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| '''Gostivar''' is a city in the ], 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 ], ], ], ] and ]. The majority of the population in Gostivar have been and are still ] . 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 a city in the ], 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 ], ], ], ] and ]. The majority of the population in Gostivar have been and are still ] . 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 ]. In Vrutok, the ] river begins at an altitude of 683 meters from the base of the ] mountain. Vardar extends through Gostivar, cutting it in half, until it reaches the ]. | Gostivar is also next to the village of ]. In Vrutok, the ] river begins at an altitude of 683 meters from the base of the ] mountain. Vardar extends through Gostivar, cutting it in half, until it reaches the ]. | ||
| ] | |||
| == Economy == | == 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. | |||
| Gostivar's past economic prosperity is undermined by today's poor state, with unemployment being a major factor. These economic hardships are largely attributed to the ]'s lack of investments in ] populated areas. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
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| On ] and 10, ], overzealous state police clashed with Albanian demonstrators. The actions of the police disregarded normal protocol and ], specifically violating the ], the ] and the ]. Most of the protesters were peaceful, but the police found ]s in the bags carried by several demonstrators that were being arrested in the area around the police blockade. By 15:00 pm demonstrators were starting to throw stones on the police and were trying to break the blockade posted by the police on the main street which is leading directly to the city hall. At about 15:30 police man were shooting in the air to scare the demonstrators but some of the demonstrators started to shoot back to the police than begin the clash between the police and the demonstrators 2 or 3 of the protestors were shoot dead this information was not revealed by the government and 15 of the police man lightly injured. | |||
| Some of those arrested were immediately, publicly tortured, but the violence did not end once all the civilians who had taken part were arrested or had escaped. | |||
| == Reaction == | |||
| * The government has acknowledged the use of excessive force | |||
| * Furthermore it has suggested legal action against the officers involved - none so far has been taken | |||
| * The Albanian community doubts the Macedonian government's seriousness in dealing with the officers * International support on this issue is exclusive to the Macedonian government | |||
| * The Macedonian government attributes the violence against the police to Albanian extremists | |||
| * The Albanian community attributes the deaths of the demonstrators to excessive force, random arrests, and abuse - both in prison and in public by the state police. | |||
| == Flag Raising== | |||
| Five months after the incident, elections in Gostivar brought the ] to power. Newly-elected mayor ] made some immediate and important changes in the government. Osmani made sure the town hall's staff was reduced and more Albanians were hired. Signs were posted written in Albanian alongside the Macedonian (Slavonic) and Turkish language versions. When Osmani and the DPA raised the flags of Albania and Turky in the town halls of Gostivar and Tetovo, a controversy was sparked. Macedonian Slavs saw the move as a sign of disrespect and a step towards independence. Rufi Osmani justified the move by citing Article 48 of the republic's constitution which says that members of nationalities have a right to freely express their identity and national pride. | |||
| When the ] ruled that the flag raising was illegal the DPA refused to comply. No one on either side took action until May of that year (] when vandals, most likely members of the Macedonian police, removed the flags and destroyed the flag pole. In response, on May 27 Rufi Osmani led an estimated 20,000 ethnic Albanians in a nationalist rally in central Gostivar. Albanian and Turkish flags were raised and Osmani appointed a civil guard to watch over the flags. As to whether the guards were armed, or whether they were just keeping watch is disputed. | |||
| When the local governments of Tetovo and Gostivar heard that the ] had ruled that the flag raising was illegal, they refused to recognize the court's decision because they did not believe that the flags violated the "sovereignty of the state". The situation seemed to cool down when a compromise was reached on ], at eleven o'clock by the national parliament's new ]. The Law on the Use of Foreign Flags allows state flags other than that of the republic to be raised at any time on private property and in front of town halls on state holidays. Unfortunately, this law was not sincere. Four hours after the law was passed, special forces acted in Tetovo and Gostivar. Covertly, they arrested key members of the DPA in Tetovo and Gostivar, including the Mayor of Gostivar ], the Mayor of Tetovo ], the President of the Tetovo city council ], spokesman for the DPA ], DPA activist ], president of the Gostivar city council ], and ], brother of DPA Vice President ]. Telephone and electricity lines were cut, the flags were removed, and the town halls were once again vandalized. | |||
| In September the ] sentenced Rufi Osmani to 13 years, and 8 months in prison for inciting national, racial and religious hatred, organizing armed resistance, and disobeying an order of the constitutional court. Refik Dauti was sentenced to three years in prison for disobeying an order of the constitutional court. On February 19 the Court of Appeals reduced Osmani's sentence to seven years and Dauti's to two years but considering the poor access to the case files, restricted lawyer consultations, and the court's refusal to accept witnesses on behalf of the defense, both men deserve new trials. | |||
| == External links == | == External links == | ||
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Revision as of 21:04, 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.