General information
Municipality of Petrich is located in the southern part of Bulgaria and covers a territory of 650 sq. km. Its north-eastern border is with the Municipality of Sandanski and on the north with the Municipality of Strumyani. The international boundaries on the west and south are respectively the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece. Petrich Municipality is an active crossroads between two seas. It is located 90 km away from Aegean Sea’s Thessaloniki harbor, where Bulgaria has a neutral sector for trading on the Mediterranean Sea as well as 380 km away from Vliora harbor in Albania on the Adriatic Sea. The Municipality of Petrich consists of 57 settlements, which includes the Town of Petrich itself and 56 villages. The first class road I-1 passes through the territory of the municipality and provides transport connections with the city of Blagoevgrad and the Republic of Greece. There are two border checkpoints in the municipality – Kulata with the Republic of Greece (road I-1) and Zlatarevo with the republic of Macedonia (road III – 198). In the territory of the municipality there is also a railway transport, the railroad line Sofia - Thessaloniki as well as the secondary line General Todorov – Petrich pass through it. .  The telephone and mobile phone network cover almost the entire area of the municipality. There is access to a high speed Internet connection and an optical cable connection with Greece and Macedonia.

Economic profile
ВIn the past eight years the Municipality of Petrich has undergone vast economic development. In the Municipality of Petrich there are 21,1% of the total number of operating companies in the District of Blagoevgrad. The key industrial branches include the textile industry, timber production, furniture production, food-processing industry and trade. A major part of the entrepreneurs in the municipality have focused their attention towards modernization, expansion and the technological upgrade of their production cycles.

The agriculture sector in the region is well developed due to the favorable climate conditions. The main crops include vegetables, tobacco, legumes and wheat. The region has a background in the growing of peaches, apples, cherries and some citrus fruits like kiwi, pomegranate, olives and lemons. There also are a lot of green houses that produce various vegetables. The main character of the agriculture is determined by the various sub-regions of the municipality:

• Ograzdhen sub-region – mostly mountain terrain, infertile lands and eroded soils. Mainly used for the growing of potatoes and tobacco.
• Petrich sub-region – mostly planes and alluvial soils. Mainly used for the production of vegetables, tobacco and peaches.
• Podgorie sub-region – slightly slopped terrain, eroded soil most suitable for the production of vegetables and perennial plants.
• Marikostinovo and Kulata sub-region – Mostly planes and low-laying foothills. The soil is suitable for growing vegetables, vineyards and wheat.

Tourism is not developed according to its full potential. There are perspectives for the development of the eco-, rural and winter tourism. In the territory of the municipality there are several protected areas and historical monuments of national importance – the extinct volcano “Kozuh”, the locality of Roupite, Topolishte, the natural reserve of Kongura, natural landmarks like Chinarite, the national museum “The fortress of Samuil”, archeological remains, town museums, numerous churches, chapels and monasteries. The thermal springs in Marikostinovo and Roupite are also considered as a valuable gift of nature.

Social environment
The total number of the population of the municipality is 57 450 people. The demographic structure of the population is characterized by a relatively balanced age structure. The population growth is negative but at the same time is higher than the average for the country. The unemployment rate is much lower than the average for the country and it is currently only 5,52 %.

There are a total of 30 schools in the municipality of Petrich. Most of the majors that are taught in the school are related to the textile industry, economics and construction. Also there are more than 21 cultural clubs and 22 libraries. There are 13 churches which are considered monuments of Bulgarian culture with national importance. The national sport facility “Tsar Samuil” includes two stadiums, track, handball field, a multifunctional sports hall, open swimming pool and tennis court.