Pernik

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**Pernik**

Province (oblast)	Pernik
Population	91,883 (2006)
Altitude	710 m
Postal code	2300
Area code	076
Geographic coordinates	42° 61' north, 23° 03' east
Time zone	EET (UTC +2; UTC+3 in summer)
Mayor	Antoaneta Georgieva

Pernik (Bulgarian: Перник) is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 91,883 as of 2006. It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.

Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC, and later a Roman settlement, Pernik became part of the Bulgarian Empire in the early 9th century as an important fortress. The name Pernik is thought to have originated from that of Slavic god Perun with the Slavic placename suffix –nik (or –ik) added, and was first mentioned in the 9th century. The medieval town was a key Bulgarian stronghold during Bulgarian tsar Samuil's wars against the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century, when it was governed by the local noble Krakra of Pernik, withstanding Byzantine sieges a number of times.

Overview of the city

Ruins of the medieval fortress of Krakra near Pernik

From 1396 until 1878 the city was under Ottoman rule. In the 20th century Pernik developed rapidly as a centre for coal mining and heavy industry. During the Communist rule of Bulgaria it was called Dimitrovo between 1949 and 1962 after Bulgarian Communist leader Georgi Dimitrov.

The Surva International Festival of the Masquerade Games is held in the city every January.

[edit] Municipality

Pernik is the seat of the eponymous Pernik municipality (part of Pernik Province), which includes the following 24 places (towns in bold):

Batanovtsi
Bogdanovdol
Bosnek
Cherna Gora
Chuypetlovo
Divotino
Dragichevo
Golemo Buchino
Kladnitsa
Kralev Dol
Leskovets
Lyulin

Meshtitsa
Pernik
Planinitsa
Raduy
Rasnik
Rudartsi
Selishten Dol
Studena
Viskyar
Vitanovtsi
Yardzhilovtsi
Zidartsi

[edit] Town twinning

Pernik is twinned with:

Caen, France (since 2001)
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom (since 1940)
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (since 2004)
Lublin, Poland (since 2001)
Magdeburg, Germany (since 2003)

[edit] External links

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Cities and towns in Bulgaria
Aytos \| Asenovgrad \| Blagoevgrad \| Botevgrad \| Burgas \| Dimitrovgrad \| Dobrich \| Dupnitsa \| Gabrovo \| Gorna Oryahovitsa \| Gotse Delchev \| Harmanli \| Haskovo \| Karlovo \| Karnobat \| Kazanlak \| Kardzhali \| Kyustendil \| Lom \| Lovech \| Montana \| Nova Zagora \| Panagyurishte \| Pazardzhik \| Pernik \| Petrich \| Pleven \| Plovdiv \| Razgrad \| Rousse \| Samokov \| Sandanski \| Sevlievo \| Shumen \| Silistra \| Sliven \| Smolyan \| Sofia \| Stara Zagora \| Svishtov \| Targovishte \| Troyan \| Varna \| Veliko Tarnovo \| Velingrad \| Vidin \| Vratsa \| Yambol