Gevgelija Гевгелија (Macedonian) | |
|---|---|
Town | |
   From the top, Town Centre, Flower of Freedom Monument, Goce Delčev City Library | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: | |
  Gevgelija Location within North Macedonia | |
| Coordinates:41°8′44″N22°29′58″E / 41.14556°N 22.49944°E /41.14556; 22.49944 | |
| Country |  North Macedonia |
| Region |  Southeastern |
| Municipality | Gevgelija |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andon Saramandov (VMRO-DPMNE) |
| Elevation | 64 m (210 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
• Total | 15,685 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 1480 |
| Area code | +389 34 |
| Vehicle registration | GE |
| Website | Official Website |
Gevgelija (Macedonian:Гевгелија;[ɡɛvˈɡɛlija]ⓘ) is a border town located in the very southeast ofNorth Macedonia along the banks of theVardar River, situated at the country's main border crossing withGreece (Bogorodica-Evzoni), the point which links the motorway fromSkopje and three regional capitals,Belgrade,Zagreb, andSofia withThessaloniki inGreece. The town is the seat of theGevgelija Municipality.
InMacedonian the town is calledGevgelija (Гевгелија). In other languages, it is known asYevyeli (Γευγελή) inGreek,Gevgeli (Гевгели) inBulgarian,Đevđelija (Ђевђелија,IPA:[dʑeʋdʑělija]) inSerbian andGevgeli inTurkish.[citation needed] Furthermore, inMegleno-Romanian, the city is known asGhivgheliia.[2]
Gevgelija is known as the "Balkan Las Vegas" for its wide number of casinos.[3][4]
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Gevgelija was part of theSalonica Vilayet of theOttoman Empire. According to the statistics of theFrench geographer Alexandre Synvet, the town had a total Christian population of 290 families (1.740 people) in 1878, consisting of 35Bulgarian Christian ones and 255Greek Christian families.[5] The town had also 4 Greek schools.[5] According toBulgarian Exarchate secretary Dimitar Mishev (D. M. Brancoff), in 1905 the town had a population of 4,375 Christians, consisting of 2.240PatriarchistBulgarians (Grecomans), 1.840Exarchist Bulgarians, 80Serbian Patriarchist Bulgarians (Serbomans), 8Uniat Bulgarians, 90Roma people, 72 Vlachs (Megleno-Romanians), 30Albanians and 15Greeks.[6]
From 1929 to 1941, Gevgelija was part of theVardar Banovina of theKingdom of Yugoslavia.
The town is served byGevgelija railway station, outside the city limits on its eastern edge.
According to the 2002 census, the town of Gevgelija had 15,685 residents, most of whom wereethnic Macedonians.[7]
| Ethnic group | Number |
| Macedonians | 15,060 (96.22%) |
| Serbs | 292 (1.9%) |
| Vlachs (Megleno-Romanians) | 201 (1.3%) |
| Others | 132 (0.8%) |
| Total | 15,685 |
As of 2021, the village of Gevgelija has 15,156 inhabitants and the ethnic composition was the following:[8]
Located between the mountainsKožuf andPajak only 70 kilometres (43 miles) fromThessaloniki and 165 km (103 mi) fromSkopje, the town acts as a rail depot between the two countries, making it a central location in its region. Its position in the southeast of the country gives it a warmMediterranean climate (Csa classification), making it the optimal location in North Macedonia for cultivation of fruits and vegetables such as figs, lemons, and grapes. The town is also a centre for raisingsilkworms, an integral part of the country's silk trade. Alongside its agriculture, Gevgelija's economy consists of a light industry sector. Tourism is growing, with a spa located in a nearby village.
Gevgelija has ahot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification:Csa), making it one of North Macedonia's warmer towns.
| Climate data for Gevgelija | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.6 (49.3) | 11.3 (52.3) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.8 (69.4) | 26.7 (80.1) | 31.9 (89.4) | 35.0 (95.0) | 35.2 (95.4) | 30.1 (86.2) | 23.0 (73.4) | 15.3 (59.5) | 10.6 (51.1) | 22.2 (71.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) | 5.7 (42.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 15.7 (60.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 25.8 (78.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 23.1 (73.6) | 17.7 (63.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 5.1 (41.2) | 16.2 (61.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.4 (34.5) | 3.2 (37.8) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 19.8 (67.6) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.2 (70.2) | 18.5 (65.3) | 13.4 (56.1) | 8.4 (47.1) | 2.6 (36.7) | 11.9 (53.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 33 (1.3) | 33 (1.3) | 37 (1.5) | 35 (1.4) | 50 (2.0) | 26 (1.0) | 19 (0.7) | 15 (0.6) | 28 (1.1) | 40 (1.6) | 53 (2.1) | 45 (1.8) | 414 (16.4) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[9] | |||||||||||||
Local football clubFK Kožuf have played in theMacedonian First Football League.
Gevgelija istwinned with:
Cities ofNorth Macedonia by population | ||
|---|---|---|
| 50,000+ |  | |
| 10,000+ | ||
| 2,000+ | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
