Kočani

Infobox Settlement
name =
official_name =Kočani
other_name =
native_name =Кочани
nickname =
settlement_type =
total_type =
motto =City of rice and geothermal water - Град на оризот и гєотермалната вода


imagesize =
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flag_size =
image_

seal_size =
image_shield = Grb_na_kocani.jpg
shield_size =
image_blank_emblem =
blank_emblem_type =
blank_emblem_size =


mapsize =
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mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
image_dot_

dot_mapsize =
dot_map_caption =
dot_x = |dot_y =
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within Macedonia
pushpin_mapsize =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = MKD
subdivision_type1 = Municipality
subdivision_name1 = [http://www.kocani.gov.mk/English/uvod_en.htm Kocani]
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
seat_type =Council
seat =19 members
parts_type =
parts_style =
parts =
p1 =
p2 =
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =Mayor
leader_name =Ljubomir Janev
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =Founded
established_date = 1337 cite web
url=http://rtvkocani.tripod.com/welcome/kocani.html
title="Kočani" (history)
language=Macedonian ]
area_magnitude =
unit_pref =
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 =18.6
area_land_km2 =
area_water_km2 =
area_total_sq_mi =
area_land_sq_mi =
area_water_sq_mi =
area_water_percent =
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m =
elevation_ft =
elevation_max_m = 420
elevation_max_ft =
elevation_min_m = 350
elevation_min_ft =
population_as_of =
population_footnotes =
population_note =92,95% Macedonians
population_total =28330
population_density_km2 =auto
population_density_sq_mi =
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
coor_type =
latd=41|latm=55 |latNS=N
longd=22|longm=25 |longEW=E
postal_code_type =
postal_code =2300
area_code =++ 389 33
website = [http://www.kocani.gov.mk/ www.kocani.gov.mk]
blank_name =Car plates
blank_info =ŠT
blank1_name =Official language
blank1_info =macedonian
blank2_name =Geothermal water temperature
blank2_info =78°C
blank3_name =Settlements
blank3_info =28
footnotes = Kočani ( _mk. Кочани, audio-IPA|Mk-Kochani.ogg| [ˈkɔtʃani] ) is a town convert|120|km away from Skopje, situated in the Eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, with population of 28 330. The town of Kočani is a seat of the Kočani municipality.

Geography and population

The town spreads across the Northern side of the Kočani valley, along the banks of the Kočani river, right where it leaves the mountain slopes and flows through the valley. North of the town there is the Osogovo mountain (convert|2252|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=/) and convert|8|km away to the south the valley is closed by the mountain Plačkovica (convert|1754|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=/). The town is 350 - 450 m (1,150-1,375 ft) above sea level.

Kočani spreads over an area of convert|18.6|km2|sqmi and has population of 28,330 inhabitants which makes it the third regional center in the Eastern part of the country:
* 1984 - 6,657 inhabitants
* 1994 - 26,364 inhabitants
* 2002 - 28,330 inhabitants

Ethnic structure

*Macedonian: 90.3%
*Roma: 5.0%
*Turks: 3.0%
*Vlach: 0.5%
*Serbs: 0.2%
*Other: 1.0%

Religious denomination

*Orthodox: 96% Fact|date=February 2008
*Muslims: 3% Fact|date=February 2008
*Catholic: 0.3%
*Other: 0.7%

Climate

The climate is mild-continental, influenced by altered Mediterranean climate which penetrates along the river Bregalnica. The average temperature is convert|12.9|C|F with convert|538|mm|in|abbr=on rainfall.

History

Kočani was first mentioned in a charter from 1337 in which Despot Jovan Oliver donated the church of St. Dimitrija to Kočani.

Archaeological finds in the town itself have revealed remains of a settlement here in the Roman and Byzantine periods. Early in the 15th century it fell under Turkish rule. The travel chronicler Evliya Chelebi, who visited it in 1662, recorded that it had 600 households, a mosque, a mezjid, an inn and 15 shops. During the 18th and in the early 19th century, the town growth rate stagnated. It was only around 1878 that the population began to rise, at which time it had about 450 - 500 households. The town has two feudal residences in the shape of towers believed to date from the 16th - 17th century.

Monuments

Numerous cultural and historical monuments, from ancient times to the Middle Ages, can be found in the vicinity of Kočani. Monastery complexes in the nearby villages Morodviz and Pantelej are world famous both for their architecture and unique frescoes.

Features

Today Kočani is a modern town with planned infrastructure, avenues, many modern buildings and blocks of flats, a shopping centre, a park and a newly built industrial zone. All this is carefully planned and structured, according to modern standards of living and esthetics. New suburbs are mainly built to the east where the town almost reaches the first houses of Orizari and to the West spreading over the industrial zone.

Town partnerships

Kočani maintains partnership links with the following places:
* Kazanlak, Bulgaria
* Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary
* Yenifoça, Turkey
* Križevci, Croatia
* Pereyaslav, Ukraina
* Novi Knezevac, Serbia

References

External links

* [http://www.kocani.gov.mk Local Government Of The City Of Kocani, Macedonia]
* [http://www.info-kocani.kocani.gov.mk/vesnik/index.html Opštinski vesnik "Info-Kočani" - Municipality Newspaper "Info-Kochani" (in cyrillic)]
* [http://www.exploringmacedonia.com/?ItemID=60DDBB3E7AD6C94FA737D54005D43EAA Hunting site “Polaki” Kocani]
* [http://www.dafkocani.com/indexen.html Drama Amateur Festival]
* [http://www.macedonia.se Foundation Europe Development Center - Kocani, Macedonia]
* [http://www.ruen.com.mk RUEN Automotive Products Industry - Kocani, Macedonia]
* [http://www.evropa92.com EVROPA 92 Print Company - Kocani, Macedonia]
* [http://www.discoverkocani.com Discover Kocani - Office for tourism development]
* [http://www.zgoktagon.org Association of citizens "Oktagon" - Kocani]
* [http://www.kocanitonight.com KocaniTonight - Web portal of the city nightlife - Kocani, Macedonia]