Municipality of Struga ( mk, Струга, translit=Struga, sq, Strugë) is a municipality in western
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
. ''
Struga
Struga ( mk, Струга , sq, Strugë) is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of North Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The town of Struga is the seat of Struga Municipality.
Name
The nam ...
'' is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Struga Municipality is part of the
Southwestern Statistical Region
The Southwestern Statistical Region ( mk, Југозападен Регион; Albanian: Rajoni jugperendimor) is one of eight statistical regions of North Macedonia. Southwestern, located in the west and southwestern part of the country, borders ...
.
Geography
The municipality borders
*
Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid ( mk, Охридско Езеро , al, Liqeni i Ohrit , also referred as ''Liqeni i Pogradecit'';) is a lake which straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern part of North Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Eu ...
to the south,
*
Debarca Municipality
Debarca ( mk, ) is a municipality in the Southwestern Statistical Region of North Macedonia. The village of Belčišta is the municipal seat. It is the municipality in which Ohrid "St. Paul the Apostle" Airport is located, the second of two inte ...
to the east,
*
Centar Župa Municipality
Centar Župa ( mk, ; tr, Merkez Jupa) is a municipality in the western part of North Macedonia. ''Centar Župa'' is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Centar Župa Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistica ...
to the north, and
*
Vevčani Municipality and
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
to the west.
Inhabited places
The only town in the municipality is Struga.
Besides Struga, there are additional 50 villages:
*
Bezovo,
Bidževo
Bidževo ( mk, Биџево, ) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Sout ...
,
Bogojci,
Brčevo,
Burinec,
*
Delogoždi
Delogoždi ( mk, Делогожди, sq, Dollogozhdë) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Geography
Delogoždi lies south of Mountain Karaorman in an altitude of 800 meters and the east borders with the villages Dzhepi ...
,
Draslajca,
Dolna Belica,
Dolno Tateši,
Dobovjani
Dobovjani ( mk, Добовјани, sq, Dobovjan) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 168 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the village include:Macedonian ...
,
Drenok
Drenok ( mk, Дренок) is a village on Jablanica ( mk, Јабланица) mountain in Municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Demographic history
Drenok (''Dranok'') appears in the Ottoman ''defter'' of 1467 as a village in the timar
...
,
*
Džepin
Džepin ( mk, Џепин, sq, Zhepin) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Demographics
As of the 2021 census, Džepin had 122 residents with the following ethnic composition:
*Albanians 119
*Persons for whom data are tak ...
,
*
Frangovo
Frangovo ( mk, Франгово, sq, Frëngovë) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
All the forms of the toponym are derived from the form ''Frangovo'', by reduction of the original sound cluster ''an'' into ''ân ...
,
*
Globočica,
Gorna Belica
Gorna Belica ( mk, Горна Белица; rup, Beala di Suprã/Beala di Supra; sq, Belicë e Sipërme) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia. The village is located close to the Albania-North Macedonia border.
History
...
,
Gorno Tateši
Gorno Tateši ( mk, Горно Татеши, sq, Tatesh i Epërm) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
The name of the village is an Albanian toponym and derived possibly from a personal name. "Татеши... Име ...
,
*
Jablanica,
*
Kališta,
Korošišta
Korošišta ( mk, Корошишта, sq, Koroshisht) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Demographics
As of the 2021 census, Korošišta had 1,201 residents with the following ethnic composition:
*Albanians 1,179
*Perso ...
,
*
Labuništa
Labuništa ( mk, Лабуништа; sq, Llabunishta) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
Labuništa is an old name dating back to the time of the arrival of Slavic peoples to the Balkans. The origins of the name La ...
,
Lakaica,
Livada,
Lokov,
Ložani,
Lukovo,
*
Mali Vlaj
Mali Vlaj ( mk, Мали Влај) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
The toponym is first recorded as a plural in the name ''Frougovi Vlasi''. The form ''Vlaj'' is an old accusative occurring as a plural in ''Vla ...
,
Misleševo,
Mislodežda,
Modrič,
Moroišta,
*
Nerezi,
Novo Selo,
*
Oktisi,
*
Piskupština,
Podgorci,
Poum
The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification ( es, Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista, POUM; ca, Partit Obrer d'Unificació Marxista) was a Spanish communist party formed during the Second Spanish Republic, Second Republic and mainly active a ...
,
Prisovjani,
*
Radolišta,
Radožda
Radožda ( mk, Радожда ) is a village in the Struga municipality in the southwestern region of North Macedonia.
Geography
Radožda is situated on the western shore of the Ohrid Lake. It is south of the town Struga. It is from the Mace ...
,
Ržanovo,
*
Selci,
*
Šum,
*
Tašmaruništa,
Toska,
*
Velešta,
Višni,
Vraništa
The following is a list of populated places in Kosovo, arranged by municipality.http://www.unmikonline.org/regulations/unmikgazette/02english/E2004ads/ADE2004_23_annex.pdf
Deçan (Dečani)
Gjakovë (Ðakovica)
Drenas (Glogovac)
Gjilan (Gn ...
,
*
Zagračani and
Zbaždi.
Demographics
The mother tongues of the population, according to the 2002 census, are:
[Macedonian census 2002: ethnicity, religion and mother tongue](_blank)
/ref>
According to the 2002 census, the religions practiced the municipality are:
Municipality of Struga after 2004
According to the last national census from 2021 this municipality has 50,980 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the municipality include:
The ethnic composition and numbers of most communities in the Struga region have remained static apart from the Macedonian Muslim
The Macedonian Muslims ( mk, Македонци-муслимани, Makedonci-muslimani), also known as Muslim Macedonians or ''Torbeši'' ( mk, Торбеши), and in some sources grouped together with Pomaks, are a minority religious group w ...
(''Torbeš'') population who mostly self-declare themselves as either Albanians or Turks. Macedonian Muslims are located in the religiously mixed villages of Boroec, Jablanica, Labuništa
Labuništa ( mk, Лабуништа; sq, Llabunishta) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
Labuništa is an old name dating back to the time of the arrival of Slavic peoples to the Balkans. The origins of the name La ...
, Oktisi and Podgorci, where they live alongside Orthodox Macedonians.[ p. 333. "Исламизираните Македонци во струшките села Јабланица, Боро(в)ец, Октиси, Подгорци и Лабуништа живеат заедно со православното население.".] Amidst the Albanian population of Zagračani are a few Macedonian Muslim families originating from Oktisi and Podgorci who now speak Albanian.[ p. 63. "Етничкиот состав останува скоро неизменет, само муслиманските Македонци се декларираат најчесто како Албанци или Турци."; p. 67. "Меѓу Албанците имаат неколку фамилии мусл. Македонци дојдени од. с. Октиси и Подгорци кои сега зборуваат албански."]
The Struga area is home to various dialects spoken by Macedonians, such as the Vevčani-Radožda dialect
The Vevčani-Radožda dialect ( mk, Вевчанско-радошки дијалект, ''Vevčansko-radoški dijalekt'') is a member of the western and north western subgroup of the western group of dialects of Macedonian. Because of the old an ...
. The Macedonian language is a second language for most of the non-Slavic ethnic groups in the Struga region. Some communities are bilingual and other ethnic groups are trilingual due to their religious (Islamic) heritage. Many Albanians have a good working knowledge of the variety of Turkish spoken in the Struga area and it serves as a third language for them. Local Macedonians rarely have knowledge of languages spoken by other ethnic groups living in the Struga area. Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Alba ...
traditionally used to live in two villages of the Struga region, the now abandoned settlement of Gorna Belica
Gorna Belica ( mk, Горна Белица; rup, Beala di Suprã/Beala di Supra; sq, Belicë e Sipërme) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia. The village is located close to the Albania-North Macedonia border.
History
...
alongside Albanians that spoke the Tosk Albanian
Tosk ( sq-definite, toskërishtja) is the southern group of dialects of the Albanian language, spoken by the ethnographic group known as Tosks. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg (the northern variety) is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is ...
dialect, and Dolna Belica, which has become repopulated mainly with Albanians.[ "Во струшкиот Дримкол имало две впашки населби - Горна и Долна Белица.... Долна Белица, пак, го измени својот етнички состав на населението."] Aromanian speaking Muslims also existed in Dolna Belica, although they have assimilated into Albanian identity and language. Some Aromanians from Gorna Belica have resettled in the nearby village of Vevčani
Vevčani ( mk, ) is a village in North Macedonia. It is the only settlement and seat of Vevčani Municipality.
Geography
The village of Vevčani is found in the southwestern range at the foot of the Jablanica mountain range. It is situate ...
. The village of Mali Vlaj
Mali Vlaj ( mk, Мали Влај) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
The toponym is first recorded as a plural in the name ''Frougovi Vlasi''. The form ''Vlaj'' is an old accusative occurring as a plural in ''Vla ...
was also once inhabited by Aromanians, belonging to the Frashëriot subgroup that originated from Albania and became assimilated during the course of the 19th century.[ p. 133. R. Rrămăn (Aromunen mit der Eigenbezeichnung Rrămăn = Farscheroten, Arvanitovlachen)"; p. 147. "Mali Vlaj.... R aus Albanien, bereits im 19. Jh. assimiliert."]
Both main dialects Gheg and Tosk of Albanian are spoken in the Struga region and are mostly separated along the course of the Black Drim river that runs through the middle of Struga town. The Tosk Albanian dialect is spoken in Frangovo
Frangovo ( mk, Франгово, sq, Frëngovë) is a village in the municipality of Struga, North Macedonia.
Name
All the forms of the toponym are derived from the form ''Frangovo'', by reduction of the original sound cluster ''an'' into ''ân ...
, Kališta, Radolišta, Šum and Zagračani, while all other Albanian inhabited villages of the Struga region speak the Gheg Albanian
Gheg (also spelled Geg; Gheg Albanian: ''gegnishtja'', Standard sq, gegërishtja) is one of the two major variety (linguistics), varieties of Albanian language, Albanian, the other being Tosk Albanian, Tosk. The geographic dividing line betwee ...
dialect.[ "Fshatrat e rrethinës së Strugës siç janë: Kalishti, Frengova, Ladorishti, Zagraçani dhe Shumi flasin në dialektin toskë, kurse në të gjithë fshatrat e tjerë flitet gegënishtja.".] Part of the village population in Labuništa is Albanian.[ "In den südwestlichen Dörfern Labunište und Bačište, in denen sich die Bewohner zum Teil als Albaner bezeichen, gab es Versuche, die albanische Sprache als Unterichtssprache einzuführen."] Until the last few decades of the 20th century Tosk Albanian, in particular the geographically central variety of the dialect dominated among speakers of Albanian in Struga. The local Romani population of Struga speaks and sings in the southern Tosk Albanian dialect, as does the local Turkish population. Aromanians in Struga and the wider area have practical knowledge of Tosk Albanian as a third language. Local Macedonians who learn Albanian, speak the Tosk Albanian dialect.[ "ndërsa për ruajtjen e identitetit të Strugës, flet fakti se në atë qytet, para disa dekadave, flitej vetëm dialekti toskë, sidomos toskërishtja qendrore, ndërmjet Jugut dhe Veriut të Shqiperisë... Këto fakte gjuhësore i vërteton edhe popullata rome, jevgjit e Strugës, flasin dhe këndojnë toskërisht, gjithashtu edhe popullata turke e këtij qyteti, flet dialektin toskë. Këtë dialekt e flasin vllehët e Strugës dhe të Belicës. Këtë dialekt e flet edhe popullata sllave që ka mësuar të flasë shqip."; p. 47. "kurse Belica e Sipërme ka qenë e banuar nga shqiptarë dhe vllehë... Në atë kohë Belica ka pasur mbi 600 shtëpi, kurse sot në atë fshat nuk banon asnjë familje, të gjithë janë shpërngulur."]
Municipality of Struga before 2004
After 2004 the municipalities of Delogoždi, Labuništa, Lukova and Velešta merged with Struga Municipality and the demographics changed. Before that, the demographics of the municipality was:
;Ethnic groups.:
;Languages:
;Religion:
History
On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck Albania and Struga Municipality held 1 day of mourning for the earthquake victims and sent 1,000,000 denars for relief efforts.
References
External links
Official website
Struga Tourism Portal
{{Authority control
Municipalities of North Macedonia