• City: Shumen
• Source: Tova e Bulgaria
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General information and infrastructure
Territory - 652 sq. km
Number of population centers - 27
Population - 102,429
Administrative center - Shoumen City

Shoumen Municipality has been certified under ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:1996.

Shoumen Municipality is situated in the central part of northeastern Bulgaria. In terms of population it ranks 12th among the Bulgarian municipalities of population over 100,000; 87,200 of the total population live in Shoumen City. The territory of Shoumen Municipality is crossed by 23 km of Hemous highway (Sofia - Varna), the international roads е-70 Rousse - Shoumen - Varna; е-772 Shoumen - Sofia, as well as republican road 1-7 Silistra - Shoumen - Yambol. The length of the intercity road network is 226.09 km. Asphalt covered roads are 68.4%, which is 154.62 km of the total length of the intercity network. Shoumen is crossed also by the northern railway line Sofia - Varna and the railway connection to Shoumen - Komounari - Southern Bulgaria. Varna airport is at 90 km distance from Shoumen, and Targovishte passenger airport is 20 km away from Shoumen. A program for streets network rehabilitation in Shoumen City has been adopted, as well as Municipal Energy Efficiency Program. Chernomorska Technologichna Company AD, Varna is implementing the natural gas distribution network of length 191.32 km in Shoumen city; the term for completion is 10 years.

Economy and business
A major upstream sector in the municipal economy is the light industry, represented mainly by processing, textiles, tailoring, food-stuffs and construction sectors. The leading companies are: Madara AD - production of cargo trucks and spare parts; Alcomet AD - production of aluminum rolled metal, items made of aluminum and aluminum alloys, exploration and design activities; Shoumensko Pivo - specialized in brewing; Ficossota Holding - the holding consists of 12 companies for production of electric water-heaters, heating appliances and accessories. Ficossota Syntez produces washing and cleaning detergents Ficossota Herti OOD manufactures aluminum screw plugs, aluminum containers for food, applies lacquer and lithography images on metal sheets; Lavena AD - production and trade in natural aroma products, cosmetics, medicines; Domain Boyar AD - grapes purchasing and processing, production and trade in wine and hard drinks; Avtomagistrali Cherno More - construction, repair and maintenance of roads and road facilities, city communications and infrastructure; Kabiuk EAD is one of the biggest companies in agriculture - breeds selection and rearing for stockbreeding and plants growing.
The operational municipal companies are: Obshtinski Pazari EAD (markets); Parkingi I Garazhi EOOD (parking and garages), Obshtinski Mladezhki Dom EOOD (municipal youth center); Obreden Dom EOOD (ritual hall), Obshtinski Zhilishta I Imoti EOOD (municipal housing and property).
There are substantial foreign investments in Shoumen Municipality: Faf Metal - Turkish company; Carlsberg Breweries A/S - Danish company; Mebel - American corporation and JENEX-3 - American company; Shell - Bulgaria; OMV; BILLA; TECHNOMARKET; KAUFLAND BULGARIA EOOD, HRANCOMPLECT EOOD, and others. A high-tech Production Park is planned to be built on municipal land in the vicinity of the city.

Participation of the Municipality in projects and programs
Improvement of the Water Cycle in Shoumen City project; Entrepreneurship - a form of labor market participation for population groups in disadvantaged position; Social Integration through Qualification towards Employment; Shoumen and the Shoumen plateau: the beginning of all beginnings - history, culture, tradition and ethnic groups; Cultural Tourism Development; Reconstruction of internal and external water supply network in Madara village; Improvement of water supply in areas with potential for tourism development; Light for New Life - Development of Civil Society; Social Services Complex for Elderly and People with Disabilities; Construction of Agricultural Produce Market-place.

Natural sights, monuments of culture and tourism
Shoumen City is located in the foot of the Shoumen Plateau Natural Park. The city is a real phenomenon in that it holds precedence among Bulgarian cities with many things, such as: the first school for girls in Bulgaria was opened here, the first Bulgarian orchestra with classical instruments, the first theater performance, the first founded "chitalishte" (arts, culture and literature center). There are numerous cultural and natural sights and historical and archeological monuments in Shoumen Municipality: Dobri Voynikov chitalishte (1856); Clock Tower (1740), the Andreykovo School (1870) and many others. The following sights are in Shoumen and its close vicinity: Madara National Historical and Architecture Reserve; the Madara Horseman unique stone relief (8th c.), which in 1972 was put on the UNESCO list as a monument of world importance; The Shoumen Plateau - a natural sight offering opportunities for various types of tourism - mounting bikes cycling, eco-routes, sports orientation, rock climbing, etc. The Shoumen fortress - an attractive museum in open air in the Shoumen plateau. The fortress has survived for over 3,200 years. Regional Historical Museum with 100 years of existence and a collection of over 150,000 museum exhibits arranged in eight halls. The Museum includes also the P. Vladigerov, P. Volov, D. Voynikov and L. Koshout house-museums. Complex dedicated to the Founders of the Bulgarian State; Tomboul Mosque (1744) - the second biggest on the Balkan Peninsula, a monument of culture and operating Muslim temple; Kabiuk Stud Farm in Konyovets village - the oldest stud farm in Bulgaria established in 1864; it comprises a Horse Museum, attractions with horses, ponies, phaetons and horse riding.

Environment
The priority environmental activities in the Municipality are in domestic waste water treatment, collection, waste disposal and rendering harmless, construction of solid waste landfill, closing down and reclamation of old waste dumps. A design has been made for expansion of the solid waste landfill in Shoumen City. Waste water treatment in Shoumen is included under the National Program of the Bulgarian government for construction with priority of 36 waste water treatment plants.

Associations, memberships, twin-cities and partnerships
Shoumen Municipality is a member of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, Culture and Tourism in the Bulgarian Northeast Society, Tolerantnost Association. It has a contract for cooperation in culture and education with Debrecen Municipality of Hungary; contract for cooperation in economy and business with Podolsk, Moscow District. The Municipality is looking for opportunities for twinning with municipalities of European Union member-states.