Gostivar Гостивар |
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Gostivari | |||
Center of Gostivar
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Location in Northwestern Macedonia. |
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Location within Macedonia | |||
Coordinates: 41°48′N 20°55′E / 41.800°N 20.917°E | |||
Country | Macedonia | ||
Municipality | Gostivar Municipality | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Nevzat Bejta (DUI) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 1.341 km2 (0.518 sq mi) | ||
Population (2002) | |||
• Total | 35,847 | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
Climate | Cfb | ||
Website | gostivari.gov.mk |
Gostivar (Macedonian: Гостивар [ˈɡɔstivar]; Albanian: Gostivar/Gostivari; Turkish: Gostivar), is a city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog valley region. It is one of the largest municipalities in the country with a population of 81,042, and the town also covers 1.341 square kilometres (331 acres). Gostivar has good road and railway connections with the other cities in the region, such as Tetovo, Skopje, Kičevo, Ohrid, and Debar. A modern freeway was built in 1995, from Gostivar to Tetovo, 24 km (15 mi) long. Gostivar is the seat of Gostivar Municipality.
Gostivar is situated on the foothills of one of the most important mountains in the region: the Šar Mountains. Near to Gostivar is the village of Vrutok, where the Vardar river begins at an altitude of 683 meters (2,241 ft) from the base of the Šar Mountains. Vardar River extends through Gostivar, cutting it in half, passes through the capital Skopje, goes through the country, enters Greece and finally reaches the Aegean Sea.
According to the 2002 census, the city of Gostivar has a population of 35,847 inhabitants and the ethnic composition is the following:
The most common mother tongues in the city were the following:
The religious composition of the city was the following:
It is known that there was a town called Draudak (built in 170BC) near or on the current place of Gostivar.
Early mentions of the town was made by the Roman historian Livy. He records how during the Third Macedonian War the King of Macedon Perseus at the head of 10000 men, after taking Uskana (Kicevo), attacked Drau-Dak, today Gostivar.