Zlatograd Златоград | |
|---|---|
 Zlatograd - Ethnological Complex | |
  Zlatograd | |
| Coordinates:41°23′N25°06′E / 41.383°N 25.100°E /41.383; 25.100 | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Province (Oblast) | Smolyan |
| Elevation | 521 m (1,709 ft) |
| Population (December 2009)[1] | |
• City | 7,110 |
| • Urban | 12,087 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal Code | 4980 |
| Area code | 03071 |
Zlatograd (Bulgarian:Златоград,[zɫɐtoˈɡrat],lit. ''gold town'')is a town inSmolyan Province, southern-centralBulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymousZlatograd Municipality. In December 2009, the town had a population of 7,110.[1]
It is located 60km from the province centre ofSmolyan. TheGreek border is 5 km from the town. The cross-border Zlatograd - Thermes (Greece) road was inaugurated on 15 January 2010.
During the rule of theOttoman Empire, the area was a township of the OttomanSanjak of Gümülcine inAdrianople Vilayet between 1867 and 1912 known asDarıdere. The town still retains its characteristic Ottoman-era architecture, with numerous old buildings as well as two 19th-century Orthodox churches and a mosque.
Zlatograd is located in a valley between the eastern and central massif of theRhodope mountains.
The municipality's climate is included in the transient-Mediterranean climate region.Mineral resources includelead-zincore.
The territory of the municipality is crossed by Varbitza river which is 98.1 km long and its catchment basin is 1202.8 km. Nedelinska and Kushlenska rivers are tributaries ofVarbitza. There is a dam lake named "Zlatograd" with water capacity of 4,4.106 m . and a micro dam lake called "Hasidere" (0,4.106 m).
Forest covers an area of 144.60 km2. Species including beech,hornbeam, oak, birch and cornel-tree are mostly spread among the broad-leaved forests. Prevailing coniferous trees are spruce, fir-tree, white and black pine.
Agriculture covers 25 km2 and the arable land is 12 km2. The cultures grown in the municipality are tobacco, potatoes, vegetables and strawberries (representatives of perennial plants).
There is a tailings pond called "Erma Reka" which is 8 km away from the town of Zlatograd and 5 km away from the village ofErma Reka. The municipality is rich in underground resources. In the surroundings ofErma Reka there is a geothermal deposit of hot mineral water.
Soils are maroon forest leached (97.59 km2); brown forest-dark (12 km2); brown forest-transient (83.37 km2); brown forest light (117.59 km2); alluvial-delluvial (0.59 km2); humus-carbonate (11.07 km2).
Zlatograd Rock onLivingston Island in theSouth Shetland Islands,Antarctica is named after Zlatograd.
