Demir Hisar (town)

Demir Hisar ( Macedonian Демир Хисар ) is a town and headquarters of the eponymous Opština in southwestern Macedonia. It lies in the valley of the river Crna Reka, just 25 kilometers north west of Bitola, the capital of Pelagonia region.

The Opština of Demir Hisar includes not only the city 40 other villages in the area. It has 9,497 inhabitants, 2,987 households, and 4,327 apartments. The population density is about 20 inhabitants per square kilometer. A household has an average of 3 members. 9,179 people are Macedonians, 232 Albanians, 35 Turks and 51 belong to other ethnic groups. The literacy rate is about 95.13 percent of the population in the over 10 -year-olds ( 8,645 persons). For men, it is about 96.96 percent a little higher than that of women with 93.23 percent (all figures are from the 2002 census ).

The small town has 2,593 inhabitants ( 2002). Since 1961, the local population has more than doubled.

Neighboring towns of Demir Hisar are turning from north clockwise Belce, Graište, Vardino, Suvodol, Zagorice, Strugovo and Slepče. Neighboring communities are also turning from north clockwise Krusevo, Bitola, Resen, Ohrid, Debarca and Drugovo.

Demir Hisar was the Ottoman period ( 14th to 20th century ), a small market town on the road between the regional trade center of Bitola and the market town of Kičevo. The place name " Demir Hisar " in Turkish means as much as "iron fortress ."

2009 Toni Angelevski ( VMRO- DPMNE ) mayor ( maz. Gradonačalnik Градоначалник ) was elected the Opština. The City Council ( Sovet maz. na Opštinata Совет на Општината ) is composed of 11 members.