Belica ( mk, Белица) is a small village located in the region of
Porece in the municipality of
Makedonski Brod
Makedonski Brod ( mk, Македонски Брод ; meaning "Macedonian Ford") is a small town in the central part of North Macedonia, on the south-eastern part of Suva Gora, western Karadžica and south-western Dautica mountains. The town is ...
. It used to be part of the former municipality of
Samokov.
It is situated at the foot of the
Jakupica
Jakupica ( mk, , ) or Mokra ( mk, Мокра, ) is a mountain range in the central part of North Macedonia. The headwaters of the Axios river ( grc, Ἀξιός), mentioned by Homer (Il. 21.141, Il. 2.849) as the home of the Paeonians allies of ...
mountain range at an altitude of around 600 meters. Near the village are the sources of the Beleshnica river, one of the largest tributaries of the
Treska
Treska ( mk, Треска, ) is a river in the western part of North Macedonia, a right tributary to Vardar. It is long, and its basin is 2350 km2.''Opća enciklopedija Jugoslavenskog leksikografskog zavoda - Zagreb, 1982. (2. izdanje)''
...
river, which in turn flows into
Lake Kozjak several kilometers downstream from their
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
. In the surrounding mountains three cave systems can be found: those of Momichak, Laparnica and Gulubarnica.
Name
Concerning the name Belica, there exist two theories: One states that the name is derived from the clear white water of the Beleshnica river which springs near the village center. According to another theory, the village name is linked to the tragic legend of a local young girl, called Belaica, who threw herself from the rocks into the river after being forced to become the wife of a Turkish ruler.
Geography
The village is located in the
Poreče
Poreče, Porečie or Porečje or Poreč ( mk, Порече, Поречие, Поречје or Poreč), is a region in North Macedonia which includes the Makedonski Brod Municipality, and the western part of the Prilep Municipality
Prilep ( mk ...
region, in the eastern part of the Makedonski Brod Municipality. The village is flat, at an altitude of 550 meters. It is 34 kilometers away from the town
Makedonski Brod
Makedonski Brod ( mk, Македонски Брод ; meaning "Macedonian Ford") is a small town in the central part of North Macedonia, on the south-eastern part of Suva Gora, western Karadžica and south-western Dautica mountains. The town is ...
.
[Panov, Mitko (1998). Encyclopedia of the villages in the Republic of Macedonia. Skopje. p. 24]
It is dominated by forests on an area of 3,029.8 hectares, followed by pastures on an area of 1,632 hectares, and arable land accounting for 145.4 hectares.
The river Belica flows through the village, which is a tributary of the river
Treska
Treska ( mk, Треска, ) is a river in the western part of North Macedonia, a right tributary to Vardar. It is long, and its basin is 2350 km2.''Opća enciklopedija Jugoslavenskog leksikografskog zavoda - Zagreb, 1982. (2. izdanje)''
...
. The river is a protected natural monument. The village is divided into two parts: Dolna and Gorna Belica, which are further divided into several sub-districts.
Demographics
According to the statistics of the ethnographer
Vasil Kanchov ("Macedonia. Ethnography and Statistics") from 1900, the village of Dolna Belica had 26 inhabitants, and the village of Gorna Belica had 180 inhabitants, all of them were
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
. According to the statistics of the secretary of the Bulgarian Exarchate, Dimitar Mishev ("La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne") in 1905, Belica had 320 inhabitants.
[D.M.Brancoff. "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne". Paris, 1905, р. 154.]
In 1961, Belica had 376 inhabitants, and in 1994 the number decreased to 146 inhabitants.
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 106 inhabitants.
[ Ethnic groups in the village include:][Macedonian Census (2002)]
''Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion''
The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 168.
* Macedonians 106
References
External links
Official website
Villages in Makedonski Brod Municipality
{{MakedonskiBrod-geo-stub