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Kyustendil

Coordinates: 42°17′N 22°41′E / 42.283°N 22.683°E / 42.283; 22.683
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cizlini (talk | contribs) at 03:06, 4 May 2013 (I took the weather results from the Bulgarian page at http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%8E%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

42°17′N 22°41′E / 42.283°N 22.683°E / 42.283; 22.683

Kyustendil
Кюстендил
Coat of arms of Kyustendil
Coat of arms
CountryBulgaria
Province
(Oblast)		Kyustendil
Government
 • MayorPetar Paunov
Area
 • City
18.72 km2 (7.23 sq mi)
Elevation
513 m (1,683 ft)
Population
 (Census February 2011)
 • City
44,532
 • Density2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi)
 • Urban
60,681
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code
2500
Area code078
License plateKH

Kyustendil (Template:Lang-bg) is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of Kyustendil Province. Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of Sofia.

Etymology

The city was named after the last Christian lord of the surrounding region, Constantine Dragash.

Geography

Kyustendil is a national balneological resort at an altitude of 500 metres. The ancient name of the town, Pautalia (a town of springs) is Thracian.[1]

Climate

Climate data for Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria (1931-1970), records 1926-1970
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18
(64) 		23
(73) 		31
(88) 		35
(95) 		37
(99) 		39
(102) 		40
(104) 		41
(106) 		37
(99) 		33
(91) 		25
(77) 		22
(72) 		41
(106)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 3.4
(38.1) 		6.6
(43.9) 		11.4
(52.5) 		17.5
(63.5) 		22.2
(72.0) 		25.4
(77.7) 		28.5
(83.3) 		28.1
(82.6) 		24.9
(76.8) 		18.6
(65.5) 		11.3
(52.3) 		5.4
(41.7) 		17
(63)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.8
(30.6) 		1.7
(35.1) 		5.7
(42.3) 		11.4
(52.5) 		16
(61) 		19.5
(67.1) 		21.8
(71.2) 		21.5
(70.7) 		17.4
(63.3) 		11.8
(53.2) 		6.7
(44.1) 		1.7
(35.1) 		11.2
(52.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.7
(23.5) 		−2.8
(27.0) 		0.5
(32.9) 		5.2
(41.4) 		10.6
(51.1) 		12.9
(55.2) 		14.5
(58.1) 		13.7
(56.7) 		10.6
(51.1) 		6.1
(43.0) 		2.6
(36.7) 		−2.1
(28.2) 		5.5
(41.9)
Record low °C (°F) −27
(−17) 		−26
(−15) 		−21
(−6) 		−6
(21) 		−2
(28) 		4
(39) 		5
(41) 		3
(37) 		−2
(28) 		−5
(23) 		−14
(7) 		−19
(−2) 		−25.2
(−13.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 48
(1.9) 		45
(1.8) 		42
(1.7) 		52
(2.0) 		68
(2.7) 		65
(2.6) 		54
(2.1) 		36
(1.4) 		38
(1.5) 		59
(2.3) 		62
(2.4) 		55
(2.2) 		624
(24.6)
Source: Stringmeteo.com[2]


There are more than 40 mineral springs in the town. The waters have a high content of sulfite compounds. These are used for the treatment of the locomotory system, gynecological and other kinds of diseases. The resort region includes several baths, balneological complexes and others.

Kyustendil is located at the foot of the Osogovo mountain, on both banks of the Banska River and is a well-known centre of balneology and fruit growing. The town is 90 kilometres southwest of Sofia, 69 km northwest of Blagoevgrad and 22 km from the border with the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia. The fortress was built by the Romans. Thermae, basilicas, floor mosaics have been uncovered.

History

A Thracian settlement was founded at the place of the modern town in the 5th-4th centuries BC and the Romans developed it into an important stronghold, balneological resort and trade junction called Pautalia in the 1st century AD. Many Thracian and Roman objects are exhibited in the city's Regional History Museum, most notably an impressive numismatic collection.

The Hisarlaka fortress was built in the 4th century and the town was mentioned under the Slavic name of Velbazhd (Велбъжд, meaning "camel")[1] in a 1019 charter by the Byzantine Emperor Basil II. It became a major religious and administrative centre.

Medieval Principality of Velbazhd

During the reign of Kaloyan of Bulgaria, the town became part of the Second Bulgarian Empire, acquiring its modern name in the 16th century, named after local feudal lord Konstantin Dragash (ruled from 1379 to 1395).[1] In 1330 the Battle of Velbazhd took place in the vicinity of the town. After that war, the city came under Serbian rule, which lasted between 1330-1355. About 1355 Velbazhd and its region were included in the semi-independent feudal Velbazhd principality of Despot Deyan. In 1372 the Turks conquered the town. It was known as Köstendil under Ottoman rule. The name Köstendil was derived from Constantine Dragas' name. The city was a sanjak centre initially in Rumelia province, after that in the Bitola and Niš vilayets. It was a kaza centre in the Sofia sanjak of Danube Province until the creation of the Principality of Bulgaria in 1878.

The residents of Kyustendil took an active part in the Bulgarian National Revival and crafts and trade flourished. The town was liberated from Ottoman rule on 29 January 1878.

Population

Ethnic linguistic and religious composition

According to the latest 2011 census data, the individuals declared their ethnic identity were distributed as follows:[3][4]

  • Bulgarians: 36,732 (86.7%)
  • Roma: 5,179 (12.2%)
  • Turks: 21 (0.0%)
  • Others: 143 (0.3%)
  • Indefinable: 296 (0.7%)
    • Undeclared: 2,161 (4.9%)

Total: 44,532

There is a large concentration of Roma within the city limits as the Roma are 5179 in the city and 5210 in the municipality, while the Bulgarian elements are 36732 in the city and 52496 in the municipality. Kyustendil is also the administartive center in Bulgaria with the largest percentage of Roma.

Honours

Kyustendil Ridge in Graham Land, Antarctica is named after the city,[5] and Pautalia Glacier on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Pautalia (its Thracian ancestor settlement).[6]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ a b c Adrian Room, "Placenames of the World" ISBN 0-7864-2248-3 McFarland & Company (2005)
  2. ^ [1], Stringmeteo.com Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  3. ^ Template:Bg icon Population on 01.02.2011 by provinces, municipalities, settlements and age; National Statistical Institute
  4. ^ Population by province, municipality, settlement and ethnic identification, by 01.02.2011; Bulgarian National Statistical Institute Template:Bg icon
  5. ^ Kyustendil Ridge. SCAR Composite Antarctic Gazetteer.
  6. ^ Pautalia Glacier. SCAR Composite Antarctic Gazetteer.


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