Kočani
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Kočani (Macedonian: Кочани), the Town of Rice and geothermal water is a town only 120 km away from Skopje, situated in the Eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, Europe. The town of Kočani is a seat of the Kočani municipality.
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[edit] Geography and population
The town spreads across the Northern side of the Kočani valley, along the banks of the Kočani river, right where it leaves the mountain slopes and flows through the valley. North of the town there is the Osogovo mountain (2252 m) and 8 km away to the south the valley is closed by the mountain Plačkovica (1754 m). The town is 350 - 450 m above sea level.
Kočani spreads over an area of 18,6 km² and has population of 26,364 inhabitants which makes it the third regional center in the Eastern part of the country:
- 1984 - 6,657 inhabitants
- 1994 - 26,364 inhabitants
- 2002 - 38,092 inhabitants
Ethnic structure:
- Macedonian (90.3%)
- Roma (5.0%)
- Turk (3.0%)
- Vlach (0.5%)
- Serb (0.2%)
- Other (1.0%)
[edit] Climate
The climate is mild-continental, influenced by altered Mediterranean climate which penetrates along the river Bregalnica. The average temperature is 12.9 C with 538 mm rainfall.
[edit] History
Kočani was first mentioned in a charter from 1337 in which Despot Jovan Oliver donated the church of St. Dimitrija to Kočani.
Archaeological finds in the town itself have revealed remains of a settlement here in the Roman and Byzantine periods. Early in the 15th century it felt under Turkish rule. The travel chronicler Evliya Chelebi, who visited it in 1662, recorded that it had 600 households, a mosque, a mezjid, an inn and 15 shops. During the 18th and in the early 19th century, the town growth rate very stagnated. It was only around 1878 that the population began to rise, at which time it had about 450 - 500 households. The town has two feudal residences in the shape of towers believed to date from the 16th - 17th century.
[edit] Monuments
Numerous cultural and historical monuments, from ancient times to the middle ages, can be found in the vicinity of Kočani. Monastery complexes in the nearby villages Morodviz and Pantelej are world famous both for their architecture and unique frescoes.
[edit] Features
Today Kočani is a modern town with planned infrastructure, avenues, many modern buildings and blocks of flats, a shopping centre, a park and a newly built industrial zone. All this is carefully planned and structured, according to modern standards of living and esthetics. New suburbs are mainly built to the east where the town almost reaches the first houses of Orizari and to the West spreading over the industrial zone.
[edit] References
- ^ "ИСТОРИЈА" (history) (Macedonian).
[edit] External links
- Local Government Of The City Of Kocani, Macedonia
- Opštinski vesnik "Info-Kočani" - Municipality Newspaper "Info-Kochani" (in cyrillic)
- Hunting site “Polaki” Kocani
- Foundation Europe Development Center - Kocani, Macedonia
- RUEN Automotive Products Industry - Kocani, Macedonia
- EVROPA 92 Print Company - Kocani, Macedonia
- Office for tourism development
- Association of citizens "Oktagon" - Kocani
| Cities and Towns in the Republic of Macedonia |  |
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|---|---|---|
| Berovo | Bitola | Bogdanci | Debar | Delčevo | Demir Kapija | Demir Hisar | Gevgelija | Gostivar | Kavadarci | Kičevo | Kočani | Kratovo | Kriva Palanka | Kruševo | Kumanovo | Makedonski Brod | Makedonska Kamenica | Negotino | Ohrid | Pehčevo | Prilep | Probištip | Radoviš | Resen | Štip | Skopje | Struga | Strumica | Sveti Nikole | Tetovo | Valandovo | Veles | Vinica | ||
