The Vidin District

Geographical Location

The Vidin district is located in the northwestern part of Bulgaria and covers a territory of 3,022 square kilometers, which is 2,7% of the country's total.

To the north it borders the Danube and is naturally connected to Romania and the other Danubian countries. To the west its border tallies with the Bulgarian - Serbian boundary. To the east it neighbors the Montana district and to the south it is surrounded by the Balkan Mountains.

The Vidin district has a diverse relief. From the northeast to the northwest follow the Danubian plane, the Pre-Balkan Mountains and the Balkan mountain range.

There are significant deposits of raw materials of sedimentary character on the district's territory. The most promising and economically efficient are the gypsum deposits near Koshava village, which are unique on the Balkan Peninsula. Significant deposits of limestone and clay, as well as marble deposits near Chuprene village have also been discovered. The mineral water springs near Slanotran village are not fully utilized yet but they possess capacity for future development and investments.

Population

The population of the Vidin district is 131,215 people, of which 63,650 men and 67,565 women. 77,422 people live in the towns and 54,088 - in the local villages.

There are 139 towns and villages in the district, administratively divided in 11 municipalities (Vidin, Bregovo, Novo Selo, Dimovo, Roujintsi, Belogradchik, Boynitsa, Chuprene, Gramada, Makresh, Kula).

The town of Vidin is the main administrative, economic and cultural center of the district, located on the Danube River with a population of 57,614 people.

Over one half of the population is in working age, and about one fourth is between 20 and 39 years of age. (Preliminary data of the 2001 census)

Priorities of the Regional Development Plan

The National Regional Development Plan is a major mechanism for regional policy implementation and for the delivery of direct internal and external resources to the northwestern region, of which Vidin is a part. The completion of the second Danube River Bridge and the upgrading of the Sofia - Vidin rail route, as units of the national transportation system and inherent structural elements of European road and rail route networks, are also mentioned in the updated Program 2001 of the government. The support of regions with high unemployment rates by encouraging local business projects is amongst the priorities of the government program. The development of the northwest region is recognized as a priority, part of the financial memorandum of the Phare 2000 Program.

The priorities included in the Regional Development Plan, together with the processing industry, tourism and services, are the following:

• Development of effectively functioning agriculture;
• Revival of the traditional agricultural sectors, including vine growing, production of vegetables and fruits, cereals and fodder. A priority for the region is also the greenhouse vegetable production;
• Development of livestock breeding through improved selection.

The future development of agriculture in the Vidin district should be bound with the favorable conditions for the development of the processing industry. The existing infrastructure and the traditions in the field of agricultural produce processing give competitive advantages to the region.

For the implementation of these priorities, the Vidin district relies on the optimistic attitude of entrepreneurs (40% of them plan to achieve company growth), on the qualified labor force and on new investments in the region, based on the targeted regional policy of the Bulgarian government.

Priorities under PHARE and SAPARD

The priority sectors in the Vidin district under the SAPARD Program are agriculture and the processing industry, including:

Encouragement of investments in private farms in the fields of:
Vine Growing
Vegetables and Perennial Plants Growing
Dairy Industry
Livestock Breeding
Forestry

Improvement of company marketing strategies and processing techniques in the fields of:
Wine Production
Canning Industry
Dairy Products
Meat Processing
Wood Processing

In the framework of the Phare 2000 - 2001 Program for Economic and Social Cohesion, the priority areas include:

• Promotion of SMEs through raising the quality of production and restructuring;
• Human resource development though improvement of educational levels and qualifications;
• Business-related infrastructural improvements - roads, communications, etc.

Population

The population of the Vidin district is 131,215 people, of which 63,650 men and 67,565 women. 77,422 people live in the towns and 54,088 - in the local villages.

There are 139 towns and villages in the district, administratively divided in 11 municipalities (Vidin, Bregovo, Novo Selo, Dimovo, Roujintsi, Belogradchik, Boynitsa, Chuprene, Gramada, Makresh, Kula).

The town of Vidin is the main administrative, economic and cultural center of the district, located on the Danube River with a population of 57,614 people.

Over one half of the population is in working age, and about one fourth is between 20 and 39 years of age. (Preliminary data of the 2001 census)

Labor Resources

Typical of the Vidin district is the highly qualified and motivated labor force. The population in working age is 51,800 people and the employment rate in the region is 27,7%. In terms of human resource development, the Vidin district occupies one of the leading places in the country .( This is a complex indicator of regional development based on welfare, life expectancy, access to education and GDP per capita.)

The prevailing part of the population is employed in the processing and mining industries; agriculture; construction; trade, services; light industry; transport; education and healthcare.

The restructuring of local industries has lead to a significant increase in the unemployment rate among the highly educated and qualified part of the labor force. The unemployment rate in the Vidin district is slightly above the country average - 20,6%.

Social Infrastructure

The educational infrastructure in the region includes 58 schools, amongst them 8 secondary vocational schools specialized in Management, Commerce, Construction, Technical Sciences, Transport, Chemistry, Agriculture, Textiles and Catering, and two special-profile high-schools specialized in Natural Sciences and Foreign Languages.

The number of students in the district during the 2000/2001 academic year adds up to 15,465.

Since the beginning of the 1999/2000 academic year the schools in the district have been included in a Phare funded project on the financial management of secondary education. The Phare 2000 program for the improvement of vocational training envisages improving the school facilities as well as developing re-training programs for teachers. The project ends in 2007.

In 2000 a New Bulgarian University distance-learning branch was established in Vidin. For the 2000/2001 academic year 30 students were enrolled in Economics and Business Administration studies. Next year there will also be an Environmental Science class.

There are 11 healthcare institutions, including 3 hospitals, 7 medical and 1 dental center. Lots of specialists provide high quality healthcare services to the population - 92 GPs, 86 specialists, 107 general dentists and 7 specialists.

Industry - leading branches and enterprises

The Vidin district has a diversified economic structure. Well developed are the sectors of light industry, agriculture, trade and services, transport, processing industry, machine building and food and beverage industry. The private firms registered in the Vidin district are over 10,000 as per 1999 data.

The strengths of the region which determine the prospects for future development are as follows:

• a share of processing industry and trade in the gross value added higher than the country average;
• a well developed communications network - the region has leading positions with regard to telephone coverage;
• a well developed water-supply network;
• a relatively high share of foreign investments per citizen in the district (as compared to other districts in the country).

Direct foreign investments by sectors (31.12.1999/thousand USD)

The Vidin district is connected by rail and roads to all settlements in the country and to the cross-border points. The axis with the most significant economic impact on the district is the Sofia - Mezdra - Vratsa - Vidin railway, with an extension from the town of Boychinovtsi to the towns of Montana and Berkovitsa, and from the railway station of Broussartsi to the town of Lom.

The road infrastructure is well developed, of greatest importance being the Vidin - Montana - Vratsa - Botevgrad - Sofia road, which is part of the international E-79 highway.

The construction of a second bridge over the Danube River, connecting Vidin and Kalafat, will have a positive influence on the economic development and employment structure of the region in the next few years.

There are two harbors in the region - near Vidin and near Novo Selo, which facilitate travelling from Western Europe to the Aegean Sea region. The existing Ro-Ro terminal provides transportation along the Danube to Germany and to the Rhein - Main - Danube corridor, being the shortest way from Western Europe to the Near East. Ferries, railways and cruise ships facilitate connections with various towns in Bulgaria and with European capital cities.

An important advantage of the Vidin county center in the field of transport is the existing free trade zone, located on the Danube riverbank adjacent to the ferry complex and the Vidin cargo harbor. The zone has 7,300 square meters of indoor facilities and an open space area of 3,000 square meters. It has been operational since 1992 and can boast a good turnover, especially with regard to transit and re-exporting activities, which are new to the town of Vidin.

The free trade zone provides foreign companies with the following:

• duty free import and export of goods;
• processing of duty free goods (sorting, labeling, repackaging, break-up, etc.);
• modern indoor storage facilities;
• premises for foreign companies' representative offices with access to modern communication links;
• a gas/diesel station;
• a ship fueling terminal.

The zone provides its customers with all the services necessary for their activities - processing of transport documentation, forwarding of goods, insurance, etc.

Leading Enterprises in the Vidin district

VIDA STYLE
VIDA STYLE S.A. is the biggest garment maker in the region. Established in 1962, it specializes in the manufacturing of men's shirts and ties, and ladies' blouses. The high quality of its production and the close cooperation with foreign companies, including Orbis, Drexel, Hatico, BWA, GBS, etc., provide access to both domestic and international markets - Germany, USA, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, France, Finland, Italy.

VIPOM
VIPOM is a joint-stock company, 87% owned by private shareholders, specializing in manufacturing a wide range of centrifugal, eddy, diagonal tubular pumps, pump aggregates and stations, repairs and spare parts. The company has representative offices in Sofia and Moscow. Its export is oriented to Russia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Germany, and France. In order to raise production quality and competitiveness, a system of quality control in compliance with ISO 9001 has been introduced.

BONONIA
"BONONIA" is the first ordinary and bone porcelain factory in Bulgaria. It was founded in 1925 and is nowadays restructured as a joint-stock company benefiting from the expertise of Russian and British partners. All production equipment has been imported from Germany, Great Britain and Italy. The high quality and wide range of products ensure a good market share for the company on the domestic and international markets - Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Greece, etc.

FANTY-G
This is a private transportation company, established in 1991 and specializing in international transport and forwarding mostly in the direction Bulgaria - Western Europe - Bulgaria. All vehicles meet the environmental protection and safety travel requirements. The company has modern facilities to carry out complete transportation services: a gas station, parking lot, car wash, car repair facilities and warehouses. The company provides transportation along the Danube of bulk and other cargoes, containers, automobiles to and from Western Europe.

KULA RING
The plant produces high quality rubber articles. "KULA RING" is a joint-stock company with Dutch participation. It specializes in the production of belt conveyors, gaskets, profiles, pads, etc. About 75% of the production is export oriented to countries from the EU, Central and Eastern Europe.

KNAUF GIPSFAZER
The KNAUF Gipsfazer joint-stock company was established in 1997 with 99% Austrian investments. As of now the total output is an average of 3 million square meters of gypseophazer plates, Vidiwall and Vidifloor brands. These products are widely used in portable houses, barrage walls, floor insulation, linings, etc. The high quality production is oriented towards the domestic and international markets - Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

GIPS
GIPS is the only company in the country for extraction and processing of gypsum. It was established in the beginning of the 1960s as the "Koshava" mine-manufacturing enterprise. The equipment provides high-quality production, which completely meets the domestic market requirements and is also well accepted on international markets. Over the past few years the production capacity has reached about 160,000 tons of natural gypsum and 85,000 tons of construction and other special types of gypsum. Currently, the plant is undergoing a process of privatization.

ELBY BULGARICUM
This is a joint-stock company with a 100% state participation. Although there is no foreign capital invested, the company cooperates with Japanese companies in accordance with an Inter-government Agreement. An R&D Center in the field of dairy products, a successor to the Institute of Dairy Industry (existing since 1963), is a separate business unit of the company.

The basic activities of the company are focused on research, implementation and production on market principles, without state subsidies. The company produces and sells a large variety of dairy products, bacterial ferments and supplies on the domestic and the international markets - USA, Australia, CIS and the Near East. There are long-term trade agreements with Japanese companies.

Agriculture

Typical of the region is the moderate continental climate with an average annual temperature of 11,2^oC. The rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year: in the lower lands it is about 550 - 600 mm per square meter, while in the higher regions it reaches up to 750 mm per square meter.

The lowlands along the Danube bank (Vidin and Archar-Orchar lowlands) are the most fertile areas and are suitable for growing a wide range of crops.

Several small rivers cross the region's territory - Topolovets, Archar and the upper stream of Lom. Four dams and 38 micro-dams have been constructed and can be used for irrigation in the process of developing the existing irrigation infrastructure.

The soil in the region is typically humus, and in the higher lands - brown and gray forest, favoring the development of agriculture. The arable land in the region has an area of 146,415 hectares and the woodlands cover 90,955 hectares.

Used arable land

Produce of main crops for the year 2000:

The Vidin district specializes in growing:

• cereal and fodder crops;
• vegetables;
• fruit;
• grapes.

Vine growing has century-old traditions in the Vidin district. The climate conditions and the soil type in many micro-regions are suitable for the cultivation of vines up to 600 meters above sea level. The Vidin district is a traditional producer of red and white wines, as well as of dessert grapes. Gamza, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Aligote, Rkatsitely, Misket, Otonel, Bulgar, etc. are typical grape varieties grown in the region.

Trade and Services

Trade and services in the district have undergone significant changes over the past few years. At present the district is characterized by the development and expansion of high-tech specialized repair and maintenance companies, which provide high-quality services.

A priority for the district in the field of trade is the establishment of specialized wholesale markets and commodity exchanges.

The Vidin district has competitive advantages in the trade sector with the existing free trade zone and the Vidin harbor facilities, which meet the high international standards on storage facilities, technical and communication infrastructure.

Finance and insurance are well developed. At present 10 banks and 5 insurance companies operate on the district's territory.

Several business-supporting structures have been established in the district, including the Agency for Regional Development and Business Center - Vidin, the Vidin Business Incubator, the Bulgarian Industrial Association and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which have a good reputation among the population and the local business community. They provide high quality consultancy, training and information; have experience in working with international investors, and are members of well established and developed national and international networks.

Small and Medium-size Enterprises

The SME sector in the Vidin district has a higher share in the gross value added in comparison with the country average.

Share of firms in gross value added by size

Similar to the structure of firms in Bulgaria as a whole, the prevailing part of the companies in the Vidin district are micro and small firms.

Distribution of firms by size

Local entrepreneurs are younger than businessmen in other parts of the country and of a good educational background - over 50% of them are university graduates.

The degree of utilizing the new opportunities provided by the pre-accession funds of the European Union, e.g. the Phare Economic and Social Cohesion, ISPA and SAPARD programmes, is going to be an indicator of the entrepreneurial spirit. The entrepreneurs' profiles show that they are ready to meet the challenge. In this sense, it will be the responsibility of regional and local authorities and NGOs to support business by eliminating useless obstacles in doing business and facilitating access to information, training, etc.

Culture

Historical Background

The Vidin district has a rich historical background. A great number of historical monuments, architectural sites, sculptures, and bronze and pottery artifacts are evidence of the advance of the ancient Roman cities of Ratziaria (Archar), Bononia (Vidin) and Castel "Castra Martes" (Kula).

In the 13th and the 14th centuries Bdin (present-day Vidin) used to be a political and economic center with well developed crafts and arts. It was also a literary center and an important cereal-growing area.

Over a period of two thousand years the region used to be an important military, transportation and commercial center.

Historical and architectural monuments, natural and cultural sites

The Vidin district has a number of unique natural and historical sites. The dam lakes and the Danube River provide favorable conditions for fishing. There are tourist facilities and a reserve of the labor force waiting to be tapped into the development of tourism. The district has well-established relations with the neighboring countries.

One of the strategic objectives of regional development is tourism drawing on the cultural and historical heritage, as well as on the geographical location and the natural wealth of the region.

The area of Chuprene is a natural reservation with a territory of 1,439 hectares. It is included in the UNESCO and UNO list of protected areas. There are also 3 other protected sites, 12 natural sites and 5 historical spots.

Cultural sites in the region

• the Baba Vida Fortress, supposedly in existence since the 3rd - 4th centuries in the northeastern part of the Roman Bononia Fortress;
• the Magurata Cave (Rabisha village), with some 700 rock drawings which form the biggest proto-historical gallery on the Balkan peninsula;
• the Kaleto - a system of coastal fortifications along the Danube;
• Ratziaria, which used to be a Roman City, located 17 km to the south of the town of Vidin. It provides good conditions for recreation and fishing;
• the Krastata Kazarma, built in 1798 by Polish architects for the soldiers of Osman Pazvantoglou, an independent local "pasha";
• Pazvantoglou's mosque and library, built up in 1800;
• the Konaka Otoman Camp, an architectural monument in existence since the second half of 18th century;
• the Rocks of Belogradchick, unique rocky formations situated near the town of Belogradchick, 52 kilometers southwest of Vidin.

The Vidin district is famous for its folklore and modern arts festivals, attended by local and international artists who exhibit their paintings, sculptures and woodcarving work.