Kumanovo
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Nickname: Kumanovska Republika (Kumanovo Republic) | |
Location of Kumanovo within North Macedonia | |
Coordinates: 42°08′09″N 21°43′05″E / 42.13583°N 21.71806°E | |
Country | North Macedonia |
Region | Northeastern |
Municipality | Kumanovo |
Founded | 1096 |
Incorporated | 1519 |
Named for | tribe Cumans |
Government | |
• Type | Town Assembly |
• Mayor | Maksim Dimitrievski (Independent) |
• Town Council | Members
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Area | |
• Town | 509.48 km2 (196.71 sq mi) |
Elevation | 340 m (1,120 ft) |
Population (2021) | |
• Town | 75,051 |
• Density | 207.04/km2 (536.2/sq mi) |
• Metro | 98,104 |
Demonym | Kumanovec Kumanovar |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
Postal codes | 1300 |
Area code | +389 (0) 31 |
Car plates | KU |
Patron saints | St. George[1] |
Date of Liberation | 11 November 1945 |
Climate | Cfa |
Website | kumanovo |
Kumanovo (Macedonian: Куманово [kuˈmanɔvɔ] ; Albanian: Kumanovë, Albanian definite form: 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 340 metres (1,115 feet) 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 30 km (19 mi) 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.