PRESENTATION OF BOLYAROVO MUNICIPALITY 8720 Bolyarovo town No. 7, Dimitar Blagoev Str. Phone: (++359) 4741 22 50 (++359) 4741 22 51 Fax: (++359) 4741 24 30 website: http://bulgaria.domino.bg/bolyarovo General information and infrastructure Territory - 667 sq. km Number of population centers - 20 Population - 5,126 Administrative center - Bolyarovo town Bolyarovo Municipality is situated in the southern part of Yambol Regionon the northern slopes of Strandzha Mountain. It encompasses a part of the Tundzha undulating valley, the Derventski Elevations and the southern slopes of the Bakadzhitsite mounts.To the south the Municipality has a 55 km long border with the republic of Turkey. Its road network includes a total of 176 km of second, third- and fourth-class roads, the most important of them being Elhovo - Sredets. Economy and business The major companies operating in the Municipality are: Strandzha MP, Bolyarovo town - meat production and processing, it has modern technology and equipment for production of sorted pork, veal and beef, and all types of soft, dried, smoked and delicatessen salami and sausages; Simona ET, Bolyarovo town - purchasing and processing of Star thistle, 96 % of its output is sold abroad, mainly in the Hellenic Republic. In the agricultural sector mainly cereals are grown - wheat, barley, oats; summer crops - sunflower, Star thistle, coriander, millet and corn. Ruzhitsa cooperative in Ruzhitsa village manages and cultivates 13,700,000 sq. m of arable land in the land of Ruzhitsa village and Valchi Izvor village; VMHG-Transvel ET, Bolyarovo town manages and cultivates 8,000,000 sq. m of arable land in the land of Bolyarovo town, Mamarchevo village and Zlatinitsa village; other companies in the agriculture are ZOMASH, Elhovo town, Stoyan Georgiev ET, Ventsislav Iliev ET, and others. Strategic projects and opportunities for foreign investments Reconstruction of local road Strandzha village - G. Polyana village; Development of Bulgarian ecotourism - construction of a tourist resort nearby Voden Dam Lake; Project for a small home for elderly people in Voden village; Project for construction of small water supply sites for drinking and domestic water supply. 10 small demonstration projects have been approved: Making a park in G. Krushevo village; Grassing and expanding the park in Stefan Karadzhovo village; Overhaul repair of a church in Popovo village; Overhaul repair of a church in Strandzha village; Setting up an Information Center in Bolyarovo town; Construction of children's playground in Stefan Karadzhovo village; Repair of a church in Sharkovo village. The Municipality is included in the following: Program for Development of Farming and Rural Areas in Strandzha Sakar zone; Pilot Project for Underprivileged Municipalities under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Projects, which investments are being sought for: Construction of a tourist resort by Voden Dam Lake - place for eco-tourism development; Planting and growing walnut trees in the land of Voden village. Natural sights and monuments of culture The more interesting monuments of culture in the Municipality are: Ethnographic museum collection in Bolyarovo town; the Stefan Karadzha house-museum in Stefan Karadzhovo village; a commemoration sign on the place, where the home of Indzhe Voyvoda was in Popovo village. A monument to the founders of the Strandzhanska Komouna was made in Stefan Karadzhovo village. Some religious monuments are the Saint Virgin Mary's Assu church of 1763 in Stefan Karadzhovo village; the Saint George church in Voden village. There are archeological finds of 4 c. in the Monastery Complex in Voden village, a Thracian tomb in Ruzhitsa village, and early-Thracian graves in Valchi Izvor village. Environmental Protection and Tourism On the Popovska River near Malko Sharkovo village the second largest dam lake in Bulgaria has been built, which has an earth-embankment and is of 55 million cubic meters maximum capacity. If municipal terrains for construction in the surroundings of the dam lake are provided for construction purposes, this may resolve to a large extent the problem with the insufficient recreation facilities. Mineral water springs near Stefan Karadzhovo village of debit 13 l/sec have been explored and impounded. Their water is with hydro-carbonate calcium-magnesium mineralization, with proven healing properties similar to those of the mineral water in Karlovi Vari, the Czech Republic and Kislovodsk, Russia. A modern balneology treatment center has been built and equipped, which offers 240 beds. There are karst springs near Voden village. Associations, memberships, twin-cities and partnerships Bolyarovo Municipality is a member of: the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria; Trakia Regional Association of Municipalities. A protocol for cooperation has been signed with Vissa Municipality, the Hellenic Republic; A protocol for cooperation has been signed with Novchaz Municipality, the Republic of Turkey. Bolyarovo Municipality is a member of the newly incorporated Strandzha Local Development Association, whose objective is a Euro-region jointly with the Republic of Turkey to be established.