Haskovo Province
Description
Haskovo
(Bulgarian: Област Хасково - Oblast Haskovo, former name Haskovo okrug) is a province in southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece and Turkey to the southeast, comprising parts of the Thracian valley along the river Maritsa. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Haskovo. The province embraces a territory of 5,533.3 km² that is divided into 11 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 256,408 inhabitants.
Population
The Haskovo had a population of 277,483 (277,478 also given) according to a 2001 census, of which 7001489000000000000♠48.9% were male and 7001511000000000000♠51.1% were female. As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 256,408 of which 7001258000000000000♠25.8% are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
Haskovo Province Year 1946 1956 1965 1975 1985 1992 2001 2005 2007 2009 2011 Population 235,248 272,100 287,996 330,132 334,584 295,503 277,483 267,204 263,019 256,408 246,238 Sources: National Statistical Institute, „Census 2001“, „Census 2011“, „pop-stat.mashke.org“,??Ethnic groups
Ethnic groups in Haskovo Province (2011 census) Ethnic group Percentage Bulgarians 79.4% Turks 12.5% Gypsies 7.0% others and indefinable 1.1%Total population (2011 census): 246 238
Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 227 382 persons:
- Bulgarians: 180 541 (79,40%)
- Turks: 28 444 (12,50%)
- Gypsies: 15 889 (6,99%)
- Others and indefinable: 2 508 (1,10%)
A further 20,000 persons in Haskovo Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.
Religion
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:
Census 2001 religious adherence population % Orthodox Christians 227,593 82.03% Muslims 33,780 12.17% Protestants 1,846 0.67% Roman Catholics 426 0.15% Other 1,833 0.66% Religion not mentioned 12,000 4.32% total 277,478 100%