View source for Zelenikovo, Plovdiv Province

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
'''Zelenikovo''' is a village in [[Southern Bulgaria]], located in [[Brezovo]] Municipality, [[Plovdiv Province]]. As of June 2020, the village has a population count of 282 people total.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population of Bulgarian Settlements (In Bulgarian Language)|url=https://www.grao.bg/tna/t41nm-15-06-2020_2.txt|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Grao.BG}}</ref>
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Zelenikovo
| subdivision_type1               = Province
| image_skyline                   = Pametnik Zelenikovo.JPG
| map_caption                     = Zelenikovo on the map of [[Bulgaria]], Plovdiv Province
| coordinates                     = {{coord|42.4|N|25.083333|E}}
| pushpin_map                     = Bulgaria
| subdivision_name2               = [[Brezovo]] Municipality
| subdivision_name1               = [[Plovdiv Province]]
| subdivision_type2               = Municipality
| subdivision_name                = [[Bulgaria]]
| official_name                   = Зелениково
| subdivision_type                = Country
| postal_code                     = 4155
| area_code                       = 03194
| elevation_m                     = 318
| area_total_km2                  = 49.451
| population_density_km2          = 5.7
| population_total                = 282
| settlement_type                 = Village
| image_caption                   = The monument of the fallen warriors in Zelenikovo
}}
== Geography ==
Zelenikovo village is located in the southern hills of the most elevated part of the Sarnena [[Sredna Gora]] geographical area in [[Bulgaria]]. It combines a mountainous and flat terrain. The climate, and the geographical location of the village make it a suitable center for the development of [[Rose oil|oil rose]] cultivation and the rose oil processing industry to emerge and sustain itself. The oil rose processed in the area is of high quality and as of the last 50 years, there has been an increase in plantation numbers near the village.
The village offers good conditions for rural tourism. The reason for that is the presence of dams, rivers, mountains and hills nearby. The municipality's leadership has announced that the development of the tourism will be a focus in their future years.
Conditions are being created to demonstrate to tourists how the distillation of rose oil happens in a traditional and interesting manner.
=== Infrastructure ===
The infrastructure of the village is intact.<ref>{{Cite web|title=село Зелениково {{!}} Български села – Село.БГ|url=https://selo.bg/села/село-зелениково-1-3145|access-date=15 April 2021|website=selo.bg|language=bg}}</ref> There is a public home edifice, for educating children deprived of parental care. The orphanage is located at the end of the village.
In the village, a large monument of those killed in the wars of national unification can also be found.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Везенков|first=Александър|title=9 September 1944 (In Bulgarian Language)|publisher=Ciela|year=2014|isbn=978-954-28-1199-2|location=Sofia|pages=с. 363, 368}}</ref>
== History ==
According to documents left by the local teacher Todor Georgiev Gogovpisani around  1944, it is assumed that the Zelenikovo Village was created more than 700 years ago by [[Tsar]] [[Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria|Ivan Shishman]], while relocating a large portion of the population to establish a better border control beyond the [[Balkan Mountains]] to strengthen the military positions of Bulgarian defenders.
During [[Ottoman rule]], the name of the village used to be Hamzalare, named after the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] leader who governed the village.
=== Notable people ===
* Ivan Krumov – A [[Parachuting|parachutist]] record holder.
* Petar Dimitrov – One of the first graduates of the village, principal of the school in [[Brezovo]] for over 20 years.
* Tsanyo Aksiyski – Former director of "[[Prosveta Publishing House|Prosveta]]" publishing house in [[Plovdiv]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Община Брезово: Населени места в общината|url=http://brezovo.bg/page.php?10.4|access-date=15 April 2021|website=brezovo.bg}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Villages in Plovdiv Province]]