Burgas

From Freepedia

Burgas
Image:Burgas.png
Data
Oblast:	Burgas
Population:	212,837 (15.12.2004)
Altitude:	30 m
Postal code:	8000
Area code:	056
Geographic coordinates:	42° 30' north 27° 28' east
Mayor
Yoan Kostadinov

Burgas (or Bourgas, Bulgarian: Бургас Greek: Pirgos, Πυργος) is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. It is also the fourth largest city in the country, following Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna. It is the capital of Burgas Province. Burgas is an industrial and tourist center. Burgas International Airport is a connecting point to major Black Sea resorts in Bulgaria like Sunny Beach, Nesebar, Sozopol, Dyuni, Elenite, etc.

Population (2001 est): 209,487

1 History
2 Higher Education Institutions
3 External Links
4 See also
5 Cultural Institutions

History

Image:Bronze-Alexander Severus-Deultum AE25 Moushmov 3583.jpg

Burgas is a successor of the Greek city of Pirgos , founded by the Greek city of Apolonia as a military and observational post against the other important Greek city in the region–the city of Messymbria.

Besides Pirgos, the present-day city expands over the area of three other ancient settlements: Kastiacion, Skafida and Rossokastron. In the Middle Ages a small fortress called Pirgos (Πύργος is the Greek word for tower) was erected in the place and was most probably used as a watchtower. It was only in 17th century that a city named Ahelo-Burgas grew in the present-day area of the city. It was later renamed to Burgas and had only about 3,000 inhabitants, most of them Greeks at the time of the Liberation. Soon it became a major center on the Southern Black Sea coast and a city of well-developed industry and trade. A number of oil and chemical companies were gradually built. Salt and iron are also mined here and traded far beyond the borders of the country. In 1903 the railway station in Burgas started functioning as well, giving an additional boost to the city's expansion.