Razgrad

Razgrad
Разград
Razgrad
Location of Razgrad
Coordinates: 43°32′N 26°31′E / 43.533°N 26.517°E / 43.533; 26.517Coordinates: 43°32′N 26°31′E / 43.533°N 26.517°E / 43.533; 26.517
Country  Bulgaria
Province (Oblast) Razgrad
Government
 • Mayor Valentin Vassilev
Area
 • City 92.845 km2 (35.848 sq mi)
Elevation 270 m (890 ft)
Population (2012)[1]
 • City 33,416
 • Density 360/km2 (930/sq mi)
 • Urban 50,457
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code 7200
Area code(s) 084
Website www.razgrad.bg

Razgrad (Bulgarian: Разград [rɐzˈɡrat] ( listen)) is a city in Northeastern Bulgaria in the valley of the Beli Lom river that falls within the historical and geographical region of Ludogorie. It is an administrative center of Razgrad Province.

Etymology

The ruins of Abrittus

The suffix "grad" means city in Bulgarian, while the origin and the meaning of the first part "raz" is obscure. During the Second Bulgarian Empire, around the present city there was a settlement, mentioned by the names of Hrasgrad, Hrazgrad and Hrizgrad'. These names come from the name of the Proto-Bulgarian and Slavic god Hors.

History

Razgrad clock tower, the symbol of the city, built in 1864

Razgrad was built upon the ruins of the Ancient Roman town of Abritus on the banks of the Beli Lom river. Abritus was built on a Thracian settlement of the 4th-5th century BC with unknown name. Several bronze coins of the Thracian king Seuthes III (330-300 BC) and pottery were found, as well as artifacts from other rulers and a sacrificial altar of Hercules.

Ahmet Bey mosque in Razgrad

Some of Razgrad's landmarks include the Varosha architectural complex from the 19th century, the ethnographic museum and several other museums, the characteristic clock tower in the centre built in 1864, the St Nicholas the Miracle Worker Church from 1860, the Momina cheshma sculpture, the Mausoleum Ossuary of the Liberators (1879–1880) and the Ibrahim Pasha Mosque from 1530. The mosque is said to be one of the largest in the Balkans.

In 251, the town was the site of the Battle of Abrittus, during which the Goths defeated a Roman army under the emperors Trajan Decius and Herennius Etruscus. The battle is notable for being the first occasion of a Roman emperor being killed in a battle with barbarians.

Razgrad Peak on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Razgrad.

Population

In January 2012, Razgrad was inhabited by 33,416 people within the city limits, while the Razgrad Municipality with the legally affiliated adjacent villages had 50,457 inhabitants.[1] The number of the residents of the city (not the municipality) reached its peak in the period 1988-1991 when exceeded 55,000.[2] The following table presents the change of the population after 1887.

Razgrad
Year 1887 1910 1934 1946 1956 1965 1975 1985 1992 2001 2005 2009 2011 2013
Population 11,752 13,957 15,421 15,010 18,389 26,398 42,609 49,582 40,906 38,948 35,932 34,592 33,880 33,005
Highest number 58,112 in 1991
Sources: National Statistical Institute,[2][3] citypopulation.de,[4] pop-stat.mashke.org,[5] Bulgarian Academy of Sciences[6]

Ethnic, linguistic and religious composition

According to the latest 2011 census data, the individuals declared their ethnic identity were distributed as follows:[7][8]

  • Bulgarians: 24,701 (79.1%)
  • Turks: 5,902 (18.9%)
  • Roma: 288 (0.9%)
  • Others: 140 (0.4%)
  • Indefinable: 195 (0.6%)
    • Undeclared: 2,654 (7.8%)

Total: 33,880

The Razgrad Province has the second largest Turkish population in Bulgaria behind the Kardzhali Province, though the municipality and the city of Razgrad have a lower proportion of Turks than the rest of the province.

Sport

Razgrad is widely recognizable for being home to the association football club Ludogorets Razgrad, who in recent years have become the dominant force in Bulgarian football after winning seven consecutive Bulgarian First League titles in a row. After reaching the Europa League round of 16 during the 2013-14 season, the club also made their UEFA Champions League debut appearance a season later. Ludogorets currently play their home matches at Ludogorets Arena, a venue with a capacity of 9,000 people.

Climate

Climate data for Razgrad, Bulgaria (2000-2014)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 4.0
(39.2)		 6.2
(43.2)		 11.7
(53.1)		 16.8
(62.2)		 22.5
(72.5)		 26.0
(78.8)		 28.7
(83.7)		 28.9
(84)		 23.8
(74.8)		 17.7
(63.9)		 11.9
(53.4)		 5.1
(41.2)		 17.0
(62.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.5
(32.9)		 1.6
(34.9)		 6.9
(44.4)		 11.6
(52.9)		 17.1
(62.8)		 20.7
(69.3)		 23.1
(73.6)		 23.2
(73.8)		 18.5
(65.3)		 13.1
(55.6)		 8.1
(46.6)		 1.7
(35.1)		 12.2
(54)
Average low °C (°F) −3.1
(26.4)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 2.1
(35.8)		 6.5
(43.7)		 11.6
(52.9)		 15.1
(59.2)		 17.5
(63.5)		 17.5
(63.5)		 13.2
(55.8)		 8.5
(47.3)		 4.2
(39.6)		 −1.6
(29.1)		 7.5
(45.5)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 42
(1.65)		 37
(1.46)		 35
(1.38)		 50
(1.97)		 58
(2.28)		 67
(2.64)		 42
(1.65)		 31
(1.22)		 35
(1.38)		 50
(1.97)		 63
(2.48)		 49
(1.93)		 560
(22.05)
Source: Stringmeteo.com[9]

Notable people born in Razgrad

Twin towns — sister cities

Razgrad is twinned with:[10]

References

  1. 1 2 (in Bulgarian)National Statistical Institute - 2012 Archived 2012-11-13 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 (in Bulgarian)National Statistical Institute - Towns population 1956-1992
  3. ↑ Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - towns in 2009
  4. ↑ „WorldCityPopulation“
  5. ↑ „pop-stat.mashke.org“
  6. ↑ (in Bulgarian) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ (in Bulgarian) Population on 01.02.2011 by provinces, municipalities, settlements and age; National Statistical Institute
  8. ↑ Population by province, municipality, settlement and ethnic identification, by 01.02.2011; Bulgarian National Statistical Institute (in Bulgarian)
  9. ↑ , Stringmeteo.com Retrieved December 03, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Списък на побратимени градове" (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 15 December 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
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