Vladičin Han ( sr-cyrl, Владичин Хан, ) is a town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

located in the

Pčinja District The Pčinja District (, ) is one of administrative districts of Serbia. It occupies the southernmost part of Serbia, bordering Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Sou ...

in southern Serbia. The town is located along the road from the Serbian capital

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

to the Greek city of

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...

. It is located close to the Serbian border with Bulgaria and North Macedonia. As of 2022, the population of the town was 7,343, while the population of the municipality is 17,532.

History

In the 17th century, a house ("Han") was built by Stefan Grk, which was later bought by Bishop Pajsije of Janjevo. A small settlement was established in 1887 around the house, and was given the name of Vladicin Han. In 1888, the first school was established, and a temple of Saint Nikola was built in 1905. In 1910, an iron bridge was built to replace the old wooden bridges. With the development of railways, it became an established town in the 1920s with flourishing trade and economy.

Geography

The town is located in the

in southern Serbia, about from the Serbian border with Bulgaria and North Macedonia. It is along the road connecting the Serbian capital

to the Greek city of

. The town lies at the mouth of two rivers–Vrla and Kalimanka, which flows into the South Morava. The Vlasina Mountain and Lake are located close to the town.

Settlements

Aside from the town of Vladičin Han, the municipality includes the following settlements: * Balinovce * Bačvište * Belanovce * Beliševo * Bogoševo * Brestovo * Dekutince * Donje Jabukovo * Dupljane * Džep * Garinje * Gornje Jabukovo * Gramađe * Jagnjilo * Jastrebac * Jovac * Kalimance * Kacapun * Koznica * Kopitarce * Kostomlatica * Kržince * Kukavica * Kunovo * Lebet * Lepenica * Letovište * Ljutež * Mazarać * Manajle * Manjak * Mrtvica * Ostrovica * Polom * Prekodolce * Priboj * Ravna Reka * Rdovo *

Repince Repince is a village in the municipality of Vladičin Han, Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map ...

* Repište * Ružić * Solačka Sena * Srneći Dol * Stubal * Suva Morava * Tegovište * Urvič * Vrbovo * Zebince * Žitorađe

Economy

The first factory that was established in the town was a

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

factory, which is still operational. With the development of transport connectivity, the town saw an influx of people in the early half of the 20th century. Though

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

was feasible in and around the areas surrounding the town, more people were engaged in manufacturing and trading due to its higher profitability. Trade fairs are common, with the largest fair taking place in September every year. The original market, which was established more than a hundred years ago on the river bed of Kalimaka, still functions as the main market place. Agricultural produce include

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

, and

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

. Between the 1920s and the 1940s, the town was a major center of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

production. The town was also popular for its crafts and indigenous works, with a craftsman center functioning since the late 19th century. As per the data from the Serbian government, the following table gives a preview of the total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity in 2018:

Demographics

According to the 2022 census results, the population of the town was 7,343, while the population of the municipality is 17,532. As of 2011,

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

formed the majority in the municipality with Romani making up a significant minority.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vladicin Han Populated places in Pčinja District Municipalities and cities of Southern and Eastern Serbia