Area: 339,3 km²
Population: 10 773 people
Cities (villages): The municipality includes the town of Yakoruda and 7 villages: Yurukovo, Cherna Mesta, Konarsko, Buntzevo, Smolevo, Bel Kamen and Avramovo;
Location and Landscape characteristics:
The Municipality of Yakoruda is situated in the Northeast part of Blagoevgrad district.
It borders with the municipalities of Samokov and Kostenets from Sofia region, Belovo and Velingrad from Pazardzhik region and Belitsa municipality.
The territory of Yakoruda Municipality is characterized by mountaineous and semi-mountainous relief, covering parts of Rila and the Western Rhodopes, as well as the narrow valley in the upper reaches of the Mesta River.
The climate is continental with a poorly expressed Mediterranean influence, penetrating the valley of the River Mesta places, the average annual temperature is 8 °C. Winters are cold, with the average January temperature being -2 °C. Snow cover lingers about 150 days a year. Summer is short and cool with an average temperature in July 18 °C.
The water resources of the municipality are formed by the rivers Cherna and Bela Mesta, as well as by several small rivers (Jebre, Cessna, Yakoroushtitsa, Nielet and Lysarets). The Mesta River is formed by the merger of the rivers Byala and Cherna Mesta over the town of Yakoruda.
On the territory of Yakoruda municipality there are located five high-mountain natural lakes – Granchar, Dry Lake, Ribno . Lakes are an unused resource for tourist supply. On the Bela Mesta farms were created, such farms were built on other reservoirs. In Yakoruda, in the Bath area, there is a field of thermal waters of local importance.
Economy (agriculture, industry, tourism etc.)
Already at the beginning of the twentieth century Yakoruda had built its own power plant, a plumbing from Rila, a large community center and a new school, a popular bank and a labor-producing cooperative.
The main industrial branches in the region are the textile industry and the wood processing industry.
The textile industry has played a major role for the development of the municipality for the past 20 years. This type of industry is characterized with the presence of foreign investors from Greece and France, who managed to establish privately owned companies in the territory of the municipality.
The Agriculture is well developed in all the settlements of the municipality and has a major role for its overall development.
Natural resources are potential for the development of alternative (ecological, rural and cultural) tourism and give hope for turning the region into an attractive center for Bulgarian and foreign investments. The traditional agriculture also provides opportunities to accelerate economic development for the municipality.
Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union is a new challenge and an opportunity for the local government in Yakoruda. The Municipality implements a number of projects for improving the technical infrastructure. Initiatives to increase professional qualifications are being implemented as a condition for creating new and better jobs. The efforts of the local authorities aim to make the municipality of Yakoruda an attractive place to live and attract new investments
Links: http://yakoruda-municipality.bg/
Project Partner contact person:
Name: Bedi Osman
Project Manager