PRESENTATION OF ELHOVO MUNICIPALITY 8700 Elhovo town No. 13, Targovska Street Phone: (++359) 478 880 25 (++359) 478 880 15 Fax: (++359) 478 880 34 Web site: http://bulgaria.domino.bg/elhovo General information and infrastructure Territory - 708 sq. km Number of population centers - 22 Population - 21,801 Administrative center - Elhovo town Elhovo Municipality has outgoing transport connections through four entrance-and-exit points, namely: northern point through Elhovo towards Yambol city and the interior of Bulgaria, eastern point - through Dobrich village towards Bolyarovo, Sredets and Burgas, western point - through Elhovo towards Topolovgrad and Harmanli, and through Malak Manastir village towards Skalitsa and Stara Zagora. The roads structure ensures good connections between the administrative center and the villages. The constructed road network on the territory of Elhovo Municipality is of total length 196.8 km. The administrative center of the Municipality is at a distance of 110 km from Burgas international airport, and 100 km from the largest Bulgarian sea-port of Burgas. The telecommunications system in the Municipality is being upgraded and digitalized. There is coverage by two cell phone operators. Economy and business Elhovo Business Center is a not-for-profit organization for public good established under the project titled Employment through Support to Business. It delivers the following services: financial leasing for purchase of equipment, trainings and workshops, office services, information - technical services, etc. It also works under the JOBS Project component titled Support to the Producers of Herbs and Alternative Agricultural Products. Yanitsa AD is a factory with over 25 years of tradition in fashion design and production of linear knitwear items (ladies' and men's sweaters, etc.); Deli - 99 EOOD - production of underwear, sports and casual clothing made of knitwear; Hlyab I Hlebni Izdelia EOOD is a major producer of bread and bakery products in the region; Lemekon AD is a specialized manufacturer of fasteners for water installations; Elprom Elhovo AD is one of the largest producers in Bulgaria of electric equipment for cars, production of components and spare parts for electric systems of cars - breakers for starters, ignition coils, electronic relay regulators for cars, and also electric devices for industrial trucks and farming machines; distribution plugs and jaws. One of the large producers of farming products in Elhovo Municipality is ZOMASH OOD company, Elhovo town; it cultivates leased land in the municipalities of Elhovo and Bolyarovo. It has good facilities, modern equipment and experienced staff; А.Т.Е. EOOD deals with farming - mainly grains growing, production of fish-breeding material for several species of freshwater fish, fish farming, production of fodder and compound feed mostly for the fish-breeding material and for the fish farming; DAP AD is a licensed carrier for domestic and international transport. It is the major company providing public transport services in the Municipality. Asrto-Yan - Yanko Georgiev ET deals with domestic and international cargo transport, delivery of fuels and lubricants, farming; BKS Elhovo OOD carries out construction and assembly works, utility services, production of lime solutions, road transport services and services with building machines; Strandzha 2000 OOD, Elhovo town is a company for employment and structural development. Commercial companies with municipal capital, which offer healthcare services: Saint Ivan Rilski General Hospital for Active Treatment, and Medical Center No. 1, EOOD, Elhovo town. Elhovo Municipality has 378.07 sq. km of arable land (green fields, perennial crops and nurseries) and about 129.6 sq. km of forests fund. Grains are the most common in plant growing in terms of occupied area. Perennial crops, namely vineyards, are grown on much smaller areas. Tobacco is also grown. Three hunting zones and a pheasant farm have been set up in the Municipality, the latter being managed by the State Game Breeding Unit of Yambol. International hunting tourism is developed in these zones, and the game hunted for is red deer, wild boar, pheasant, roe. Strategic projects and opportunities for foreign investments Elhovo Municipality is an external border of the Republic of Bulgaria. A border control point Lesovo - Hamzabeyli is going to be opened. A first-class road 1-7 Elhovo - Lesovo has been built together with its auxiliary infrastructure, communications and power supply and connections. A large number of projects have been implemented under government and pre-accession programs. A major objective of the trans-border cooperation is to make the Municipality a transport center of national importance. The project titled Together in Europe - Development of Trans-border Cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Turkey for Creating Conditions for Establishing a Euro-region of the Two Countries has been successfully completed. Opportunities are sought for setting up a duty free zone, joint industrial zones and technology parks on the territory of Yambol Region and Odrin Region with the active involvement of the municipalities on both sides of the border. Donors are being sought for the following projects: Construction of a Tourist Visitors' Center and Creating Eco-paths in Elhovo Municipality, Construction of a multi-functional sports hall, etc. Natural sights and monuments of culture Elhovo Municipality falls in the group of the slightly polluted air basins of Bulgaria. The Municipality has well preserved rich cultural historical heritage, maintained folklore traditions and customs. The Ethnographic Museum in Elhovo town has a display room of 130 sq. m area. Every year it welcomes over 16,000 visitors. The museum has participated with some of its exhibits in exhibitions in Bulgaria, Budapest, Vienna, Bucharest, and Montreal. Since mid 2003 the Ethnographic Museum of Elhovo town has been included under No. 100 in the list of the National Movement called Get to Know Bulgaria - 100 National Tourist Sites. Historical places exist on the territory of Elhovo Municipality - remains of antique and medieval fortresses, such as those in the land of Lesovo village, the Kaleto locality in Granitovo village, Kyostko Kale locality in Razdel village, Gradishteto locality in Melnitsa village, Krasta locality in Malak Manastir village, the Thrakian rock sanctuary in the land of Melnitsa village, dolmens near Golyam Dervent village. Remains from prehistoric settlement mounds exist near the villages of Kirilovo - the Minchogyopreva Mogila, Boyanovo - the Raykov Sumay, Lesovo - Dyadopanyova Vodenitsa, Granitovo - Azmatsite, and Elhovo town - Tourskoto Kyoshe. The Derventski elevations are to the east of the Tundzha River valley and are linked to Strandzha Mountain. They are suitable for short picnics and hikes. The Elprom Elhovo company's recreation home is in Gyol Bounar locality, Golyam Dervent village; the recreation homes of Yanitsa Company and Elhovo Municipality are in Sladkoto Kladenche locality, Razdel village. Dranchi Dupka is a locality in the northern foot of the Derventski elevations in the land of Melnitsa village. It is a karst terrain with several springs, a vertical cave with an underground river and a horizontal cave. A small church has been restored in this locality and is in operation now. The Manastircheto locality in Stroyno village is a large clearing with more than 20 centuries-old trees, a spring with drinking water, a small church-sanctuary that has been restored and renovated. It is a site for summer recreation. The Lesovski gorge of the Tundzha River is between Sakar Planina Mountain and the Derventski Elevations. The shoots along the riverbed and the fast-running water of the Tundzha in the Darkaya locality are an attractive place for water rafting competitions and water slalom. Above Elhovo town along the right bank of the Tundzha in dense forests are the Balabana reserve and the Dolna Topchia reserve, which are the natural nesting place of the ring-necked pheasant, which is a rare species in Europe. The mammals found in these reserves are fox, jackal, hare, wild boar, Falow-deer. The world protected Imperial eagles are 16 pairs in Bulgaria and one of them makes their nest in the centuries-old trees in Borisovo village. The Rodni Prostori tourist company organizses hikes, picnics, holidays, tourist orientation competitions, cycling races, as well as excursion trips in Bulgaria and abroad. The company has 25-seat van, tents and auxiliary equipment for 40 tourists, 12 boats for water slalom.