Pčinja District
| Pčinjski okrug Пчињски округ |
|
|---|---|
| District of Serbia | |
 Location of the Pčinja District within Serbia |
|
| Country |
 Serbia
|
| Region | Southern and Eastern Serbia |
| Administrative center | Vranje |
| Government | |
| • Commissioner | Srećko Pejković |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,520 km2 (1,360 sq mi) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
| • Total | 159,081 |
| • Density | 45.1/km2 (117/sq mi) |
| ISO 3166 code | RS-24 |
| Municipalities | 6 and 1 city |
| Settlements | 363 |
| – Cities and towns | 6 |
| – Villages | 357 |
| Website | www |
The Pčinja District (Serbian: Пчињски округ / Pčinjski okrug, pronounced [ptʃǐɲskiː ôkruːɡ]) is one of nine administrative districts of Southern and Eastern Serbia. It covers the southern part of Serbia, bordering the disputed territory of Kosovo, Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. Its administrative center is the city of Vranje.
It has a population of 159,081, according to the 2011 census. It is possible that the actual population is greater than is stated in the official statistics, because most Albanians boycotted the census; an estimate is that between 20,000–50,000 more people than recorded live in the district.
The Vranjska Banja spa plays a particular part in this region, with its multi-medicinal thermal mineral waters.
It encompasses the municipalities of:
The ancient Paeonian tribe of Agrianians (Agrianes) ruled the region of present Pčinja District.
The cultural-historic monuments date back over five centuries ago. The earliest military fortification: Marko's Fortress, originates from the thirteenth century. Also famous are the ancient Turkish Public Bath from the sixteenth century, and the Pasha's House from 1765, in which a Grammar School was opened in 1882.
In 2001, uprisings by Albanians occurred in the Albanian-majority municipalities of Presevo and Bujanovac. In addition, reports emerged in 2006 that the Trgoviste had threatened to secede to Macedonia, which were treated as noteworthy because the area has a majority Serb population. Representatives cited economic hardship and a declining population as grievances against Serbia's government.
The economy of Vranje is based on industry, mining, building industry, trade, agriculture, and forestry. The best known factories are: DIV Tobacco Factory and holding companies: SIMPO and Jumko.
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