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. ethnic group population% Macedonians 17,68647.9 Albanians 15,32441.5 Turks 2,0085.4 Vlachs 6471.7 Romani1120.3 Serbs 1000.2 Bosniaks 310.08others9842.6

Languages Language Speakers% Macedonian 19,93954 Albanian 15,40841.7 Turkish 8852.3 Vlach 3430.9 Serbian 750.2 Romani640.1 Bosnian 130.03others1650.4

Religion Religion Followers%Muslims18,96751.4 Orthodox Christians 17,51547.4Catholics300.08others3801.03

Post-2004 Mother tongues according to the 2002 Macedonia census and 2021 North Macedonia census.Macedonian census 2002: ethnicity, religion and mother tongue2021 census, municipality by mother tongue 20022021Number%Number%TOTAL63,37610050,980100Albanian32,22550.823,89846.9Macedonian29,13545.922,09043.3Turkish9891.51,1282.2others 6191.01530.3Aromanian3440.51220.2Romani640.1590.1Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sourcesn/an/a3,5306.91

According to the 2021 North Macedonia census, this municipality has 50,980 inhabitants. Ethnic groups in the municipality include: 20022021Number%Number%TOTAL63,37610050,980100Albanians36,02956.8525,78550.58Macedonians20,336 32.0914,90029.23Turks3,6285.723,4726.81Vlachs6561.044920.97Roma1160.181770.35Bosniaks1030.16950.19Serbs1060.17680.13Other / Undeclared / Unknown2,4023.792,4614.82Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources3,5306.92

According to the 2002 Macedonia census, the religions practiced the municipality are: Religion Adherents%Muslims42,86767.6 Orthodox Christians 19,76431.1Catholics350.05Protestants10.001others7091.1

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."

Inhabited places

There are 65 inhabited places in this municipality.

Inhabited Places Total Macedonians Albanians Turks Roma Vlachs Serbs Bosnians Others Struga Municipality 50,980 14,900 25,785 3,472 177 492 68 95 5,991 Struga 15009 6517 4903 810 141 431 49 23 1552 Bezovo 22 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 Bidjevo 290 71 207 0 0 0 0 0 12 Bogojci 74 0 65 1 0 0 0 0 8 Boroec 565 47 103 153 0 0 0 143 119 Brchevo 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Burinec 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Veleshta 3378 7 3254 0 0 1 0 1 115 Vishni 47 46 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Vranishta 1563 1471 8 0 0 3 3 1 76 Globochica 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gorna Belica 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gorno Tateshi 619 1 601 1 0 0 0 1 15 Delogozhdi 1714 0 1668 0 0 0 0 0 46 Dobovjani 237 0 235 0 0 0 0 0 2 Dolna Belica 660 2 604 1 1 5 0 29 18 Dolno Tateshi 351 1 349 0 0 0 0 0 1 Draslajca 714 679 0 0 0 1 1 5 28 Drenok 19 18 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Zagrachani 736 0 719 0 0 0 0 0 17 Zbazhdi 10 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Jablanica 308 266 0 1 0 0 0 0 41 Kalishta 764 115 623 0 0 2 1 0 23 Koroshishta 1201 1 1179 0 0 0 0 1 20 Labunishta 6739 108 4751 836 5 0 1 42 528 Lakaica 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Livada 1132 0 1111 0 1 1 0 0 19 Lozhani 644 511 9 0 1 6 0 4 113 Lokov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lukovo 268 249 0 0 0 0 0 1 18 Mali Vlaj 20 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 Misleshevo 2969 2195 368 50 26 38 7 3 100 Mislodezhda 428 0 407 0 0 0 0 0 21 Modrich 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Moroishta 881 807 1 0 0 2 2 0 69 Nerezi 106 99 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Novo Selo 228 0 162 0 0 0 0 53 13 Oktisi 1925 409 241 762 2 0 1 8 171 Piskupshtina 145 135 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 Podgorci 2430 243 583 857 0 1 0 18 87 Poum 67 0 58 0 0 0 0 0 9 Prisovjani 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Rzhanovo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Radozhda 710 689 0 0 0 1 1 1 18 Radolishta 2067 1 1954 0 0 0 0 0 112 Selci 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Tashmarunishta 173 166 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 Toska 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Frangovo 1206 0 1156 0 0 0 0 14 36 Zhepin 122 0 119 0 0 0 0 0 3 Shum 411 0 342 0 0 0 0 0 69

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