Kumanovo should not be confused with Kumamoto.
| Kumanovo | |
| Native Name: | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Nickname: | Kumanovska Republika (Kumanovo Republic) |
| Pushpin Map: | North Macedonia#Balkans |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Kumanovo within North Macedonia |
| Coordinates: | 42.1358°N 21.7181°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northeastern |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kumanovo |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1096 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1519 |
| Named For: | tribe Cumans |
| Government Type: | Town Assembly |
| Leader Party: | Independent |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Maksim Dimitrievski |
| Leader Title1: | Town Council |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 509.48 |
| Elevation M: | 340 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Total: | 75,051 |
| Population Metro: | 98,104 |
| Population Density Km2: | 207.04 |
| Population Demonym: | Kumanovec Kumanovar |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal codes |
| Postal Code: | 1300 |
| Area Code: | +389 (0) 31 |
| Blank Name: | Car plates |
| Blank Info: | KU |
| Blank1 Name: | Patron saints |
| Blank1 Info: | St. George[1] |
| Blank2 Name: | Date of Liberation |
| Blank2 Info: | 11 November 1945 |
| Blank3 Name: | Climate |
| Blank3 Info: | Cfa |
Kumanovo (Macedonian: Куманово in Macedonian pronounced as /kuˈmanɔvɔ/;, Albanian: Kumanova; also known by other alternative names) is a city in North Macedonia and the seat of Kumanovo Municipality, the largest municipality in the country. Kumanovo lies 340m (1,120feet) above sea level and is surrounded by the Karadag part of Skopska Crna Gora mountain on its western side, Gradištanska mountain on its southern side, and Mangovica and German mountain on the Eastern side. Skopje airport also serves Kumanovo.
It has many historical sites. One of the most important sites is the 4,000-year-old megalithic astronomical observatory of Kokino, located 30km (20miles) northeast of Kumanovo and discovered in 2001. It is ranked fourth on the list of old observatories by NASA. In 1912, during the First Balkan War, Serbian forces won a decisive victory over the Ottomans north of the town. The two-day Battle of Kumanovo ended Ottoman authority in Vardar Macedonia which contributed to the region's integration into Serbia, and consequently, into Yugoslavia. The entire region of Macedonia was split in three among Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria after the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.
The rapid economic, administrative and cultural expansion of Kumanovo began in 1945. It was the site of the 9 June 1999 Agreement signed between FR Yugoslav Generals and the NATO Generals about bringing in a NATO peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo called, the Kosovo Force, or KFOR (Kumanovo Agreement). 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. It is internationally known for a jazz festival hosting bands from all over the world.
The name of the city in Macedonian, Serbian and Bulgarian is Kumanovo (Куманово). The name in Albanian is Kumanovë or Kumanova. Kumanovo is known as Aromanian; Arumanian; Macedo-Romanian: Cumanuva in Aromanian.[2] Kumanovo derives from the name of the Cumans, a western branch of Kipchaks, the tribe that settled in the area in the early 12th century.[3] [4] [5]
Kumanovo is situated in the northeastern part of North Macedonia, near the capital city of Skopje. The coordinates of the city are approximately 42°05'N and 21°40'E. Kumanovo lies 340m (1,120feet) above sea level and is surrounded by
Skopje airport also serves Kumanovo.
Kumanovo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa).
Most old neighborhood consist of shops and very few houses.
Veleshka Maalo (or Veleshko Maalo) is an old neighbourhood of Kumanovo. The name comes from the merchants from the town of Veles, who passed through the neighbourhood to sell their products by the rivers Vardar and Pchinja, and the Konjarinja villages Studena, Bara and Krasta. The main street, which today is named Narodna Revolucija, was their shortest way to the center of the city.
Karapsko maalo was located across today's south side of Goce Delchev High School through to the end of Mosha Pijade street. The name of the neighborhood came from the Ottomans. Every house in the neighborhood had a yard; neighboring yard were connected with doors, used by anyone chased by the Ottomans. Macedonians, komits and revolutionaries used this scheme to escape to the towns outskirts and the town itself. The Ottomans called it the dark or the secret neighborhood.
Also,
Endek maalo was placed across today's city hall on two banks of the former river of Serava.
The military base Boro Menkov[6] is one of the military installations of ARM in Kumanovo. The base was established by the JNA.
MB Hristijan Todorovski Karposh is the second base in Kumanovo, it was also established by the JNA and was inherited by the ARM. Today, part of the installation is converted into a university,[7] and another part was inherited by the Ministry of Interior.[8] There was an idea of turning the base into an economic industrial zone.[9]
In Kumanovo's Elezov kamen area there is also a Military Warehouse Base that operates today.
Kumanovo has a police station, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The current police chief is Stojanče Veličkovikj.[10]
The area boasts several prehistoric settlements, among which are
The first written mentioning of the individual modern villages of the Kumanovo region originate in the 14th century. These are, for the most part, found in Serbian charters:
In this time, the Kumanovo region (old Žegligovo) received its geographical location and certain settlement picture.[11]
According to a charter of the monastery of Arhiljevica dated 1355, sevastokrator Dejan held a major domain (oblast) east of Skopska Crna Gora. It included the old župe (counties) of Žegligovo and Preševo (modern Kumanovo region with Sredorek and Kozjačija).[12]
The town was mentioned in 1530 according to registry of Turkish Devlet Arşivleri as a village in Nogoriçe town, within Kaza of İştip. It was founded by Turkish colonists from Asia Minor and initially was settled by Turks and later by Muslim Albanians. Slavic population entered the town in the late 18th century but its number rose just during early 19th century.[13] Evliya Çelebi described it in 1660–61: "The colony of Kumanovo is situated on the territory of the Skopje sanjak and represents one county. The city is embellished with many rivers and 600 tile-roofs houses. The mosque in the downtown is beautiful, there are tekke, madrassa, hammam, a number of shops and water mills; and the climate is pleasant and agreeable. There are many vineyards and gardens".[14] In 1689, Karposh, a brigand commander in the region of Dospat (present-day Bulgaria), who served as an Ottoman Christian auxiliary force commander, took advantage of the weakening of the Ottomans and discontent that arose concerning higher Ottoman taxation policies, and organized a revolt while Austria staged an attack on the Ottomans. Karposh's Rebellion quickly spread, resulting in the liberation of Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Kumanovo, Kačanik and other towns. Then, together with the Austrian army led by Emperor Leopold I, the local Christian population fought to liberate Skopje and Štip. Later changes in the military and political situation in the Balkans had crucial downwards effect on the revolt. The Austrian army was forced to withdraw and the reinforced Ottomans attacked the rebels, taking Kriva Palanka, the rebel stronghold, and then attacked Kumanovo and its newly constructed fortress, where they captured Karposh and put him to death on the Stone Bridge across the Vardar.
Kumanovo became an urban settlement and administrative center of the region at the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century. Following the turbulent events (including the Karpoš Uprising in 1689) the city experienced a period of stagnation, and by the end of 18th century Kumanovo epitomized an Ottoman provincial town.
In an 1861 book Austrian diplomat Johann Georg von Hahn stated that the town had 650 dwellings, of which 300 were Muslim and 350 were Christian Bulgarian, in addition to 30 Gypsy in the outskirts, while the total population of the town was 3,500.[15]
The Kumanovo Uprising, led by Serb district chiefs of Kumanovo and surrounding districts, was active from 20 January to 20 May 1878 (4 months). The chiefs swore oath in the local church and appealed to Prince Milan IV of Serbia to aid the uprising, and they pledged their devotion and loyalty, and union with Serbia. The rebels were finally defeated by brigadier-general Hafuz Pasha.
The Skopje Revolutionary district of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) decided in 1894 that it would organize a committee in Kumanovo, which was later established in the house of Jordan Jovčev, member of the local Bulgarian school board.[16] The committee included also the chief Bulgarian teacher in the town Iliya Levkov,[17] the secretary of the Bulgarian metropolitan deputy Traiche Mitev,[18] priest Andon, his son and Bulgarian teacher Psaltir Popandontov,[19] the merchant Zafir Tasev, elder of the Kumanovo Bulgarian community[20] the Bulgarian teacher Zafir Shaklev[21] and Angel Prekodolka. They organized the assassination of Serbian priest Atanasije Petrovic.[22]
In October 1912, during the First Balkan War, Serbian forces under the command of General Radomir Putnik won a decisive victory over the Ottomans north of the town. The two-day Battle of Kumanovo ended Ottoman authority in Vardar Macedonia and contributed for region's integration into Serbia, and consequently, into Yugoslavia. The entire region of Macedonia was split in three among Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria after the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.
The communist resistance in Kumanovo and Prilep began on 11 October 1941. The struggle ended with victory and formation of the Macedonian federated state within the Yugoslav Federation (SFRY). One of the famous partizans from Kumanovo was Hristijan Todorovski-Karpoš shown on the picture. After 1945 Kumanovo experienced fast economic, administrative and cultural development.
It developed economically in the late 19th century (agriculture, handcrafts and trade). Still, industrial development occurred only at the end of the Second World War. The rapid economic, administrative and cultural expansion of Kumanovo began in 1945. Today, it is a modern city with approximately 100,000 inhabitants. It was also the site of the 9 June 1999 Agreement signed between FR Yugoslav Generals and the NATO Generals about bringing in a NATO peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo called, the Kosovo Force, or KFOR (Kumanovo Agreement).[23]
See also: 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia. The Albanian insurgency in Macedonia first started in the mountains outskirts of Tetovo and then spread in May 2001 to the region of Kumanovo mostly to the north. The armed conflict in Kumanovo mainly resulted in a division of the educational system along ethnic lines. All the Albanian-language students left the schools and demanded new schools to be opened. Following this process there is a visible separation in the town affecting the inter-community relations. The Law on Local Self-Government, Article 44 (Sl.vesnik br.5/2002), envisages the establishment of the Commission for Inter-community Relations (CICR). CICR is a consultative body in the Council of the Municipality of Kumanovo and is formed by 12 representatives of the
ethnic groups. CICR aims to develop and improve relations between the ethnic communities and to ensure active participation of minorities in decision-making on issues that have ethnic nature and are found in the agenda of the Council of the Municipality of Kumanovo. Other organizations active in bridging the community divide include
One of the most effective systems for supporting the inter-community divide is through the youth centers MultiKulti managed by CID Kumanovo. These centers offer space for youngsters to meet, and apart from learning about each other, they also get youth work support.
See main article: Kumanovo shootings. The NLA had claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on Kumanovo's police station in late 2014.[24] During a police raid on 9 May 2015, a shootout erupted between Macedonian police forces and an armed group.[25] Eight Macedonian policemen and 10 ethnic Albanians were killed, while 37 officers were wounded and hospitalized.[26] [27] [28] [29] [30] The attack ended on 10 May 2015 in an operation by the police and armed forces. Thirty men were arrested and charged with terrorism by Macedonian authorities.[31]
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.
In 2013, the Macedonian Government published a list of companies with the highest revenue. Four companies from Kumanovo are on this list. In 72nd place is KVALITET-PROM DOOEL with 24,643,312 euros, 130th place is DETOIL DOO with 14,912,153 euros, 142nd place is EKSTRA MEIN DOOEL with 13,231,496 euros, and 151st place is 11 OKTOMVRI AD with 12,878,225 euros revenue. The most profitable company in that same year was PROSTOR DOO with 1,458,759.85 euros profit before taxes.
A railway connection exists between Skopje with Serbia via Kumanovo.
In 2013, rehabilitation of the railway section between Kumanovo and the village of Beljakovce will commence, which is part of the Railway Corridor VIII that will connect North Macedonia with Sofia, Bulgaria and the Black Sea to the East and Tirana, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to the West.
A 40 kilometre (40km (30miles)) highway exists between Skopje and Kumanovo, going near Kumanovo in the north and crossing the border with Serbia. On the section Kumanovo-Miladinovci there is a Pay tool.
Section of the Pan-European Corridor X was put into use in 2010 connecting Kumanovo to the border crossing Tabanovce. The 7.6km (04.7miles) highway was built for 4 years and at a cost of 15.5 million Euros.
Another important road goes from Kumanovo to Kriva Palanka and then to the border with Bulgaria.
Skopje International Airport is 20km (10miles) south of Kumanovo.
The E-75 motorway is accessible from Kumanovo.
Sofia Airport is 190km (120miles) from the city and Thessaloniki International Airport is 240km (150miles).
Near Kumanovo is Adzi Tepe Airport which is without a paved runway.
Kumanovo has several prehistoric monuments dating back to the prehistoric period, including:
The oldest and biggest church in the town is the St. Nicholas. There are icons from the 13th century in the church. The church represents a masterwork of Andreja Damjanov, an important Macedonian renaissance architect.
Other landmarks are:
buildings:
and
The oldest folklore assemble in North Macedonia, KUD "Panče Pešev" is placed in Kumanovo. This year the assemble is celebrating 80 years of existence.
Kumanovo has
Several painting colonies and exhibitions take place every year in Kumanovo or in nearby villages.
Kumanovo is distinguished by its jazz festival which features bands from all over the world. In 2002 the Macedonian bands Foltin and Dragan Dautovski Quartet performed, and in 2003 Macedonian jazz pianist Simon Kiselicki performed in his 'Beneventan Trio'. Every year Kumanovo has a "Days of Comedy" festival, sponsored by the Macedonian Ministry of Culture, featuring comedies from several Macedonian theatres and also from neighbouring Serbia and Bulgaria. Kumanovo municipality was organizing the manifestation "City of Culture 2006".
Table below showing historic demographic development according to Yugoslav and Macedonian census data:
| Ethnic group | census 1948 | census 1953 | census 1961 | census 1971 | census 1981 | census 1994 | census 2002 | census 2021 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | ||
| Macedonians | .. | .. | 14,351 | 61.5 | 20,323 | 66.1 | 28,789 | 62.1 | 36,812 | 60.5 | 40,634 | 62.3 | 42,840 | 60.5 | 43,280 | 57.7 | |
| Albanians | .. | .. | 951 | 4.1 | 1,893 | 6.2 | 7,827 | 16.9 | 12,997 | 21.4 | 15,612 | 23.9 | 18,277 | 25.8 | 17,685 | 23.6 | |
| Serbs | .. | .. | 1,790 | 7.7 | 2,808 | 9.1 | 3,759 | 8.1 | 4,252 | 7.0 | 5,097 | 7.8 | 4,727 | 6.7 | 4,300 | 5.7 | |
| Roma | .. | .. | 1,861 | 8.0 | .. | .. | 3,013 | 6.5 | 4,415 | 7.3 | 2,987 | 4.6 | 4,042 | 5.7 | 2,768 | 3.7 | |
| Turks | .. | .. | 3,858 | 16.5 | 2,512 | 8.2 | 1,791 | 3.9 | 936 | 1.5 | 241 | 0.4 | 256 | 0.4 | 125 | 0.2 | |
| Vlachs | .. | .. | 12 | 0.1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 44 | 0.1 | 85 | 0.1 | 108 | 0.2 | 88 | 0.1 | |
| Bosniaks | .. | .. | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 14 | 0.0 | 32 | 0.0 | |
| Others | .. | .. | 516 | 2.2 | 3,226 | 10.5 | 1,184 | 2.6 | 1,386 | 2.3 | 577 | 0.9 | 578 | 0.8 | 645 | 0.9 | |
| Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources | 6,128 | 8.2 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 20,242 | 23,339 | 30,762 | 46,363 | 60,842 | 65,233 | 70,842 | 75,051 | |||||||||
The population of the city of Kumanovo according to the 2002 census numbers 77,561, the majority of which are ethnic Macedonians 62.4% (48,416), with a significant minority of ethnic Albanians 23.7% (18,369) and ethnic Serbs 7.4% (5,746).[33]
The most common mother tongues in the city were the following:
The religious composition of the city was the following:
See main article: List of people from Kumanovo. In 2009 marking the 490 years of the first mentioning of the name Kumanovo and 65 years of the liberation of Kumanovo, the Municipality of Kumanovo organized a cultural and artistic program in which they honored the Five impressive people from Kumanovo in the 20th century:
See main article: Sports in Kumanovo.
FK Kumanovo is the main football team from the city and host their games at the Kumanovo Park Stadium. Milano plays its games at Milano Arena. KF Goblen has played in the Macedonian Second Football League and FK Karpoš 93 in the OFS Kumanovo First Division.
Macedonian National Football Team played friendly match with Egypt in Kumanovo on 29 September 1998. The game took place at Gradski Stadium Kumanovo and the scorers for Macedonian team were Srgjan Zaharievski and Dževdet Šainovski. The match ended 2:2.
RK Kumanovo is the handball club that currently competes in the Macedonian Handball Super League. They won the first ever Macedonian Handball Cup back in 1992–93.
Also, Kumanovo is recognized as a box school center, with few names emerged as famous in the 20th century, with Ace Rusevski and Redžep Redžepovski as a leading names.
Honorary Consulate[34]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in North Macedonia. Kumanovo is twinned with:[35]
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Câmpina, Romania
Çorlu, Turkey
Čukarica (Belgrade), Serbia Gornji Milanovac, Serbia Leskovac, Serbia
Nikšić, Montenegro Novi Sad, Serbia Pančevo, Serbia Vranje, Serbia