Zajas

Zajas ( Macedonian Зајас; Albanian Zajazi or Zajaz ) is a village in the Opština Kičevo in the west - central part of Macedonia. The municipal capital Kičevo located nine kilometers to the south. Between 1996 and 2013, was Zajas capital of the eponymous Opština, which was merged with that of Kičevo.

Geography

The settlement area extends to a height of 740-800 meters above sea level. Zajas is crossed by several streams that originate in the western hills.

Neighboring villages in the north Midinci, northeast Bukojčani, in the east Gorno Strogomišta, in the south Kolibari, southwest Gresnica, to the west and northwest Recani Bačišta.

Population

Zajas has 4712 inhabitants (as of 2002). [Note 1] 4682 inhabitants were Albanians and 30 belonged to other ethnic groups to. 4689 gave Albanian and 23 other languages ​​as their mother tongue. 4687 were Muslims and 25 belonged to other religions.

Economy

The majority of the inhabitants emigrated to Germany in the last decades. Because of this large emigration and the lack of economically inactive population jobs are very scarce in the village. The majority of those remaining are working in the cattle industry and in vegetable cultivation. The honey production plays an important role. Some residents have found work in the neighboring industrial centers Gostivar and Kičevo.

Traffic

Zajas is located on the M4, which connects the state capital Skopje with the western neighbor Albania via Struga. By Zajas addition, the route Skopje - Zajas - Kičevo the Macedonian Railways, which operates a transit station in the village. A narrow gauge railway runs through a branch of the mentioned route to neighboring Tajmište.

Personalities

• Mefail Shehu (* early 20th century, † November 1945 ), member of Balli Kombëtar
• Ali Ahmeti ( born 1959 ), former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army in Macedonia, today leader of the Democratic Union for Integration