Dobrich
Dobrich is the 9th-largest city in Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province and the capital of the region of Southern Dobrudzha. It is located in the northeastern part of the country, 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, not far from resorts such as Albena, Balchik, and Golden Sands. In January 2012, Dobrich was inhabited by 79,269 people within the city limits. The city is named after the Bulgarian medieval lord of the surrounding region - Dobrotitsa. Agriculture is the most developed branch of the economy. The most popular types of agricultural products in the region are wheat and lavender oil.
Dobrich Knoll on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Dobrich. A point of interest is the Dobrich TV Tower.
Etymology
The city is named after the 14th-century Dobrujan ruler Dobrotitsa, from the Slavic root dobr, "good".The city has had several name changes throughout its history. When the town was founded in the 16th century during the Ottoman period, it bore the name Hacıoğlu Pazarcık after the Turkish travelling merchant who established the settlement, and to distinguish it from the larger town of Pazarcık.
After the autonomous Bulgarian state was established, the citizens of the town voted to change the name to Dobrich on 19 February 1882. When Romania annexed Southern Dobruja in 1913 after the Second Balkan War, the city was known as Bazargic, the Romanian variant of its earlier Turkish name.
On 25 September 1940, per the Treaty of Craiova, the city reverted to Bulgarian rule and "Dobrich" became the name once again. In 1949, during the Communist era, the city was renamed Tolbukhin in honour of Soviet Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin. Finally, after the end of the Zhivkov regime, the name of the city was changed back to "Dobrich" by presidential decree on 19 September 1990.
History
The first evidence of settlement in what is now Dobrich dates from the 4th or 3rd century BC. Under the Latin name Abrittum, it was a city of the Roman province of Moesia Inferior, important enough to become a suffragan bishopric of the Metropolitan of the capital, Marcianopolis, but the Catholic diocese faded later. Ruins from 2nd to 4th centuries AD and the 7th to 11th centuries have also been found, including a Bulgar necropolis featuring pagan graves in the centre of the city.During the 11th century, Pecheneg invasions devastated the interior of Dobruja, leaving many settlements in the region uninhabited at the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire.
The settlement was founded for a second time in the 16th century by the Turkish merchant Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, whose name it bore until 1882. According to Ottoman data from 1646–1650, there were over 1,000 houses in the city, about 100 shops, three inns, three Turkish baths, twelve mosques and twelve schools. From the 17th to the 19th century, the city developed as a handicraft, trade and agricultural centre, being famous for its weaving, homespun tailoring, coppersmith's trade, leather-work and agricultural products, such as wheat, linseed, wool and cheese. At the beginning of the 19th century, the city's population reached 12,000, many of whom refugees from eastern Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish Wars. The cultural appearance of the city was also formed. The first Orthodox church was built in 1843. The city was liberated from the Ottoman Empire on 27 January 1878 and renamed Dobrich on 19 February 1882.
After the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913, Dobrich and the whole of Southern Dobruja were incorporated in Romania for a period until 1940. During that time, the city bore the name Bazargic, which is a transformation of the earlier Turkish name Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, and was centre of Caliacra County. On 25 September 1940, the Bulgarian army marched into the city after signing Treaty of Craiova on September 7, 1940; date celebrated as the city's holiday, later changed to September 25.
In 1949, during the period of Communist rule, Dobrich was renamed Tolbukhin after Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin. On 19 September 1990, a presidential decree restored the city's old name of Dobrich. Despite the renewing of the name Dobrich architecturally maintains an ex-communist outlook even in the 21st century. The vehicle registration plate code for the region has also remained unchanged; it is the abbreviation TX.
Geography
Dobrich is located in the northeastern part of the country, 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, not far from resorts such as Albena, Balchik, and Golden Sands.Climate
Ecology
Air
In the municipality of Dobrich, the quality of atmospheric air is monitored by the mobile station for emission control of the Regional Inspectorate for the Environment and Water Resources - Varna. The station is equipped with automatic monitoring devices measuring the quantities of carbon oxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfuric dioxide, and fine dust particles.The municipality is implementing a program for decreasing the quantities of dust particles, which was adopted by the municipal council in 2003.
Water resources
Surface water resources are insufficient in the region, with often water shortages. The town is supplied with water from drill wells and water catchment areas located near the town. Eight pumping stations provide bacteria-free drinking water which does not need further treatment. The water sources are in constant operation. A security area surrounds each source, and the water distribution is controlled by computers. The municipality boasts a complete water supply network.Green areas
The municipal Green System Plan examines the status of the existing urban and suburban green areas, as well as the variety of the plant species. The Green System includes the following categories of green areas: public parks and gardens, special parks and gardens, sanitary/protective greening, transportation greening, and limited-usage greening.Economy
Today Dobrich is a modern industrial-agricultural and transport center of the Dobrudzha region, one of the ten largest cities in Bulgaria - an important cultural, economic and administrative center in the northeastern economic region of the country. The economic profile of Dobrich is determined by the food industry, which provides over 50% of the volume of urban industry, as well as light industry. The rich agricultural area provides valuable raw materials.The specific features of the region are a prerequisite for the development of agriculture as one of the priority sectors in the economy of the district. Dobrich produces high quality products, which are processed on site and are competitive on both domestic and foreign markets. The arable agricultural land in the territory of the municipality is 7700 ha. The main crops are wheat, corn, sunflower. The structure-determining branch in the municipality is the food industry. The share in the national scale in the production of dairy products, bread and confectionery, oil and margarine, wines and spirits is solid. The city hosts the largest agricultural exhibition in the country, "Agriculture and everything about it." A significant share of the city's economy is occupied by light industry with the production of men's and women's clothing, furniture, fabrics, leather, jacquard products.
The extremely favorable combination of natural and climatic conditions in the region are a real prerequisite for the high level of agricultural development. It has always been and is now also one of the priority sectors in the district's economy. Apart from being the center of a large agricultural region, the municipality of Dobrich has a well-formed industrial complex. The city has developed the branches of the food industry / production of dairy products, sausages, pasta, wines and spirits, soft drinks; poultry meat products, flour, bread and confectionery /, light industry / production of men's and women's clothing, leather clothing, furniture and footwear /, mechanical engineering / production of batteries, machinery and equipment for milk processing, semi-trailers and containers, agricultural machinery, radiators and filters for cars and trucks, plastic products /, construction / construction of buildings and facilities, design, civil and industrial construction /. Another form of trade development is the organization of annual fairs and exhibitions on a national and international scale, such as "Agriculture and everything about it", "National Exchange for Seeds and Seedlings", "Beekeeping", "Trade, wines and delicacies", "Made in Bulgaria", as the role of "Dobrich Fair" AD is essential for their successful implementation.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the most developed branch of the economy. The main reason for this is the environment – climate, soils and clean lands. 81% of all the land in Dobrich is agricultural, almost 4,000,000 decares. More than 70% of it is cultivated, which makes Dobrich №1 cultivated region in the country. Farming, plant-growing and stock-breeding are the most important part of the economy in Dobrich. Dobrudja territory, called the “granary of Bulgaria” is part of the district. Some of the end products made in Dobrich are: bread and flour products, all kinds of sausages, milk and dairy products, poultry products, margarine and vegetable oils, wine, soft drinks.The biggest bird-farm is located in the district. Other factories of great importance are the milk factory, the bread factory. Additional important products from other industries are cement, electric appliances, clothes, confection, furniture, car batteries, containers and there are many other factories from the food and beverage industry.