The Climate in Sandanski municipality is characterized as temperately continental and a climate with a transition to a Mediterranean climate, which influence the annual distribution of the rainfalls and the temperature rate.

Along the flow of Struma river the soils are alluvial. They are suitable for growing of tobacco, vines and fruit cultures, and along the rivers - for a vegetable growing.

The mineral resources in Sandanski municipality are various and type limited. On the land of the village of Ploski and Pirin there are deposits of marbles. The mineral springs in the town of Sandanski, the village of Levunovo, the village of Hotovo and the village of Katuntsi are valuable natural gifts. Due to their hydro-carbonic and sulphur content the springs are classified in IV class according to Carstens - Alexandrov system. According to the content of biologically active substances, fluorine, and meta-silicon acid (those in the village of Hotovo are not included) they are classified in V class.

The mineral springs in the town of Sandanski are with 33?С - 83?С temperature and about 25 l/sec debit. They are used in modern sanatorium complexes. The water resources are provided by the rivers Struma, Bistritsa, Pirinska Bistritsa, Bozhdovska reka, Skjlavska reka, Leshnichka reka,Petrovska reka, Lebishka reka and Shashka reka.

Sandanska Bistritsa river is II category water resource in the region of the town of Sandanski, and out of the region - III category.

In the region of Sandanski Struma river is a resource III category and it is characterized with extremely changeable and unstable flow regime. The hydrological regime along the river is characterized with a period of high water - level from the middle of February till the beginning of July and with a period of low water-level from the beginning of July till the end of October. There is a secondary maximum of water quantities in November, December and January. The river's water is with neutral to slightly alkine reaction and pH varies from 7,0 to 7,8. Flora and fauna

The region in which Sandanski municipality is located belongs to the south Bulgarian bio geographic region - Struma-Mesta sub-region which has one of the richest variety of Mediterranean plants and animals. According to the types of zone vegetation in Bulgaria in the region prevail deciduous mixed forest and bush formations.

Developed Industrial sectors

In Sandanski municipality one of the prior sectors is the agriculture. It is due to the unique climate conditions and the fertile areas under cultivation.

The area owned by the municipality is totally 360 thousand decares. 130 thousand decares are under cultivation and 230 thousand are occupied by common pastures and pastures. The share of the agricultural lands is 40,17% or 402152 decares.

Basic cultures under cultivation are: vegetables - tomatoes, cabbage, paper, cucumbers, fruits, tobacco and beans culture - peanuts and beans, grain cultures, vine.

In a wine producing region with established traditions as Sandanski municipality is, 6973 decares are cultivated by dessert vines and 28 842 decares - by the wine ones (mainly the sorts "Merlot" and "Cabernet"). About 600 decares are the newly planted vineyards. The municipality does not possess own areas in the vine regions and this activity is entirely developed by private owners.

The recent tendency is the main means of living for the region - tobacco production to be changed with production of vine sorts. The surveys show a decrease of the number of tobacco producers as a consequence of the low purchasing price in the region and in regard of the lack of economic interest of the owners.

In Sandanski there are extremely favourable conditions for growing the traditional for the country fruits, as well as tropical pomegranate, fig-trees, olives, lemons, kiwi. Although fruit-tree areas are already a private municipal property, the general tendency is toward a constant progress in the orchards industry.

Two greenhouses function on the territory of the municipality as well, which mainly produce vegetables for the domestic market - "Melo" greenhouses with an area of 180 decare, and which are fully private and the greenhouses in the village of Levunovo with an area 30 decare, which are in a process of privatization. The founded market positions of the greenhouse production on the foreign markets are entirely lost. This sector, important not only for the municipality but also for the region, needs adequate investments and active precautions to be revived and developed.

The agricultural production is sold on the co-operative market and on the extemporaneous market-places for wholesaling along main road E-79 in the region of the village of Damyanitsa. There is an idea for establishing an co-ordinated market in the previous warehouses in the village of Damyanitsa, which is to be supplied with freezing cameras for preservation of the production.For the purpose of the idea different programmes for encouraging the agriculture, mainly by the means of the prior programmes of SAPARD.

It is of a great importance to be underlined that the planted areas in the municipality have decreased to a considerable extent. More important reasons for this are as it follows:

1. Limited physical, technical and financial abilities of the private owner to look after and cultivate the parceled out and restituted lands.
2. The market, not yet under control, of a non cultivated agricultural production in the region.
3. The lack of motivation and economic interest for cooperation of the different farmers and establishment of larger co-operations, where the modern methods for land cultivation to be applied.

The yielded production satisfies the needs of the owners for fodder for the animals and food for the families themselves at 90 of a hundred. Only 10% of the production is sold with the purpose of reproduction by means of realization of the free cooperative markets. In Sandanski municipality the sale of the redundant quantities is accomplished mainly by Agricultural Production Cooperation in the village of Sklave.

The production of wheat cultures in Sanadanski municipality is of no commodity importance. The annual production of wheat for 1998-1999 is 220 kg/decare, of barley - 200 kg/decare. In the table below the production of wheat cultures for 1999-2000 is presented.

As general private owners deal with stock-breeding in Sandanski municipality. Mainly goat, sheep and cow milk, meat, wool and honey are produced as the production is only for domestic needs, except the milk. The basic reasons for this are the lack of a packing-house to stimulate the animals breeding and its sales. There is no fixed purchase of milk in bigger quantities in the municipality. Company "Bobo", a producer of yogurt and salads of yogurt and cucumbers functions in the municipality as well as a dairy in the village of Katuntsi, a producer of cheese as well. The average purchase price of milk in the region for 2000 is 0.40 BGL.

Tourism - Sandanski is situated in the south-western part of Bulgaria and it covers a territory of 1060 sq. m. which includes a big part of the picturesque Sandansko-Pertichka valley along the middle course of Stryama river and the western and south-western slopes of the three ridges of Pirin, the northern slopes of Slavyanka mountain and the lowest foothill regions of Malashevska mountain and Ograjden moutain.