Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Freestylefrappe (talk | contribs) at 20:25, 15 December 2005 (cleanup). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Kumanovo is a city in northeastern Macedonia near the capital city of Skopje. The coordinates of the city are approximately 42°05'N and 21°40'E. Municipal institutions include a city council, mayor and another administrative bodies. The Skopje airport greatly helps Kumanovo's tourism.

Etymology

Kumanovo is believed to derive from the Cumans, a Turkic tribe who settled the area in the 12th-13th century.

Economy

The town's metal-processing, tobacco, agriculture, footwear and textile industries have made it an economic, trading and cultural center of approximately 135,529 people. Agriculture and trade developed mainly in the 19th century, but the city's modern look was established after the Second World War. Although Kumanovo lies 340 kilometers above the sea, it is surrounded by the Karadag part of Skopska Crna Gora mountain on its western side, Gradishtanska planina mountain on its southern side and Mangovica and German mountain on the eastern side. Kumanovo has a temperate climate.

Roads

A 40 kilometer highway exists between Skopje and Kumanovo, going near Kumanovo in the north and crossing the border with Serbia and Montenegro. A railway also connects Skopje with Kumanovo and Serbia and Montenegro. Another important road goes from Kumanovo to Kriva Palanka and then to the border with Bulgaria.

Culture

The Church of St. George at the Monastery of Staro Nagoricane is the best known cultural and historical monument in Kumanovo. It was built in the 11th century and was reconstructed in the l4th. During its reconstruction, the fresco-painters Mihailo and Evtihij painted its walls with frescoes of exceptional skill. The anti-fascist insurrection of Slavic Macedonians and the struggle for national and social liberation began in Kumanovo and Prilep on October 11, 1941. Also notable is the private practice "Otodent", located in Goce Delcev suburb, which offers different medical services like ENT and dentistry. The founder and the director is Dr. Milenko Trendafilovski. The city has a library, cultural center, museum and national theater. Several painting colonies and exhibitions took place every year in Kumanovo or in nearby villages and Kumanovo is distinguisged by its jazz festival.

The city was first mentioned in 1519 in a document housed in a Turkish archive in Istanbul. The traveler Evlija Chelebija mentioned Kumanovo in 1660 noting its many rivers, mosque, madrassa, hammam, vineyards and gardens.

The city grew steadily in the 16th and 17th centuries, becoming an administrative center for the region. In 1689 the Karposh rebellion took place in Kumanovo.

Violence

At 4:45 PM, on December 27, 2002, a bomb went off in front of Kumanovo's Goce Delcev High School while classes were still in session, killing one and injuring five bystanders. Goce Delcev is Kumanovo's biggest high school and is located near the central square. Shrapnel was found as far as 100 meters away from a trash can in front of the school where the bomb had been concealed. Shortly after the detonation, police arrived and blocked off adjacent streets. The identity of the perpetrators and their motivation is unknown.

Narcotics

Illegal drugs are notably high spread in Kumanovo particularly because of its proximity to three border crossings. Dragi Karadzinski, doctor and specialist in neuro-psychiatry at the Hospital Centre in Kumanovo, believes that the two most common narcotics among Kumanovo's youth are marijuana and hashish. The drug trade in Kumanovo has lead to a criminal underworld directly tried to Albanian mob factions.

External links

• Narcotics in Kumanovo
• Terrorism in Kumanovo
• Kumanovo FAQ
• Kokino megalithic observatory
• Kokino ancient observatory
• Kumanovo jazz festival

• Cities in the Republic of Macedonia