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Revision as of 21:09, 23 November 2005
Gostivar is a city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog region. It is one of the largest cities of the republic as it has a population of 116,107 and covers 1.341 square kilometers. Gostivar is an important city because it is connected to the cities of Tetovo, Skopje, Kičevo, Ohrid and Debar. The majority of the population in Gostivar have been and are still Albanians . According to the 2002 census, the population in the municipality of Gostivar, using the new territorial organization, is 55.56 percent Albanian and 29.42 percent Macedonian Slav.
Gostivar is also next to the village of Vrutok. In Vrutok, the Vardar river begins at an altitude of 683 meters from the base of the Šar Planina mountain. Vardar extends through Gostivar, cutting it in half, until it reaches the Aegean Sea.
Economy
Gostivar is merchant city. From the second half of the 19th century, a lot of merchants started moving in and opening a new stores. There is also a shopping day, Tuesday. The merchants from Kruševo, Kičevo, Tetovo and Veles were the founders of the Gostivar merchant center in that time. But today they are gone electricians, mechanic workers. Today Gostivar is a modern city. A new and modern freeway was built, in 1995, from Gostivar to Tetovo, 24 km long. There is a modern shopping the "De Jure".
Tourism
Some 26 km, from Gostivar is located one of the best Ski - Resorts in Macedonia "Zare Lazarevski" in the Mavrovo National Park. As you'll leave Gostivar, on the way to Kičevo and Ohrid, in the Vrutok village is the gorge of the biggest river in Macedonia, Vardar, that is 388 km long and flows in the Aegean Sea, by Thessaloniki (on Macedonian - Solun). Gostivar is the last town on the exit from the productive, Polog valley. The road than continues to the high lands of Mavrovo and Galičnik, from where all Polog valley can be observed with the villages scattered around like some kind of beautiful mosaic. Mavrovo is an interesting tourists attraction with unique natural beauties. This tourist centre is believed to be one of the most beautiful tourist attraction in Macedonia. It is a place of many natural beauties, magnificient paysages, a crystal clear lake, high mountain hills from where you can see panoramas of Bistra and its near by village suburbs. Marvovo attracts tourists during all seasons, but it is more attractive in winter when it is all covered with deep snow.
The Mavrovo region is situated around the lake of Mavrovo from the Mavrovski's Anovi, all the way to the village of Mavrovo. The most attractive tourist object is the hotel "Bistra" which during winter is visited by many tourists. This tourist centre is also visited by school students during winter holidays. The hotel is situated in the lower part of mountain "Bistra" close to the shores of lake Mavrovo. It truly represents a beautiful attraction in this region. This mountain is very rich with flora and fauna. Mavrovo and Mavrovo Anovi represent two tourist suburbs, joined together in one tourist region. The whole tourist complex manages with 1200 beds and over 1000 villas, with many hotels, restaurants and shops. The Mavrovo region hosts ski tournaments and other sport recreations. This region is very active throughout the year. The northern peaks of Rusino Brdo, Sultanica and Sandaktas, have good condition for winter sport activities. The popularity of Mavrovo is growing more and more each year with the attraction of many tourists. Located in the north-western part of Macedonia, Popova Shapka is one of the most popular winter ski resort in the country. It is situated on the beautiful Shar Planina (Shar Mountain), 1780 meters above the sea level, just 35 kilometers from the capital Skopje. Popova Shapka offers excellent ski environment and hotel accommodations. Visitors not only from Macedonia, but also from many other countries, return season after season here to relax, have fun, and experience adventure. Popova Shapka has been a host to both the European and Balkan Ski Championships. Not far from the resort, there are many small picturesquely glacial lakes scattered around on the mountain. There are two ways to get to Popova Shapka: by car and by rope-railway with a starting location in Tetovo. The rope-railway is 6km long and it takes about 36 minutes to reach the top. Shar Planina is one of the three Alpine mountain ranges in Macedonia, the other two being Korab and Bistra mountains. The Shar Planina range is 80 km long and 12 km wide and is covered with snow from November till March and April every year. The highest pick is 2760 meters. From the diverse fauna, the Sarplaninec dog is worth mentioning, as it has earned a fine reputation among the pet dog lovers. These dogs are used by the sheep-herders of Shar Planina, to guide and protect their sheep herds. Various kinds of game, in particular bears, boars, deer, and mouflons, provoke the development of hunting. Due to its rich vegetation and wildlife on the one hand, as well as because of the preserved and unpolluted environment, it represents a real Mecca for tourist resorts and sports facilities, where medical herbs can be picked up, and game hunts arranged. At summer time, Shar Planina can be described as a ocean of grass. In fact, Shar is the largest compact area covered with pastures on the European Continent. This provides excellent opportunities for animal husbandry. High quality dairy products, mainly cheese and feta cheese, are made in the many sheepfolds on Shar and the adjacent mountains. The best known kinds of feta cheese are Shara and Galicnik. The Shar Mountain, along with the adjacent mountains, is rich in wide-ranging vegetation, which provides possibilities to gather medical herbs and to produce healthy food.