Vrutok

Vrutok ( Macedonian Вруток; Albanian: Vrutoku ) is a village in the Opština Gostivar in western Macedonia. The city of Gostivar is nine kilometers away. In Vrutok rises the mountain of Šar Planina ( Alb. Sharri ) of the Vardar, the longest river in Macedonia.

Geography

Vrutok is a compact settlement on the southeast slope of the Šar Planina, the highest mountain in Macedonia. To the southwest and northeast opens a nearly one kilometer wide and about six kilometers long plane which passes into the large Polog level in the northeast in Gostivar. While the valley is used below Vrutok to agriculture, the slopes of the valley sides and the plane are forested.

The village lies at an altitude Vrutok 665-750 m. i J. In the extreme south of the village is the source of the Vardar. The creek below the village takes on another river, which rises in the southwest near Orkjuše. Then the Vardar goes through the valley and flows to the northwest, where he enters the Polog level.

Neighboring villages are from the north clockwise rotation Pečkovo, Raven and Recane.

The climate in Vrutok, as well as a large part of Macedonia is characterized continental. This means that in the summer it can get very cold and rainy and dry and very warm in winter. Autumn and spring are less pronounced and shorter than in Central Europe. Not infrequently arise in the woods around the village forest fires, mostly caused by the extreme heat.

Population

The village counts Vrutok 1127 inhabitants according to the last census in Macedonia in 2002. Besides Albanians there are Macedonians, Turks, and Roma Torbeschen. Albanians, Turks, Torbeschen and part of the Roma is to Islam Sunni expression. The Macedonians and another part of the Roma is orthodox. The Albanians speak a dialect of Albanian gegischen, while the Macedonians speak Macedonian upper Polog dialect.

History

When Vardarquelle the Church of the Archangel Michael stands with an adjoining cemetery. Further north at the central village square, where many roads intersect, is a mosque with a minaret.

Economy

The agriculture and livestock used to play a much more significant role. Besides the cultivation of various cereals and vegetables, fruits, vines and chestnuts the manufacture of tobacco and wood decomposition in the nearby forests were the main occupations of the inhabitants. The Farming of cattle, sheep, poultry and pigs - the latter only when the Macedonians - took an important position in the economy. Many sold their excess merchandise in the markets in the nearby towns of Gostivar, Tetovo, Debar or Kičevo. The craft was also very common. In particular, the processing of wood, sheep's wool and animal skin played an important role. The production of cheese, especially brine cheese, and beekeeping were other economic sectors.

Today, these traditional forms of economy have lost much in importance. With the transformation of the economy of Macedonia from a socialist centrally planned economy to a liberal economic free market economy during the 1990s, after the disintegration of Yugoslavia, changed abruptly the life forms in Vrutok, as well as in all Macedonia. For many, the agriculture and livestock hardly brings a higher yield. Therefore, the working- people have sought alternatives and found, for example, in trade, in the retail industry, catering and trade. But a large part is unemployed and often emigration is regarded as another solution. Destinations and countries are and were the major cities of Macedonia and the former Yugoslavia as well as countries in Western, Central and Northern Europe. But also to North America and Australia, many emigrated. As before, however, youth unemployment is a major problem. Although many are going to study in the universities in Tetovo, in neighboring Kosovo or in Albania, they are then usually no prospects.

As another industry is one of tourism. Since the Vardar rises in Vrutok, have operator of dining venues, exploited this advantage. The source but also in other parts of the village have emerged restaurants and individual hotels. The fish restaurant at the source is known nationally and popular for its fish specialties prepared.

On the other side of the valley are located on the slopes of several mining areas of gravel, sand and rock. With the water from Mavrovosee in the southwest is operated as also in the neighboring villages Vrben and Raven, a hydroelectric power plant with a total capacity of 245 megawatts in Vrutok.

Traffic

The valley of Vrutok is an important passage for the traffic between the capital Skopje and the southwest of the country, as well as Albania. The national road M4 leads on the other side of the valley along the mountain slope and connects the capital with Ohrid in southwestern Macedonia and the border with Albania Qafë Thana ( maz. Čafasan Чафасан ). Also leading the railway line Skopje - Kičevo the Macedonian railways through the valley.