BLAGOEVGRAD

town, southwestern Bulgaria, in the Struma River valley. An ancient Thracian settlement, Scaptopara, existed around its warm mineral springs, which still function as a spa. During the Turkish occupation (13961878), the town was called Dzhumaya (Dzumaja), later Gorna Dzhumaya; it was renamed in 1950 for Dimitur Blagoev, founder of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The chief centre of Bulgarian Macedonia, it trades mostly in Oriental tobacco. Wood, canning, textile, and craft industries also have been developed. Pop. (1993 est.) 71,603.