DEPOPULATION OF THE VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS IN THE FORMER MUNICIPALITIES VRANESHTICA AND DRUGOVO

Abstract

The municipalities Drugovo and Vraneshtica that have recently became part of the municipality Kichevo cover the western, southern and eastern parts of the municipality Kichevo. The two municipalities together count exactly 43 village settlements, of which 28 in the municipality Drugovo and 15 in the municipality Vraneshtica. These village settlements are strongly hit by the process of depopulation, and a part of them are faced with the danger of total displacement. This condition is due mainly to the terrain configuration and the altitude, because 39% of the territory of the municipality Drugovo and 66.6% of the territory of the municipality Vraneshtica are considered as hilly-mountainous areas, but also on the poor infrastructure and the bad economy.