Haskovo District is located in the central part of Southern Bulgaria and covers 5543 sq. Km. or 5% of the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria. The district includes 261 settlements, grouped in 11 municipalities - Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad, Svilengrad, Lyubimets, Harmanli, Madzharovo, Simeonovgrad, Ivaylovgrad, Topolovgrad, Mineralni Bani and Stambolovo. As of 31.12.2008 The population of the district is 259,007 people, which represents 3.41% of the population of the country (70.6% is the urban population of the district). As of 31.12.2008 the economically active population of the district is 125 042 people. The employment rate for Haskovo district is 50.7%. As of 31.06.2009 the unemployment rate in the district is 7.89%. A favorable factor for the region is the presence of a border with two countries - Greece and Turkey. Two key trans-continental roads cross the territory of the district. The first connects Western and Central Europe with Istanbul and Asia, and the second connects Northern Europe with the Mediterranean. The distance from the town of Haskovo to the border with Greece is 70 km, to Turkey - 80 km, and to the capital Sofia - 230 km. Haskovo district is generally characterized by a mild climate, beautiful and clean nature, and diverse flora and fauna. The relief in the area is very diverse. The northern and central part of the region is occupied by the Upper Thracian lowland, and to the south large areas of the district are occupied by the low branches of the Eastern Rhodopes and the western slopes of Sakar Mountain. Industryin Haskovo district is characterized by a well-developed industry structure and established market traditions. Large manufacturing companies are the main driving force of the local economy, while small and medium enterprises contribute to improving the business environment, accelerating economic growth and optimizing the production structure of the regional economy. The sector of small and medium enterprises in Haskovo district has the most reserves for opening alternative employment and new jobs, and in the future, its importance will continue to grow for the overall economic stability of the region. Dominant for the regional economy are the following sectors: chemical industry, wine production, production of food, beverages and tobacco products, clothing and textile industry, construction and machine building for the food industry. Important factors for the development of the local economy are the skilled workforce, the availability of good natural resources, as well as the strategic location of the district as a whole. The relative share of the export industrial production of the companies in the district increases by 5 to 7% every year compared to the previous year. All these factors listed so far predetermine over the years a moderate and stable rate of industrial growth of companies in the region. The relative share of the export industrial production of the companies in the district increases by 5 to 7% every year compared to the previous year. All these factors listed so far predetermine over the years a moderate and stable rate of industrial growth of companies in the region. The relative share of the export industrial production of the companies in the district increases by 5 to 7% every year compared to the previous year. All these factors listed so far predetermine over the years a moderate and stable rate of industrial growth of companies in the region. An indicator of the good investment climate in the district are the foreign direct and domestic investments made. Haskovo District occupies a strategic location in terms of attracting potential investors. Foreign investment in the region is around the national average. The risk of dependence on a small number of large-scale investments in the region has led to a reduction in the volume of foreign direct investment in general. It is a positive fact that a number of large investments and new sites in industry and agriculture have been made in smaller municipalities. This shows that the whole region is an attraction for investors, and not as in many other areas of the country, where investment is mainly in larger cities. Characterizing in general the regional economy and the priorities for industrial development in Haskovo district, it is necessary to emphasize that they are related to the establishment of the region as one of the main centers in the country in terms of machine building for the food industry; preserving the traditions in the field of textile and clothing industry; formation of the district as one of the leading wine regions in the country. Speaking of winemaking it should be noted that Haskovo district has a huge potential in terms of development of the wine industry. The area has long been known for its excellent grapes and the high quality wine produced from it. There are traces of wine production since the time of the Thracians, in the so-called "sharapani" - wine stones near the village of Mineralni Bani. Today, all wine facilities in the district specialize in the production of high quality wines, which are well sold on the international market. As a result of the combination of favorable climatic conditions and the increased technological skills of local winemakers, Merlot wines with a controlled designation of origin and a declared geographical region have established themselves in the region, which with their brilliance, noble bouquet soft and harmonious taste leave a lasting impression on all connoisseurs of elite wines. An important indicator of the prosperity of winemaking in recent years is the creation of many new wineries equipped with state-of-the-art equipment - lines for reception and processing of grapes, vinifiers for white and red wines with control of fermentation processes, vinomatics lines. An extremely positive trend is that as part of their strategy, wine companies rely on planting their own young vineyards with the classic varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as valuable Bulgarian varieties. Apart from wine production, the food industry on the territory of the district is represented by bakery and confectionery, meat processing industry, milk processing and canning industry. In the field of bakery and confectionery in Haskovo district there are many private companies, bakeries and confectionery shops, with relatively modern technological equipment, which produce a diverse range of products. The same is the case with meat and dairy companies. In the region there are many small workshops for processing meat and meat products, dairies for cheese, cheese and butter, equipped with modern equipment and producing products with high capacity and quality that meets modern international requirements. Haskovo District and in particular Haskovo Municipality is one of the main centers of Bulgarian machine building for the food industry. The specialization of the regional town in the field of production of technological lines and machines for the food industry is preserved The importance of this sub-sector in the regional economy is also evidenced by the fact that in the town of Haskovo an Association of Manufacturers of Machines for the Food Industry has been established. The sewing and knitting industries are very well developed in the Haskovo region , where both large companies and many small and medium-sized enterprises operate, located relatively evenly throughout the district. The chemical industry in the district is represented in the face of one of the largest factories - producers of fertilizers. The chemical industry in the district is also the branch with the highest relative share in the general branch structure of the industrial production. Agriculture is one of the leading industries for Haskovo district, which creates employment for a large part of the population in the region. In the area there are extremely favorable soil and climatic conditions for the development of crop production. The temperate-Mediterranean climate, combined with the abundant water resources in the region, are important prerequisites for growing a wide variety of crops. A widespread technical crop for the area is tobacco. It is grown mainly in the lower parts of the Eastern Rhodopes and Sakar Mountains. Haskovo region is famous for the production of watermelons, melons, with its excellent grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers and many other fruits and vegetables. Priority in the development of plant growing is the planting and replanting with young vineyards, increasing the areas, Livestock breeding in the Haskovo region is extremely concentrated in the private sector and is characterized by a high relative share of small farms. Cattle, pigs and poultry are raised in the plains, and sheep and goats in the semi-mountainous areas. The prospects for animal husbandry in the region are related to the consolidation of animal farms in order to increase productivity and to make optimal use of funding under international programs.