Strumica ( mk, Струмица, ) is the largest city2002 census results
in English and Macedonian (PDF) in southeastern

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 ...

, near the

Novo Selo-Petrich Novo Selo-Petrich or Zlatarevo (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Ново Село-Петрич, ''Novo Selo-Petrič'') is the southernmost of three international border crossings between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, near Petrich. The crossing is name ...

border crossing with

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

. About 55,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. It is named after the

Strumica River The Strumica ( Macedonian and bg, Струмица, ; also transliterated ''Strumitsa'' or ''Strumitza'') or Strumeshnitsa () is a river in North Macedonia and Bulgaria. It runs through the town of Strumica and flows into the river Struma. The ...

which runs through it. The city of Strumica is the seat of

Strumica Municipality Strumica ( mk, Струмица ) is a municipality located in the eastern part of North Macedonia. '' Strumica'' is also the name of the city where the municipal seat is found. Strumica Municipality is part of the Southeastern Statistical Region ...

Name

The town is first mentioned in the 2nd century BC with the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

name (''Astraîon'', "starry") by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

and

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

. It was known as ''

Tiberiopolis Tiberiopolis ( grc, Τιβεριούπολις; sometimes in sources, Tiberiapolis, and Pappa-Tiberiopolis; formerly Pappa) was a town in the Roman province of Phrygia Pacatiana, mentioned by Ptolemy, Socrates of Constantinople and Hierocles. At ...

'' in

Roman times In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

, and received its present name from the Slavic settlers of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. In

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

the town is known as ''Ustrumca'', and in

modern Greek Modern Greek (, , or , ''Kiní Neoellinikí Glóssa''), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the ...

Στρώμνιτσα (''Strómnitsa''). In Bulgarian the name is Струмица.

History

Ancient period

According to archaeological findings, settlement of the area dates back to 6000–5000 BC: near the village of

Angelci Angelci ( mk, Ангелци) is a village in the municipality of Vasilevo, North Macedonia. Demographics According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 913 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the village include:Macedonian Census (2002) ''B ...

there is a

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

settlement called ''Stranata''; traces of prehistoric culture dating from the beginning of the 4th to the middle of the 3rd millennium BC have been discovered at the site of ''Carevi Kuli'' (Tsar's Towers), on the hill above the city. The area was later inhabited by

Paionians Paeonians were an ancient Indo-European people that dwelt in Paeonia (kingdom), Paeonia. Paeonia was an old country whose location was to the north of Ancient Macedonia, to the south of Dardania (Roman province), Dardania, to the west of Thrace a ...

. The first mention of the city under the name ''Astraion'' is in the writings of the Roman historian

Titus Livius Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

in 181 BC regarding the execution of Demetrius, brother of the Ancient Macedonian king

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (Help:IPA/English, /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus ...

(179–168 BC), son of

Philip V of Macedon Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon ag ...

(221–179 BC). The name Astraion came from the Paionian tribe called Astrai. In 148 BC the region became a

Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

. In the Roman period the city changed its name to ''Tiberiopolis'', which is evidenced by a marble statue base dedicated to the patron Tiberius Claudius Menon, who lived between the late 2nd and early 3rd century AD. During the reign of the Roman emperor

Julian the Apostate Julian ( la, Flavius Claudius Julianus; grc-gre, Ἰουλιανός ; 331 – 26 June 363) was Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplato ...

(361–363 AD), the fifteen holy

hieromartyr In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, a hieromartyr is a martyr (one who dies for his beliefs) who was a bishop or priest. Analogously, a monk who is a priest is known as a hieromonk. See also *New Martyr The title of New Martyr or Neomartyr ( el ...

s of Tiberiopolis were killed. In 395, the Roman Empire split, and Macedonia fell under the Eastern Roman Empire (the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

). After that, Tiberiopolis became part of the province

Macedonia Salutaris Macedonia ( grc-gre, Μακεδονία) was a province of the Roman Empire, encompassing the territory of the former Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia, which had been conquered by Rome in 168 BC at the conclusion of the Third Macedonian War. The p ...

or Macedonia Secunda in the late 4th century. The urban mansion Machuk dating from the late ancient period today stands witness for the existence of a city settlement from that time.

Middle Ages

In the 6th and 7th centuries, the Roman town became subject of Slavic migration . The

Strymonites Strymonites or Strymonian Slavs ( el, Στρυμονῖται / Strymonitai) were a tribe of Sclaveni (Early Slavs) who settled in the region of the river Strymon ( Struma) in eastern parts of the historical region of Macedonia. They took part in ...

, a

Sclavene The ' (in Latin language, Latin) or ' (various forms in Greek language, Greek, see below) were early Slavic tribes that raided, invaded and settled the Balkans in the Early Middle Ages and eventually became the progenitors of modern South Slavs. ...

tribe, adopted their name after the Strymon river (Struma). The Strymonites were independent until the 9th century, followed by a Byzantine reconquest. Later on, the Strumica region was conquered by

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

Khan

Presian Presian ( bg, Пресиян, Персиян, Пресиан) was the khan of Bulgaria in 836–852. He ruled during an extensive expansion in Macedonia. Origin The composite picture of the Byzantine sources indicates that Presian I was the son o ...

(836–852). The Strumica region remained part of the Bulgarian state throughout a period of more than 150 years right up until 1014, when it was retaken by the Byzantines. In the 11th century, written sources begin to refer to the town with its Slavic name as ''Strumica''. In 1016, Byzantine commander

David Arianites David Areianites or Arianites ( el, ) was a high-ranking Byzantine commander of the early 11th century. Origin The origin of the surname is uncertain and different theories have been proposed ranging from various anthroponomastic and toponymic d ...

captured the city from the Bulgarians. By the end of the 12th century, the Byzantine central power had weakened and, as a result, many local lords broke away and became independent. Initially, the leader of the

Vlachs "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...

and Bulgarians in eastern Macedonia

Dobromir Chrysos Dobromir, known to the Byzantines as Chrysos ( mk, Добромир Хрс, bg, Добромир Хриз, el, Δοβρομηρός Χρύσος), was a leader of the Vlachs and Bulgarian Slavs in eastern Macedonia during the reign of the Byzant ...

(1185–1202) and later the Bulgarian ''

sebastokrator ''Sebastokrator'' ( grc-byz, Σεβαστοκράτωρ, Sevastokrátor, August Ruler, ; bg, севастократор, sevastokrator; sh, sebastokrator), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers wh ...

'' and a member of the

Asen dynasty The Asen dynasty ( bg, Асеневци, ''Asenevtsi'') founded and ruled a medieval Bulgarian state, called in modern historiography the Second Bulgarian Empire, between 1185 and 1280. The Asen dynasty rose as the leaders of Bulgaria after a r ...

in Veliko Tarnovo

Strez Strez ( Bulgarian and mk, Стрез; original spelling: Стрѣзъ) (fl. 1207–1214) was a medieval, semi-independent Bulgarian ''sebastokrator''. He was a member of the Asen dynasty and a cousin or a brother of Boril of Bulgaria. A major ...

(1208–1214) held the region, which became part of the Bulgarian kingdom in 1202. In the second half of the 13th century the city was recovered by the Byzantine Empire until the Serbian Kingdom conquered the region in the 14th century. Serbian magnate

Hrelja Hrelja also known as Protosebastos Hrelija ( sr, Хреља; bg, Хрельо, ''Hrelyo''), also known as Stefan Dragovol (Стефан Драговол) or Hrelja Ohmućević ( sr, Хреља Охмућевић) was a 14th-century semi-independe ...

ruled Strumica and the nearby region until 1334, when it was put under the direct rule of Serbian King

Stefan Dušan Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан, ), known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr, / ; circa 1308 – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Tsar (or Emperor) and autocrat of the Serbs, Gr ...

who continued his conquest to the south. During the

Fall of the Serbian Empire The fall of the Serbian Empire was a decades-long process in the late 14th century. Following the death of childless Emperor Stefan Uroš V in 1371, the Empire was left without an heir and the magnates, '' velikaši'', obtained the rule of its pr ...

, the Strumica region was first ruled by Uglješa, the brother of magnate

Vukašin Vukašin (Cyrillic script: Вукашин) is an old Slavic name of Serbian origin. It is composed from two words: Vuk (wolf) and sin (son), so it means sin vuka (son of wolf). In some places in Croatia and Bosnia it can be found as a surname. ...

. Strumica itself was then governed by Dabiživ Spandulj, who served the Dejanović brothers. The

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

finally conquered Strumica in 1383.

Ottoman period

Under Ottoman administration, the town was named Ustrumca. It initially belonged to the

Sanjak of Kyustendil The Sanjak of Kyustendil was an Ottoman administrative-territorial unit that existed from 1395 to 1878. It included the former lands of Konstantin Dragash - Province of the Dejanović family. The Kyustendil Sanjak provided the largest number ...

, and the ''

timarli Timariot (or ''tımar'' holder; ''tımarlı'' in Turkish language, Turkish) was the name given to a Sipahi cavalryman in the Ottoman army. In return for service, each timariot received a parcel of revenue called a timar, a fief, which were usuall ...

sipahi ''Sipahi'' ( ota, سپاهی, translit=sipâhi, label=Persian, ) were professional cavalrymen deployed by the Seljuk dynasty, Seljuks, and later the Ottoman Empire, including the land grant-holding (''timar'') provincial ''Timariots, timarli s ...

'' system was established. Nomads and livestock breeders of Turkic origin were settled, which altered the general look of the city making it more oriental. According to the census of 1519, Strumica had a population of 2,780, of which 1,450 were Christians and 1,330 were Muslims. These were times when conversion to Islam was at its peak in the region, which accounts for the increased number of Muslims (2,200) compared to Christians (1,230) according to the census of 1570. In the 17th century, it became seat of a ''

kadiluk A kadiluk, in some cases equivalent to a kaza, was a local administrative subdivision of the Ottoman empire, which was the territory of a kadı, or judge. There could be several kadiluks in a sanjak. The kadı's duties extended beyond those of ...

''. At about this time, Strumica was visited by the Ottoman travel writers

Haji Kalfa Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...

(1665) and

Evliya Çelebi Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...

(1670), who gave a description of the city and all its Islamic buildings. In the late 18th and early 19th century, Strumica was part of the

Sanjak of Salonica The Sanjak of Salonica or Selanik (Ottoman Turkish: ; el, λιβάς/σαντζάκι Θεσσαλονίκης) was a second-level Ottoman province (''sanjak'' or '' liva'') encompassing the environs of the city of Thessalonica (Salonica, Turkis ...

. During the 19th century the influence of the

Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...

increased, and so did the number of pro-Greek citizens. Countering this, the

Bulgarian Exarchate The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...

found support in the Slavic populace; the first Bulgarian school in the Strumica region was opened in Robovo in 1860, and its first teacher was Arseni Kostencev from Štip. This period coincided with the work of the great fresco masters from Strumica – Vasil Gjorgiev and Grigorij Petsanov. They did work in many churches built in the Strumica region at the time. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Strumica was part of the

Salonica Vilayet The Vilayet of Salonica ( ota, ولايت سلانيك, Vilâyet-i Selânik) was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire from 1867 to 1912. In the late 19th century it reportedly had an area of .Berlin Congress The Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878) was a diplomatic conference to reorganise the states in the Balkan Peninsula after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, which had been won by Russia against the Ottoman Empire. Represented at th ...

of 1878, when the Ottoman Empire lost a sizable portion of its territory on the Balkans, a stream of refugees flowed into the area; some of them ending up in Strumica. These people were called " muhajirs". According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the

kaza A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough') * bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза * el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also () * lad, kaza , ...

of Strumica had a total population of 33.024, consisting of 15.760 Muslims, 13.726

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...

, 2.965

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 ...

and 573

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. The

Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр� ...

for the Ograzden county was formed and operated in these parts. One of the most prominent leaders of the organization in Strumica was

Hristo Chernopeev Hristo Chernopeev ( bg, Христо Чернопеев) (1868, Dermantsi – 6 November 1915, Krivolak) was a Bulgarian Army officer and member of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia. He was among the leaders of the Bulgarian People's Macedo ...

, who took part in the

Young Turk Revolution The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman Constit ...

(1908–09). The outcome of this effort did not bring freedom to the local people who still remained under Ottoman rule.

20th century

The

Kaza A kaza (, , , plural: , , ; ota, قضا, script=Arab, (; meaning 'borough') * bg, околия (; meaning 'district'); also Кааза * el, υποδιοίκησις () or (, which means 'borough' or 'municipality'); also () * lad, kaza , ...

of Strumica in 1905 had a total Christian population of 22.860, consisting of 12.736 Exarchist Bulgarians, 8.992 Patriarchist

, 624 Protestant Bulgarians, 444

Roma people The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

, 25

and 6

according to the geographers Dimitri Mishev and D. M. Brancoff. In the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...

of 1912 the Ottomans were defeated and driven out of

Macedonia (region) Macedonia () is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time; however, it came to be defined as the modern geographical region by the mid 19th century. To ...

by the joint effort of the

Balkan League The League of the Balkans was a quadruple alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Eastern Orthodox kingdoms of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the ...

(Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro). Bulgaria annexed the town of Strumica. In the

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...

(1913), which was fought between the three of the Balkan allies against Bulgaria, the latter was defeated, however, according to the Bucharest treaty (28 July 1913) Strumica remained under Bulgarian rule. The Greek army stationed in Strumica disapproved of the decision for withdrawal and set the town on fire. It burned from 8 until 15 August 1913, when more than 1900 public buildings, private houses and other constructions were burnt. Strumica was made the center of a homonymous district in Bulgaria (largely corresponding to the present day

Blagoevgrad province Blagoevgrad Province ( bg, област Благоевград, ''oblast Blagoevgrad'' or Благоевградска област, ''Blagoevgradska oblast''), also known as Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia ( bg, Пиринска Маке� ...

)Chronicle of the formation of regions in Bulgaria
(DOC) and stayed under Bulgarian rule until 1919, when it was ceded to the

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

after the

Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (french: Traité de Neuilly-sur-Seine) required Bulgaria to cede various territories, after Bulgaria had been one of the Central Powers defeated in World War I. The treaty was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly ...

. From 1929 to 1941, Strumica was part of the

Vardar Banovina The Vardar Banovina, or Vardar Banate ( mk, Вардарска бановина, Vardarska banovina; sr, Вардарска бановина, translit=Vardarska Banovina; al, Banovina e Vardarit, italics=no), was a province (banate) of the King ...

of the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...

. On 6 April 1941, the first day of the

Axis invasion of Yugoslavia An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis *Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinate ...

, Strumica was captured by the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

and, as Bulgaria was allied with Germany, Strumica was turned over under occupation of the Bulgarian armies on 18 April 1941. From 1941 to 1944, Strumica, as most of

Vardar Macedonia Vardar Macedonia ( Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to t ...

, was annexed by the

Kingdom of Bulgaria The Tsardom of Bulgaria ( bg, Царство България, translit=Tsarstvo Balgariya), also referred to as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom ( bg, Трето Българско Царство, translit=Treto Balgarsko Tsarstvo, links=no), someti ...

. On 11 September 1944 the Bulgarian army withdrew from Strumica and on 5 November 1944, the German army also left the town. After the war it became part of the

Socialist Republic of Macedonia The Socialist Republic of Macedonia ( mk, Социјалистичка Република Македонија, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia or Yugoslav Macedonia, was ...

, one of the republics of Federal Yugoslavia. With the referendum on 8 September 1991, amid the

breakup of Yugoslavia The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...

, the country became independent under the constitutional name Republic of Macedonia.

Geography

Strumica is located in the southeastern part of the country, close to the borders with Greece (15 km) and Bulgaria. It is situated in the geographical region of the Strumica Field, where the field meets the highland elevating into the Plavuš (west) and Belasica (south) mountains. The Struma river flows north of the city, while several tributaries flow through the city area.

Climate

Strumica has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''Cfa'').

Population

The population of the municipality of Strumica is 54,676.Државен завод за статистика
Попис на населението, домаќинствата и становите во Република Македонија, 2002: Дефинитивни податоци
(

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

) * Macedonians: 50,258 / 91.9% *

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

: 3,754 / 6.8% * Others: 1.3%

Notable people

Goran Pandev Goran Pandev ( mk, Горан Пандев, ; born 27 July 1983) is a Macedonian former professional footballer who played as a forward. After establishing himself at Lazio, Pandev moved to Inter Milan in early 2010. While playing for the ''Ne ...

, footballer *

Boris Trajkovski Boris Trajkovski (GCMG) ( mk, Борис Трајковски, pronounced ; 25 June 1956 – 26 February 2004) was a Macedonian politician who served as the second President of Macedonia from 1999 until his death in 2004 in a plane crash. Traj ...

, former Macedonian president *

Zoran Zaev Zoran Zaev ( mk, Зоран Заев, ; born 8 October 1974) is a Macedonian economist and politician who served as prime minister of North Macedonia from May 2017 to January 2020, and again from August 2020 to January 2022. Prior to entering ...

, Prime Minister of North Macedonia *

Baba Vanga Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova (; ; 3 October 1911 – 11 August 1996), commonly known as Baba Vanga (), was a Bulgarian mystic and herbalist. Blind since early childhood, Baba Vanga spent most of her life in the Rupite area of the Kozhuh mount ...

, clairvoyant *

Zoran Madžirov Zoran Madzirov (14 January 1968 – 9 May 2017) was a Macedonian percussionist, composer and the inventor of the Bottlephone. Biography Zoran Madzirov performed with and was honored by stars such as Sting, Tito Puente, Tina Turner, Harry Bel ...

, musician * Blagoj Mučeto, partisan *

Kiro Stojanov Kiro Stojanov ( mk, Киро Стојанов; born 9 April 1959 in the village of Radovo, Bosilovo Municipality) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Skopje and the Eparchial Bishop of the Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ass ...

, Catholic bishop *

Goran Popov Goran Popov ( mk, Горан Попов; born 2 October 1984) is a retired Macedonian footballer, who played as a defender. Popov started his career with local side Belasica and moved to Greece with Proodeftiki and AEK Athens. He signed for R ...

, footballer *

Veljko Paunović Veljko Paunović ( sr-Cyrl, Вељко Пауновић, ; born 21 August 1977) is a Serbian football manager and former player who is the current manager of Liga MX club Guadalajara. A versatile attacking unit, he could operate as an attacking ...

, footballer *

Vančo Stojanov Vančo "Vane" Stojanov (Macedonian: Ванчо "Ване" Стојанов; born 11 September 1977 in Strumica) is a Macedonian former middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. He represented his country at the 2000 and 2004 Summer ...

, athlete *

Igor Gjuzelov Igor Gjuzelov or Igor Đuzelov ( mk, Игор Ѓузелов; born 2 April 1976) is a retired Macedonian professional association football, football player. Gjuzelov is a Defender (association football)#Centre back, central defender. Club caree ...

, footballer *

Jani Atanasov Jani Atanasov ( mk, Јани Атанасов; born 31 October 1999) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Croatian club Hajduk Split. Club career On 5 June 2018, Atanasov joined Bursaspor after successful debut ...

, footballer *

Goran Maznov Goran Maznov (Macedonian Cyrillic: Горан Мазнов) (born 22 April 1981 in Strumica, SR Macedonia) is a Macedonian football striker who plays for FK Dojransko Ezero in the Macedonian third league group Southeast. Club career Internation ...

, footballer *

Vasil Garvanliev Vasil Garvanliev ( mk, Васил Гарванлиев; born 2 November 1984) is a North Macedonia, Macedonian singer. He is also known mononymously as Vasil. He was due to represent North Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, North Mace ...

, singer * Haralampos Boufidis, Chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle * Dimitrios Tsitsimis, revolutionary, soldier, and mayor of Kilkis *

Evangelos Koukoudeas Evangelos Koukoudeas ( el, Ευάγγελος Κουκουδέας) was a Greeks, Greek guerrilla fighter the Macedonian Struggle and the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus, North Epirote Struggle for Autonomy, hero of the Balkan Wars, and offi ...

, revolutionary and army officer *

Dimitrios Semsis Dimitrios Semsis, also known as Dimitrios Salonikios ( el, Δημήτρης Σέμσης; 1883 – 13 January 1950), was a Greek violinist born Dimitrios Koukoudeas (Δημήτριος Κουκουδέας) in Strumica, in the Salonica Vilayet ...

, violinist *

Goran Trenchovski Goran Trenchovski (also spelled as Trenčovski; Горан Тренчовски, b. April 24, 1970 in Strumica) is a Republic of Macedonia, Macedonian-born director, writer, artistic leader, founder, lecturer, humanist. He is the current head oAst ...

, director and writer *

Zekeriya Sertel Zekeriya Sertel, also known as Mehmet Zekeriya Sertel, (1890–1980) was a Turkish journalist. He is the first director of state press department and founder and editor of various periodicals. From 1950 to 1980 Sertel lived in exile. Early life ...

, journalist

Twin towns - twin cities

Tököl Tököl ( sh, Tukulja) is a town in Pest County, Hungary. Demography The majority of residents are Hungarians, with a minority of Bunjevci. Hungarian Uprising An Budapest-Tököl airfield (47 20 35 N / 18 59 20 E) was built during World War ...

–

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Gyál Gyál is a town in Pest county, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It has a population of 22,552. In 1949 it had only 4,104 inhabitants. During the socialist era, Gyál become a garden suburb of Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capit ...

–

Gallery

File:Strumica Town Hall.JPG, Strumica Town Hall File:The Monument Macedonia.jpg, Monument ''Macedonia'' dedicated to the second president of the

Republic of 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 Yugoslavia. It ...

File:Strumica Clock Tower.jpg, Strumica Clock Tower File:Monument Goce Delcev Strumica.jpg, Goce Delčev statue File:Плоштад Гоце Делчев Струмица (3).jpg, World map fountain at Goce Delčev Square File:Strumica Lake, Aug 2012.jpg, The Strumica Lake File:Amphitheatre in Strumica.jpg, The Strumica

Amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

File:Assembly of Municipality Strumica.jpg, Strumica

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

References

External links

Official Strumica Government Website

Official Book from 2002 Census of population see page 35
{{Authority control Cities in North Macedonia