Kocani – city in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia with 28,330 h. (2002). It lies on both sides of the eponymous river in the space, where it leaves Mount Osogovo and enters the Kocanska valley, at an altitude of about 350 m. Through Kocani leads the main road M-5, which connects to Stip and Veles in the West, and to the east with Delcevo. From Veles through Shtip to Kocani leads a rail line. The city covers an area of 770 ha, and topographically extends along the valley of Kocani River and the surrounding hills. It has a moderate continental climate with a certain Mediterranean influence. The average annual air temperature is 13.0 ° C, and the average annual precipitation 522 mm. K. It is first mentioned in a Charter of Despot Oliver in 1337. It is a bit known from the first centuries of Turkish rule. According to Evliya Celebija, in the second half of ⅹⅴⅰⅰ c. He represented a town with 600 houses, had a mosque, one and about 15 stores. Toward the end of ⅹⅰⅹ c. The city became a famous rice and poppy market. It settled quite Turks from Asia Minor and he became a Macedonian settlement. The Turks lived in the north, and the Macedonians in the southern part of the city. A certain development city experienced after the construction of the railway line in 1926, when it became a major assembly station for this part of Eastern Macedonia. The city began to quickly develop in the second half of the last century. In 1953 It lived 8,034 h., and in 2002 That number increased to 28,330 h. Of them 25.730 h. They were Macedonians, 1,951 Roma, 315 Turks, 193 Vlachs and 63 Serbs. K. is the seat of a municipality that covers an area of 36,036 ha, there are 28 settlements with 38,092 h. The main trading branch is the industry, as follows: food, automotive, wood, cellulose and textile industry. In the city there are three eight years and two secondary schools, a home of culture, cinema, city library and health center. Since cultural majority monuments has saved two feudal towers from ⅹⅴⅰ and ⅹⅴⅰⅰ c. And a monument of the Lockobi hill, raised in honor of the victims in the Ilinden Uprising and the NOB. In the s. Kuchicino has a brick and shingles plant, and in the village. Spanchevo Mine for Opalja Brecca. The Kocani valley is known for the production of rice. Lit.: John F. Trifunoski, Kocani, “Geographic Review”, Kne. Ⅷ-IX, Sarajevo, 1964-1965; Aleksandar Stojmilov, Kocani – Physical-Geographical and Anthropogoographic Review, Skopje, 1970. Al. ST.
Original article in Macedonian language Cyrillic alphabet
Кириличен напис КОЧАНИ