AN ELDERLY BULGARIAN WOMAN WEAVES IN HER HOUSE IN THE VILLAGE OF KOVATCHEVICA, 2003-05-30 (photo)

An elderly Bulgarian woman weaves in her house in the village of Kovatchevica on May 30, 2003. Several dozens, mainly elderly Bulgarians, are the only inhabitants in many highmountain villages, such as Kovatchevica, in Bulgaria's southern Rhodopi Mountains. Declining birth rate, rising mortality rate and high unemployment over the past decade have led to deserting of many villages in the European Union aspiring country. Statistics data showed that some 1,500 villages in the country of eight million have less than 100 mainly elderly residents, of which some 500 villages have less than 10 residents. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov SN/AA