Demir Hisar (region)

Demir Hisar (Macedonian: Демир Хисар), also known as Železnec (in Macedonian Железнец), is an area spreading on the South West part of Macedonia to the North West of the Pelagonian plain, around the river flow of the Black River (Crna Reka) with her inflows. The greater parts of the surrounding area of Demir Hisar are smaller hills and mountains, and a small part which is spread around the mentioned river is low lands. A signature of this area are the mountains Bigla, Ilinska I Plakenska, on which is the highest peak reaching (2000 m) which separates the region of Demir Hisar with the lake regions of Prespa and Ohrid.

The name of Demir Hisar derives from the treasure of iron which the surrounding mountains in this region have, which is why it is called Iron Fortress. The name has been changed according to the ruler and his ruling period. When it was ruled by the Greeks, it was known as Sidero Kastron which in translation means ‘Iron Fortress’, and when it was overtaken by the Ottoman army, the name was changed into ”Demir Hisar” which in their language also means ‘’ Iron Fortress’’. “Demir Hisar” was maintained as the town's name when in Yugoslavia, and remained so in Macedonia.

The community of Demir Hisar comprises 10,610 inhabitants, 0.53% of the population of Macedonia, and 21% of them live in the town Demir Hisar. The town is spread over 473 km² and it is accounted that nearly 23.6 people live per square kilometre. With the new structure of the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, the municipality of Sopotnica was integrated into Demir Hisar municipality. Today the municipality of Demir Hisar is spread over a territory of 473 km². As part of this municipality, 41 inhabited places are included, from which the central part is the town Demir hisar with a population of 2,447.

The community started developing somewhere in 1945 soon after the end of the Second World War. First in Demir Hisar was formed a political – social administrative community – Local public administration, and it was placed in the village of Lopatica but then, with the change of the territorial and urban laws in the republic, it was set in Murgaševo.

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Wikipedia