Silistra Province (Bulgarian:Област Силистра,Oblast Silistra) is aprovince of Bulgaria. Formerly known as the Silistraokrug, it is located on the northeast corner of Bulgaria. The province is part of theSouthern Dobrudja region, with its largest and major city beingSilistra. 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.
Silistra is one of the 28provinces of Bulgaria.[9][10] It was formerly known as the Silistraokrug.[11] It shares borders with the provinces ofDobrich,Shumen,Razgard, andRousse, and an international border with Romania.[7]
As of 2021, the province had a population of 97,770 inhabitants, making it the second least populated in the country.[3] 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, andTurks formed a significant minority with 37.4% of the population.[3]Romani people constituted about 5.2% of the inhabitants.Christianity had 45,638 adherents (54.3%), followed byIslam at 35,767 adherents (42.6%).[3]
The region is well connected with more than 500 km (310 mi) 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 ofelectricity. There is ateacher training institute apart from the schools imparting education at various levels. Medical services are provided by a regional and several district hospitals.[7]
