Usage of the Mountain Areas in the Republic of Macedonia - Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: Southeastern Europe - page 79

percentages, is the evident increase in the population number that lived in those
villages, which varied with 18.8% in 1948 and 28.7% in 1981, and less than a quar-
ter in the last census. This group of villages is the only one where the average size of
the settlements reduced from 179 people in 1948 to 60 people in 2002. This group
also includes the smallest villages of up to 100 people. Their participation in the
total number of mountain villages increased with 8.2% in 1948 and 56.3% in 2002
which shows that half of the mountain villages are very small. Only a small part of
the population of mountain villages, which is less than one tenth, lives in the villages
of up to a hundred settlers.
Villages of 301-800 inhabitants, which are considered as middle-size villages,
show noticeable decline in their number of -73.8% in the whole analytic period.
Their representation in the network of settlements was relatively stable until the
1960s, and they had participated with around two quarters in the total number of
mountain villages. Powerful migration processes that had affected these and other
villages are the reason for their drop in number from 107 villages in 1961 to 45
villages in 2002. In that sense, their participation in percentage terms had been
decreased from 27.4% in 1961 to 11.5% in 2002. In these villages there was decline
in the population number of -72.2%. The biggest concentration of population was in
the average-size mountain villages up until 1971. The average size of these villages
rose from 504 people in 1948 to 535 people in 2002.
Villages that have over 800 inhabitants are categorized in the group of large vil-
lages. Their number in the last period halved; in other words, the number decreased
from 55 villages in 1953 to 30 villages in the period between 1981 and 1994, and
to 21 settlements in the last census. At the same time, there was 28.8% reduction in
the population that had lived in it in the period between 1948 and 2002 . The popula-
tion number in terms of percentages varied slightly with 28.6% in 1953 and 49.3%
in 1994, or 45% in 2002. From 1981 onward the biggest part of the population of
mountain villages has been concentrated in this group of villages. A lot of contribu-
tion for that is participation of the large villages of over 800 people which number
records some significant oscillations and decrease in the last 30 years, and yet part
of the large villages maintain their population and continue to increase. The villages
of over 800 people record rise in the number of the population from 1,097 people in
1948 to 1,560 people in 2002, which is an increase with 45.8%.
Concerning fact about the size of mountain villages is the negative change of
the population number which is followed by constant increase of the number of
displaced villages. The population number of only two villages in 1948 increased
to 47 settlements in 2002, and they represent 12% of the total number of mountain
settlements.
The presented changes concerning the size of the villages imply the need for
resolving problems related to their development. Demographical problems and
unsuitable conditions affect their future population, as well as economic develop-
ment. Taking into consideration the fact that we talk about relatively large number
of settlements, and that to all of these belong different resources which are not suffi-
ciently and inadequately used, it is eminent to include relevant factors for directing
their revitalization and sustainable development.