Elhovo ( ) is a

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

n town in

Yambol Province Yambol (, ''oblast Yambol'', former name Okrug, Yambol okrug) is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, neighbouring Turkey to the south. It is named after its main city Yambol, while other towns include Straldzha, Bolyarovo and Elhovo. The provi ...

, located on the left bank of the

Tundzha The Tundzha ( ; ; ''Tonsus'' in antiquity) is a river in southeastern Bulgaria and northwesternmost Turkey, a left tributary of the Maritsa. With a length of 390 km, of which 350 km are in Bulgaria, it is Maritsa's longest tributary, ...

river, between

Strandzha Strandzha (, also transliterated as ''Strandja'', ; , or ) is a mountain massif in southeastern Bulgaria and East Thrace, the European part of Turkey. It is in the southeastern part of the Balkans between the plains of Thrace to the west, th ...

and Sakar mountains. Second largest city in the region after Jambol, the city is located at 36 km from border checkpoint Lesovo – Hamzabeyli on the Bulgarian – Turkish border. Elhovo is the administrative center of

Elhovo municipality Elhovo ( ) is a Bulgarian town in Yambol Province, located on the left bank of the Tundzha river, between Strandzha and Sakar mountains. Second largest city in the region after Jambol, the city is located at 36 km from border checkpoint Les ...

, which includes 21 villages (municipalities). The city's population as of 15 March 2023, was 9422 inhabitants. The town's name derives from the Bulgarian word for "

alder Alders are trees of the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus includes about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species ex ...

" and the placename suffix '' -ovo''. During the Ottoman rule it was known as , also meaning "alder".

Geography

Elhovo is located on the left bank of the

Tundzha River The Tundzha ( ; ; ''Tonsus'' in antiquity) is a river in southeastern Bulgaria and northwesternmost Turkey, a left tributary of the Maritsa. With a length of 390 km, of which 350 km are in Bulgaria, it is Maritsa's longest tributary, ...

in the southeastern part of the Thracian Valley (

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

) between

mountain and

Sakar Mountain Sakar () is a low dome-shaped mountain range in southeastern Bulgaria, whose southeasternmost limits extend to European Turkey. Its highest peak is Vishegrad with an altitude of 856 meters above sea level. It is an important ornithological ...

in the fertile field. 38 km from the town of

Yambol Yambol ( ) is a city in Southeastern Bulgaria and administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. It is occasionally spelled ''Jambol''. Yambol is the administrative cente ...

, 100 km from the town of

Burgas Burgas (, ), sometimes transliterated as Bourgas, is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, fourth-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, an ...

and 339 km southeast of

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

. Settlement system Elhovo is located in the southeastern part of Yambol region. Covering part of the lowland and low mountain Tundzha region - an area of the middle valley of the river Tundzha, and part of the Dervent Heights. Central to this region is the field of Elhovo. Its flat surface extends on both sides of the river Tundzha which is flowing from the north. The average elevation is 100–150 m. In the peripheral parts the field gradually passes into the gentle slopes of the Manastira and the Dervent Heights. The flat terrain in northern gradually passes from low mountain - this includes part of the Dervent heights, which in the geographical appearance have much in common with the Strandzha (mountain). Probable boundary between them is flat saddle, from which starts the river Popovska. In their hills passes state border with Turkey. The settlement system included in the Dervent heights has an average elevation up to 450 meters. From their northern slopes the right inflows of the river Tundzha - river Popovska and river Arapliyska, collect their water. Elevation amplitude of topography of the area is very small, and soil erosion is slightly pronounced. In south, river Tundzha crosses the low mountain range, dividing Dervent heights from Sakar mountain. Among them, the river forms a long gorge. Steep valleys and numerous curves make it a picturesque and attractive place.

Notable people

Aoiyama Kōsuke is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler or '' rikishi'' from Elhovo, Bulgaria. He made his professional debut in 2009, reaching the top division two years later, debuting in the November 2011 tournament. Aoiyama has won four Fighting ...

(born Daniel Ivanov) - sumo wrestler *

Encho Keryazov Encho Keryazov () (born 15 October 1973 in Elhovo) is a Bulgarian acrobat. Biography Born into a family of teachers, Encho Keryazov was born in 1973 in Elhovo, Bulgaria. At the age of 6 he was a rather frail boy, so his mother had the idea of ...

- acrobat *

Velko Kanev Velko Kanev, also known as Velko Kynev (31 July 1948 – 11 December 2011) was a Bulgarian comedic Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up come ...

(1948-2011) - actor

Honour

Elhovo Gap Elhovo Gap (Elhovska Sedlovina \'el-hov-ska se-dlo-vi-'na\) is a 420 m high saddle extending in west-southwest–east-northeast direction from Gleaner Heights to Leslie Hill on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica, whi ...

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetland Islands, South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands north of the ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the n ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

is named after Elhovo.

References

External links

Elhovo municipality at Domino.bg
Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Yambol Province {{Yambol-geo-stub