Dimitrovgrad, Serbia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dimitrovgrad Димитровград Цариброд
Location of Dimitrovgrad within Serbia
Coordinates: 43°01′N 22°47′E / 43.017, 22.783
Country	Serbia
District	Pirot
Settlements	43
Government
- Mayor	Veselin Veličkov, DP
Area [1]
- Municipality	483 km² (186.5 sq mi)
Population (2002 census)[2]
- Total	6,968
- Municipality	11,748
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	18320
Car plates	PI
Area code	+381 10
Website: http://www.dimitrovgrad.org.yu

Dimitrovgrad (Serbian: Димитровград, Dimitrovgrad, Bulgarian: Цариброд, Tsaribrod) is a town and 483 km² large municipality located in the Pirot District of the Republic of Serbia. According to 1991 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad had a population of 13,488 people.

[edit] Name

The official Serbian name is Dimitrovgrad (Димитровград), but the name Caribrod (Цариброд) is also used in Serbian. In Bulgarian, the name Tsaribrod (Цариброд) is preferred; it can sometimes be transliterated as Caribrod or Tzaribrod.

Dimitrovgrad was named after Georgi Dimitrov, a Bulgarian Communist leader.

There have been attempts to return the old name, Caribrod, but the last referendum, held on Sunday, June 13, 2004, was invalid due to a low turnout. Only 47.8% of the 9,811 voters on the electoral roll turned out to vote, while 50% was the required minimum. Of those who voted on the issue, 2,586 were in favour of keeping the name Dimitrovgrad, while 1,786 wanted the name Caribrod to be returned. [1]

[edit] Demographics

According to the 1991 census, the absolute ethnic majority in the municipality were ethnic Bulgarians, while according to the 2002 census, the municipality was ethnically mixed, with relative Bulgarian ethnic majority.

According to the 2002 census data, the population of the Dimitrovgrad municipality was 11,748 people, and it was composed of:

• Bulgarians = 5,836 (49.68%)
• Serbs = 3,005 (25.58%)
• Others.

[edit] History

Church of the Mother of God built by the Bulgarian state in 1892 in Tsaribrod.

The Kingdom of Yugoslavia gained the certain territories which included Dimitrovgrad from Bulgaria following the Treaty of Neuilly, signed on November 27, 1919. Between 1920 and 1941 the population of the region was denied any right to education or church services in Bulgarian and was officially regarded as Serbian by the Yugoslav authorities, including changed Bulgarian names to Serbian. Its interests were protected by the Internal Western Provinces Revolutionary Organisation known as Vrtop. The Serbian governments have neglected the area for decades, as they did the whole of southern Serbia, which led to mass unemployment, low living standards and emigration from the municipality.

[edit] See also

• Bosilegrad
• Western Outlands

[edit] External links

• Official municipality web site
• The Bulgarian minority cultural community in Dimitrovgrad
• Report of the United Nations on the situation of the Bulgarian minority in Dimitrovgrad
• Caribrod's News Group

Municipalities and cities of Serbia

v • d • e Central Serbia City of Belgrade: (Barajevo • Čukarica • Grocka • Lazarevac • Mladenovac • Novi Beograd • Obrenovac • Palilula • Rakovica • Savski Venac • Sopot • Stari Grad • Surčin • Voždovac • Vračar • Zemun • Zvezdara)• City of Čačak • City of Jagodina • City of Kragujevac: (Aerodrom • Pivara • Stanovo • Stari Grad • Stragari) • City of Kraljevo • City of Kruševac • City of Leskovac • City of Loznica • City of Niš:(Crveni Krst • Medijana • Niška Banja • Palilula • Pantelej) • City of Novi Pazar • City of Požarevac • City of Smederevo • City of Šabac • City of Užice • City of Valjevo • City of Vranje • City of Zaječar Aleksandrovac • Aleksinac • Aranđelovac • Arilje • Babušnica • Bajina Bašta • Batočina • Bela Palanka • Blace • Bogatić • Bojnik • Boljevac • Bor • Bosilegrad • Brus • Bujanovac • Crna Trava • Čajetina • Ćićevac • Ćuprija • Despotovac • Dimitrovgrad • Doljevac • Gadžin Han • Golubac • Gornji Milanovac • Ivanjica • Kladovo • Knić • Knjaževac • Koceljeva • Kosjerić • Krupanj • Kučevo • Kuršumlija • Lajkovac • Lapovo • Lebane • Lučani • Ljig • Ljubovija • Majdanpek • Mali Zvornik • Malo Crniće • Medveđa • Merošina • Mionica • Negotin • Nova Varoš • Osečina • Paraćin • Petrovac • Pirot • Požega • Preševo • Priboj • Prijepolje • Prokuplje • Rača • Raška • Ražanj • Rekovac • Sjenica • Smederevska Palanka • Sokobanja • Surdulica • Svilajnac • Svrljig • Topola • Trgovište • Trstenik • Tutin • Ub • Varvarin • Velika Plana • Veliko Gradište • Vladičin Han • Vladimirci • Vlasotince • Vrnjačka Banja • Žabari • Žagubica • Žitorađa v • d • e Autonomous Province of Vojvodina City of Novi Sad: (Novi Sad • Petrovaradin) • City of Pančevo • City of Sombor • City of Sremska Mitrovica • City of Subotica • City of Zrenjanin Ada • Alibunar • Apatin • Bač • Bačka Palanka • Bačka Topola • Bački Petrovac • Bečej • Bela Crkva • Beočin • Čoka • Inđija • Irig • Kanjiža • Kikinda • Kovačica • Kovin • Kula • Mali Iđoš • Nova Crnja • Novi Bečej • Novi Kneževac • Odžaci • Opovo • Pećinci • Plandište • Ruma • Sečanj • Senta • Šid • Srbobran • Sremski Karlovci • Stara Pazova • Temerin • Titel • Vrbas • Vršac • Žabalj • Žitište v • d • e Municipalities of Kosovo1 Dečani • Đakovica • Dragaš • Glogovac • Gnjilane • Istok • Kačanik • Klina • Kosovo Polje • Kosovska Kamenica • Mitrovica • Leposavić • Lipljan • Mališevo • Novo Brdo • Obilić • Orahovac • Peć • Podujevo • Pristina • Prizren • Srbica • Štimlje • Štrpce • Suva Reka • Uroševac • Vitina • Vučitrn • Zubin Potok • Zvečan 1 sovereignty disputed by Serbia as UN protectorate since February 17, 2008 unilateral declaration of independence

This Serbia location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.