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Pazardzhik is a district town in Southern Bulgaria, the
administrative center of Pazardzhik municipality and Pazardzhik
district. It is located 37 km west of
Plovdiv and 112 km southeast of Sofia.
It lies on both banks of the Maritsa River in the western part of
the Upper Thracian Lowland and is the second most important cultural
and administrative center in South Central Bulgaria. The last census
of the NSI at the end of 2018 estimates the population of the city
at 68,194 inhabitants.
Location
Pazardzhik is
located in the westernmost part of the Upper Thracian lowland, part
of the common Pazardzhik-Plovdiv field, at an altitude of 205 m.
Initially, the city was located on the left bank of the Maritsa.
After his liberation from the Turkish yoke, he began to grow on the
right bank of the river. Pazardzhik is a lowland town. The
Pazardzhik field is surrounded by Sredna Gora, to the north and the
Rhodopes, to the south.
The distance from Sofia to Pazardzhik
is 112 km along the Trakia highway, and to Plovdiv - 37 km. The road
to Panagyurishte is 43 km, to Strelcha 40 km, to Peshtera / Batak -
35 km, through the gorge of the Chepinska River to Velingrad /
Rakitovo - 41 km.
Climate
The city's climate is
transitional between temperate and Mediterranean climates. It is
characterized by warm and almost dry summers and humid and
moderately cold winters. The average annual air temperature is 12.5
° C. The warmest months are July and August with an average monthly
temperature of 23 - 24 ° C, and the coldest January and February
with an average monthly temperature of 1 - 2 ° C. The days with
temperatures above 32 ° C are about 35 per year.
The absolute
minimum measured in the town of Pazardzhik is - 29.5 ° C.
The
annual amount of precipitation is about 500 mm, which ranks
Pazardzhik among the driest cities in Bulgaria. There are two highs
and two lows of precipitation - respectively in May-June;
November-December and February-March; August September. During the
periods with maximum precipitation, torrential quantities with a
value of more than 120 mm are sometimes poured, accompanied by
unfavorable climatic phenomena such as hail, fog, frost, etc. In the
months with a minimum of precipitation, they fall below 30 mm,
resulting in permanent droughts with prolonged heat.
Due to
the fact that Pazardzhik is located in the lowlands and is
surrounded by fenced mountains, the winds in the area are weak. The
average annual speed is about 1 m / s. The warm and gusty wind is
typical, blowing from the northern slopes of the mountains and
raising the temperatures in winter.
Unpleasant climatic
phenomena: in the cold half of the year this is the so-called.
temperature inversion, which occurs when cold Arctic air invades the
country and so in the lowlands and valleys the temperature can drop
to -20 ° C. The fog is typical in December. Unpleasant for the
summer season is the summer storm, with strong gusts of wind, hail
and thunderstorms. Another unpleasant climatic phenomenon that
affects Pazardzhik during the warm half of the year is the drought,
accompanied by hot tropical air, which can raise the temperature to
over 40 ° C. In the transitional seasons, early autumn and late
spring frosts can be dangerous.