Zhitnitsa, Plovdiv Province Zhitnitsa, Plovdiv Province Zhitnitsa (, "granary") is a village in central southern Bulgaria, part of Kaloyanovo Municipality, Plovdiv Province. Zhitnitsa is mostly inhabited by Roman Catholic Bulgarians, descendants of medieval Paulicians. It lies north of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city, and from the municipal centre Kaloyanovo. Zhitnitsa was founded no later than 1646, during the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, as a Turkish-owned farm. The farm was manned and worked by Bulgarian Paulicians from Sopot and Kalabrovo, who settled in the vicinity and established the village. According to an 18th-century report by papal missionary Nikola Radovani, the village had 54 houses inhabited
Plovdiv Province capital is the city of Plovdiv; other towns include Karlovo, Sopot, Klisura, Kalofer, Hisarya, Saedinenie, Rakovski, Brezovo, Stamboliyski, Krichim, Perushtitsa, Sadovo, Parvomay, Asenovgrad, Laki, Katunica, Yiagodovo. Plovdiv Province had a population of 715,904 (715,816 also given) according to a 2001 census, of which were male and were female. As of the end of 2009, the population, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 701,684 of which are over 60 years of age. The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II: Total population (2011 census): 683 027<br> Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified