana, Vidin, Vratsa</tr>
| Plovdiv || Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Smolyan</tr>
| Razgrad || Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Targovishte</tr>
| Sofia   || Sofia City</tr>
| Sofia   || Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pernik, Sofia</tr>
| Varna   || Dobrich, Shumen, Varna</tr>
|}

On 1 January 1999, the old districts were restored with some modifications, but the designation "oblast" ("province") was kept.

== See also ==
*Administrative divisions below the province level:
**[[List of cities and towns in Bulgaria]]
**[[List of villages in Bulgaria]]
**[[Municipalities of Bulgaria]]
*[[List of Bulgarian constituencies|Constituencies of Bulgaria]], which are based on the provinces
*[[ISO 3166-2:BG]]
*[[List of Bulgarian provinces by GDP]]
*[[:fr:Liste des gouverneurs des provinces bulgares|Liste des gouverneurs des provinces bulgares]] {{in lang|fr}}

== References ==
{{commons category|Provinces of Bulgaria}}

<references/>

{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of European countries}}
{{Bulgaria topics}}
{{Provinces of Bulgaria}}

[[Category:Provinces of Bulgaria| ]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Bulgaria, Provinces]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Europe|Bulgaria 1]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Provinces, Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Lists of populated places in Bulgaria]]