Struga Municipality

Municipality of Struga (, ) is a municipality in western North Macedonia. ''Struga'' is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Struga Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.

Geography

The municipality borders
*Lake Ohrid to the south,
* Debarca Municipality to the east,
*Centar Župa Municipality to the north, and
*Vevčani Municipality and Albania to the west.

Inhabited places

The only town in the municipality is Struga.

Besides Struga, there are additional 50 villages:
* Bezovo, Bidževo, Bogojci, Brčevo, Burinec,
* Delogoždi, Draslajca, Dolna Belica, Dolno Tateši, Dobovjani, Drenok,
* Džepin,
* Frangovo,
* Globočica, Gorna Belica, Gorno Tateši,
* Jablanica,
* Kališta, Korošišta,
* Labuništa, Lakaica, Livada, Lokov, Ložani, Lukovo,
* Mali Vlaj, Misleševo, Mislodežda, Modrič, Moroišta,
* Nerezi, Novo Selo,
* Oktisi,
* Piskupština, Podgorci, Poum, Prisovjani,
* Radolišta, Radožda, Ržanovo, Struga,
* Selci,
* Šum,
* Tašmaruništa, Toska,
* Velešta, Višni, Vraništa,
* Zagračani and Zbaždi.

Demographics

Prior to 2004 adjustment

After 2004 the municipalities of Delogoždi, Labuništa, Lukova and Velešta merged with Struga Municipality and the demographics changed. Before that, the demographics of the municipality was:

;Ethnic groups.:

;Languages:

;Religion:

Post-2004

Mother tongues according to the 2002 Macedonia census and 2021 North Macedonia census.Macedonian census 2002: ethnicity, religion and mother tongue
/ref>

According to the 2021 North Macedonia census, this municipality has 50,980 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the municipality include:

According to the 2002 Macedonia census, the religions practiced the municipality are:

The ethnic composition and numbers of most communities in the Struga region have remained static apart from the Torbeš population who mostly self-declare themselves as either Albanians or Turks. Macedonian-speaking Muslims (Torbeši) are located in the religiously mixed villages of Boroec, Jablanica, Labuništa, Oktisi and Podgorci, where they live alongside Orthodox Macedonians. p. 333. "Исламизираните Македонци во струшките села Јабланица, Боро(в)ец, Октиси, Подгорци и Лабуништа живеат заедно со православното население". Amidst the Albanian population of Zagračani are a few Torbeš families originating from Oktisi and Podgorci who now speak Albanian. p. 63. "Етничкиот состав останува скоро неизменет, само муслиманските Македонци се декларираат најчесто како Албанци или Турци."; p. 67. "Меѓу Албанците имаат неколку фамилии мусл. Македонци дојдени од. с. Октиси и Подгорци кои сега зборуваат албански."

The Struga area is home to various dialects spoken by Macedonians, such as the Vevčani-Radožda dialect. The Macedonian language is a second language for most of the non-Slavic ethnic groups in the Struga region. Some communities are bilingual and other ethnic groups are trilingual due to their religious (Islamic) heritage. Many Albanians have a good working knowledge of the variety of Turkish spoken in the Struga area and it serves as a third language for them. Local Macedonians rarely have knowledge of languages spoken by other ethnic groups living in the Struga area. Aromanians traditionally used to live in two villages of the Struga region, the now abandoned settlement of Gorna Belica alongside Albanians that spoke the Tosk Albanian dialect, and Dolna Belica, which has become repopulated mainly with Albanians. "Во струшкиот Дримкол имало две впашки населби - Горна и Долна Белица.... Долна Белица, пак, го измени својот етнички состав на населението." Aromanian speaking Muslims also existed in Dolna Belica, although they have assimilated into Albanian identity and language. Some Aromanians from Gorna Belica have resettled in the nearby village of Vevčani. The village of Mali Vlaj was also once inhabited by Aromanians, belonging to the Frashëriot subgroup that originated from Albania and became assimilated during the course of the 19th century. p. 133. R. Rrămăn (Aromunen mit der Eigenbezeichnung Rrămăn = Farscheroten, Arvanitovlachen)"; p. 147. "Mali Vlaj.... R aus Albanien, bereits im 19. Jh. assimiliert."

Both main dialects Gheg and Tosk of Albanian are spoken in the Struga region and are mostly separated along the course of the Black Drim river that runs through the middle of Struga town. The Tosk Albanian dialect is spoken in Frangovo, Kališta, Radolišta, Šum and Zagračani, while all other Albanian inhabited villages of the Struga region speak the Gheg Albanian dialect. "Fshatrat e rrethinës së Strugës siç janë: Kalishti, Frengova, Ladorishti, Zagraçani dhe Shumi flasin në dialektin toskë, kurse në të gjithë fshatrat e tjerë flitet gegënishtja". Part of the village population in Labuništa is Albanian. "In den südwestlichen Dörfern Labunište und Bačište, in denen sich die Bewohner zum Teil als Albaner bezeichen, gab es Versuche, die albanische Sprache als Unterichtssprache einzuführen." Until the last few decades of the 20th century Tosk Albanian, in particular the geographically central variety of the dialect dominated among speakers of Albanian in Struga. The local Romani population of Struga speaks and sings in the southern Tosk Albanian dialect, as does the local Turkish population. Aromanians in Struga and the wider area have practical knowledge of Tosk Albanian as a third language. Local Macedonians who learn Albanian, speak the Tosk Albanian dialect. "ndërsa për ruajtjen e identitetit të Strugës, flet fakti se në atë qytet, para disa dekadave, flitej vetëm dialekti toskë, sidomos toskërishtja qendrore, ndërmjet Jugut dhe Veriut të Shqiperisë... Këto fakte gjuhësore i vërteton edhe popullata rome, jevgjit e Strugës, flasin dhe këndojnë toskërisht, gjithashtu edhe popullata turke e këtij qyteti, flet dialektin toskë. Këtë dialekt e flasin vllehët e Strugës dhe të Belicës. Këtë dialekt e flet edhe popullata sllave që ka mësuar të flasë shqip."; p. 47. "kurse Belica e Sipërme ka qenë e banuar nga shqiptarë dhe vllehë... Në atë kohë Belica ka pasur mbi 600 shtëpi, kurse sot në atë fshat nuk banon asnjë familje, të gjithë janë shpërngulur."

History

On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck Albania and Struga Municipality held 1 day of mourning for the earthquake victims and sent 1,000,000 denars for relief efforts.

References

External links

Official website

Struga Tourism Portal

{{Authority control

Southwestern Statistical Region
Municipalities of North Macedonia