Rudozem ( bg, Рудозем ) is a town in southern
Bulgaria, near the
Greek border, located in the
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...
, where the Elhovo and Chepino rivers flow into the
Arda, and is part of
Smolyan Province
Smolyan Province ( bg, Област Смолян, ''Oblast Smolyan''; former name Smolyan okrug) is a province in Southern-central Bulgaria, located in the Rhodope Mountains, neighbouring Greece to the south. It is named after its administrative ...
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous
Rudozem Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,583 inhabitants.
[Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - towns in 2009]
/ref>
The name ''Rudozem'' is a compound word made up of Bulgarian ''ruda'' (руда) meaning "ore"; and the root ''zem'' (зем) meaning "land". It refers to the wealth of the area in mineral resources. Its former name is Palas. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, it was part of the Ottoman İskeçe
Xanthi ( el, Ξάνθη, ''Xánthi'', ) is a city in the region of Western Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace.
Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope mou ...
sanjak in Edirne vilayet between 1867 and 1912.
Rudozem Heights on Fallières Coast in Antarctica is named after the town.SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica
/ref>
Notes
Towns in Bulgaria
Cities and towns in the Rhodopes
Populated places in Smolyan Province
{{Smolyan-geo-stub