Samokov Valley
Geography
Geography
---------

[thumb\|left\|Samokov Valley and Rila at Relyovo](/wiki/File:%D0%93%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%BE%D1%82_%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BE_%D0%A0%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE.jpg "Гледката от село Рельово.jpg")
The valley is enclosed between [Rila](/wiki/Rila "Rila") to the south and the mountain ranges of [Verila](/wiki/Verila "Verila") to the west, [Vitosha](/wiki/Vitosha "Vitosha") to the northwest, [Plana](/wiki/Plana_%28mountain%29 "Plana (mountain)") to the north and the Shipochanski ridge of [Sredna Gora](/wiki/Sredna_Gora "Sredna Gora") to the east. To the north the [Pancharevo Gorge](/wiki/Pancharevo_Gorge "Pancharevo Gorge") of the river [Iskar](/wiki/Iskar_%28river%29 "Iskar (river)") connects it with the [Sofia Valley](/wiki/Sofia_Valley "Sofia Valley"). It is also connected with the [Radomir Valley](/wiki/Radomir_Valley "Radomir Valley") via the Buka Preslap saddle (1,090 m) to the northwest, the [Dupnitsa Valley](/wiki/Dupnitsa_Valley "Dupnitsa Valley") via the Klisura saddle (1,025 m) to the southwest, and the [Kostenets–Dolna Banya Valley](/wiki/Kostenets%E2%80%93Dolna_Banya_Valley "Kostenets–Dolna Banya Valley") via the Borovets saddle to the southeast.

The valley has an irregular shape resembling an arch bulging in southeastern direction with a length of 55 km and a maximum width of 10 km. It spans a territory of 185 km2 with an average altitude is 950 m, making it one of the highest valleys in Bulgaria. The Samokov Valley is divided in two parts — a western Palakaria section and an eastern Iskar section, the latter is further subdivided in the Upper and Lower Samokov field. In 1955 the Lower Samokov field was submerged under the [Iskar Reservoir](/wiki/Iskar_Reservoir "Iskar Reservoir").

The valley was formed during the [Neogene](/wiki/Neogene "Neogene")–[Quaternary](/wiki/Quaternary "Quaternary") period as a result of subsidence along the surrounding faults. During the [Pliocene](/wiki/Pliocene "Pliocene"), parts of it were a freshwater lake. During the Quaternary, it was filled with powerful alluvial and fluvial–glacial sediments from Rila.

The climate is [temperate continental](/wiki/Continental_climate "Continental climate") with [Alpine influence](/wiki/Alpine_climate "Alpine climate"). The average annual temperature is 7\.3 °C, with an average of \-3\.4 °C in January and 17\.3 °C in June. The mean annual precipitation is 653 mm. The valley is drained by the longest river entirely in Bulgarian territory, the Iskar, and its tributaries the [Palakaria](/wiki/Palakaria "Palakaria") (left), the [Musalenska Bistritsa](/wiki/Musalenska_Bistritsa "Musalenska Bistritsa") (right) and the Shipochanitsa (right). The predominant soils are alluvial.


What are the main features of the climate in the Samokov Valley?