Stara Zagora General Information
The location of the Stara Zagora Region is a major advantage to trade with transportation routes providing easy access to Sofia in the west (230 km); Bourgas' Black Sea Port in the east (180 km); Rousse's Danube Port at the Romanian Border in the north (235 km); and the Greek Port Alexandrupolis, in the south (300 km). Stara Zagora serves as the central hub of an efficient train system connecting the Region with all Bulgarian cities as well as cities in Eastern and Western Europe. The International Automatic Telephone Network provides the Region with a quality communication system, recently improved by the completion of a new digital network, providing a communication system to meet the standards of international business. Three European transport corridors are passing through it: No 4 (Central Europe - Romania - Sofia - Pazardjik - Haskovo - Turkey - Asia); No 8 (Albania - Macedonia - Sofia - Pazardjik - Plovdiv - Stara Zagora - Sliven - Burgas - Varna); no 9 (Russia - Moldova - Romania - Rousse - Veliko Turnovo - Stara Zagora - Haskovo - Greece/Turkey.

One of the largest Bulgarian lignite coal mines is situated within Stara Zagora Region. The Region is rich in thermal mineral springs with a large number of spas and health centers to facilitate the use of the healing waters. The rich soils of the Region make it ideal for productive agriculture and food processing. Forests are one of the Stara Zagora Region's most valuable natural resources offering ideal opportunities for the regional economy.

Stara Zagora registers a decrease of -5.9% of its population, which is disturbing; its far below the country average. In terms of the age of the population, the common tendency for the country is that the portion of people 65 years old or more is growing up, while the portion of children 15 years old or less is going down - a proof of the fact that the nation is getting old. The deteriorated age structure is one of the main reasons for the decrease of the population. Haskovo also has average density of its population - 69 people per square km. The ration of men to women in the district is 10:13.

The Stara Zagora region boasts well-developed health care and educational institutions as well as a large number of institutions dedicated to keeping alive the rich cultural and historic traditions of the region.

Stara Zagora Economy
Various industries combine to produce over 70% of the region's revenues. A major portion of regional revenues result from the production of lignite coal and electrical energy, with Stara Zagora supplying 30% of the total power output in Bulgaria. Other major industries in the region are related to equipment building (electronics, hydraulics, food processing equipment, and military equipment), the food industry, and the production of cosmetics. The GDP per person in the district is the third highest number in the country after Sofia city and Vratza. Industrial production makes more than 50 % of the Gross Value Added of Stara Zagora district.

Agriculture accounts for a smaller share in the regional economy but its potential for development in the future is great due to a favorable climate and fertile soils. 85% of the arable lands are cultivated which is a very good utilization of the resource. The fact that more than 25% of the cultivated land is under irrigation is another proof of the high level of development of the agriculture in the district. Various fruits, vegetables, vines, cereals (wheat, maize, barley) as well as cotton, sunflower, roses, and lavender are grown here. Animal breeding has also been developing at a quick pace in the recent years.

Clothing manufacture is a fast developing industry in the Stara Zagora region and in Bulgaria as a whole. One of the oldest and largest knitwear factories is in Stara Zagora. It was established in 1926 and its products are well known not only in Bulgaria but also in Finland, Sweden, USA, Germany and France.
A huge number of small clothes making companies were established in the region during the years of economic restructuring, when local highly-skilled tailors began starting their own businesses. These companies tend to be quite small and therefore are very flexible. Many of them work on contract to companies from Western Europe using materials supplied by their customers. Some of these companies have already established good reputations. Their long years of experience have encouraged them to organize their own production, register their own trademarks and come into the market on their own.
The clothing manufacturers in the Stara Zagora Region are quite diverse in their product lines.
- Clothes - ready-mades, designers' articles, clothing for weddings and special occasions, overalls, uniforms, personal protective items, machine-made embroideries;
- Leather articles and shoes;
- Textiles, knitwear and leather articles;
- Auxiliary materials needed for the textile and knitwear products as well as for the leather, fur and shoe making industries.

Cosmetics industry is very well developed for the region due to the fact that the Rose Valley is there. It produces the best rose oil in the world, using cultivation methods that have preserved the characteristics of the flower unchanged for more than three centuries. More than 30,000 people are involved in this particular branch. 97% of the production of is being exported. There more than 20,000 decares of rose gardens.