Skopje Statistical Region | |
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 Coat of arms | |
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| Country | North Macedonia |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,813 km2 (700 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 607,007 |
| • Density | 334.8/km2 (867.1/sq mi) |
| NUTS code | MK008 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.784[3] high ·1st of 8 |
| Website | skopjeregion |
TheSkopje Statistical Region (Macedonian:Скопски Регион,romanized: Skopski Region;Albanian: Rajoni i Shkupit) is one of eightstatistical regions of North Macedonia. It also corresponds to one of the eight classifiedNUTS-3 statisticalregions of Macedonia. The region is located in the north of the country, bordering Kosovo and five other regions of Macedonia. It encompasses an area of 1,813 km2 (700 sq mi), around the Macedonian capital ofSkopje. The region includes seven othermunicipalities apart from the city of Skopje. With a population of more than 0.6 million inhabitants, it is the most populated region in the country.
The region was founded around the city ofSkopje, which was established as aRoman settlement in the first century CE. It became part of various empires over the years, before theOttomans captured it at the end of the 14th century. It remained under the Ottoman rule until the early 20th century. During theFirst Balkan War, theBalkan League led by theSerbian Empire defeated the Ottomans, and the region became part of theKingdom of Serbia. During theFirst World War, Bulgaria occupied the territory briefly, before it was re-captured by Serbia in 1918, and later became part of Yugoslavia. In theSecond World War, the region was captured by theItalian Empire in 1941. It was subject to severe bombing, which resulted in most of the infrastructure in the region being destroyed. It was freed in 1944, and became part of Yugoslavia again. The region has experienced many earthquakes in the past, and amajor earthquake in 1963 destroyed much of the infrastructure that was re-built after the war, and killed thousands. Most of the region had to be re-built after the disaster. The region became part of the independent nation of North Macedonia after thedissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991.[4]
The Skopje region is located in the north of the country, encompassing an area of 1,813 km2 (700 sq mi) around the Macedonian capital city ofSkopje.[1] The region is located inSoutheastern Europe, and is completelyland locked as Hungary does not have access to sea.[5] It shares an international land border with Kosovo in the south. It shares borders withVardar,Polog,Northeastern,Eastern, andSouthwestern statistical regions.[6][7] The region is situated in aseismically active zone along theVardar River.[8]
The country of North Macedonia is organized into eightstatistical regions.[6] The regions also correspond to the broader level sub-divisions as per theNomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS).[9][10] These are classified as aNUTS-3 statisticalregions of Macedonia, and incorporate one or moremunicipalities within it.[11][12] The region consists of thecity of Skopje (which includes ten municipalities[a]) and seven other municipalities–Aračinovo,Čučer-Sandevo,Ilinden,Petrovec,Sopište,Studeničani, andZelenikovo. These are further organized into 142 settlements.[6]
| Municipality | Seat | Area (km2)[1] | Population (2021)[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerodrom (Аеродром)[a] | Aerodrom (Аеродром) | 20 | 77,735 |
| Aračinovo (Арачиново) | Aračinovo (Арачиново) | 38 | 12,676 |
| Butel (Бутел)[a] | Butel (Бутел) | 61 | 37,968 |
| Čair (Чаир)[a] | Čair (Чаир) | 3 | 62,586 |
| Centar (Центар)[a] | Centar (Центар) | 9 | 43,893 |
| Čučer-Sandevo (Чучер Сандево) | Čučer-Sandevo (Чучер Сандево) | 215 | 9,200 |
| Gazi Baba (Гази Баба)[a] | Gazi Baba (Гази Баба) | 92 | 69,626 |
| Gjorče Petrov (Ѓорче Петров)[a] | Gjorče Petrov (Ѓорче Петров) | 63 | 44,844 |
| Ilinden (Илинден) | Ilinden (Илинден) | 97 | 17,435 |
| Karpoš (Карпош)[a] | Karpoš (Карпош) | 21 | 63,760 |
| Kisela Voda (Кисела Вода)[a] | Kisela Voda (Кисела Вода) | 43 | 61,695 |
| Petrovec (Петровец) | Petrovec (Петровец) | 222 | 9,150 |
| Saraj (Сарај)[a] | Saraj (Сарај) | 230 | 38,399 |
| Sopište (Сопиште) | Sopište (Сопиште) | 223 | 6,713 |
| Studeničani (Студеничани) | Studeničani (Студеничани) | 276 | 21,970 |
| Šuto Orizari (Шуто Оризари)[a] | Šuto Orizari (Шуто Оризари) | 6 | 25,726 |
| Zelenikovo (Зелениково) | Zelenikovo (Зелениково) | 177 | 3,361 |
The region had a population of 607,007 inhabitants in 192,837 households in 2021.[6] It is the most populated region in the country, accounting for nearly one-third of the total population of the country.[2][1]Macedonians formed the major ethnic group in the region, withAlbanians forming a significant minority.[2]
| 2002 | 2021 | |||
| Number | % | Number | % | |
| TOTAL | 578,144 | 100 | 607,007 | 100 |
| Macedonians | 367,413 | 63.55 | 340,402 | 56.08 |
| Albanians | 133,893 | 23.16 | 153,003 | 25.21 |
| Roma | 24,225 | 4.19 | 19,142 | 3.15 |
| Serbs | 18,152 | 3.14 | 12,474 | 2.06 |
| Turks | 12,216 | 2.11 | 12,357 | 2.04 |
| Bosniaks | 10,946 | 1.89 | 10,986 | 1.81 |
| Vlachs | 2,580 | 0.45 | 2,827 | 0.47 |
| Other / Undeclared / Unknown | 8,719 | 1.51 | 6,728 | 1.09 |
| Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources | 49,088 | 8.09 | ||
Christianity was the major religion with 323,714 (58%) adherents.Islam formed a significant minority with 196,125 (32.3%) adherents.[2]
The economy of the region is dependent ontextile andchemical industries andtourism.[8] The region has a highHDI and significantly higher wages andper capita income than the other regions of the country.[3][6]
Media related toSkopje Statistical Region at Wikimedia Commons | ||
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