Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Ta
ble 7.2
Structure of the total population in mountain area according to regions (in %
)
Region
1948
1953
1961
1971
1981
1994
2002
Skopje
7.1
7.3
7.1
6.1
6.5
8.2
7.2
Vardar
7.5
7.2
5.6
3.8
2.9
3.5
4.2
Northeast
15.1
15.2
15.7
15.4
11.8
8.9
7.2
East
10.3
10.8
10.6
10.9
9.4
8.8
7.8
Southeast
3.8
3.7
2.3
2.1
2.0
1.8
2.0
Pelagonia
13.6
13.1
13.2
11.9
11.6
5.8
5.6
Southwest
22.2
21.7
22.2
21.4
20.1
21.4
20.2
Polog
20.5
20.9
23.3
28.3
35.6
41.5
45.8
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Source: Census of the population and households according settlements 1948-2002
The period after World War II is the so-called compensational period when there
were not some big economic capacities in the towns to draw the population from
the rural surrounding. Immediately after the war, the number of population in these
village settlements in the period of 5 years increased by 6.8%. In fact, in that period
the number increased to 11,220 people or in average of 2,244 people per year.
Consequently, follows a period which is characteristic for the permanent reduction
of the population. As a result, in only 8 years period of time, between 1953 and
1961, these villages had lost over 27,000 people or in average of 3,380 people per
year, which is decrease in population mass of 15.3%. This decrease had continued
in the following period between 1961 and 1971 when a contingent of 20,272 people
had resettled or in average of over 2,000 people per year.
The period of 1971-1981 is the period when the biggest changes have happened.
Migration processes continued with greater intensity which led to reduction in num-
ber of people in these villages by 24,655 people or decrease of one fifth of the
population. In subsequent years, due to the fact that a great deal of the population
already moved out from these villages, the decrease was proceeded with somewhat
slower pace, but it was still noticeable. Permanent reduction of the population in
these villages in 2002 led to decrease in number of nearly 102,000 people or by
57.7% in comparison with 1953. This indicates the fact that apart from the constant
population of the researched villages, the whole population growth was misplaced.
In fact, due to a number reasons it happened that most frequently whole households
migrated and very seldom only individual members of a household.
The illustrated changes in the number of the population are associated with
the powerful socioeconomic changes which had taken place in the country, with
the uneven regional development, the negligence of the development of the rural
surroundings, the insufficient infrastructure and institutional equipment of these vil-
lages, as well as many other factors. The situation would have been much worse
for this group of mountain villages, if it had not been for those several settlements
which record increase in the population. Here we have higher population growth.
Such examples are the villages from the area of Shar Mountain and others. These
changes have led to certain problems, especially the restricted use of the areas and
the insufficient use of the natural resources.
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