Čaška Municipality

Čaška (, Çashkë) is a municipality in the central part of North Macedonia. Čaška is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is located. This municipality is part of the Vardar Statistical Region.

Geography


The Municipality of Čaška is located in the central part of the country. It covers an area of 819.45 km 2 and by the territory is one of the three largest municipalities in Northern Macedonia. It is a rural municipality with a good geographical position. The municipality has a total arable land of 476 km 2 and 48.97 km 2 pastures.

The municipality borders to the north Zelenikovo Municipality and Studeničani Municipality, to the east Veles Municipality and Gradsko Municipality, to the west Makedonski Brod Municipality, to the south-west Dolneni Municipality, to the south Prilep Municipality and to the south-east Kavadarci Municipality and Rosoman. The municipality of Čaška includes 42 settlements. The population density is 10 inhabitants per km 2.

The municipality has a good geographical position. There are beautiful and attractive areas of the mountains Jakupica, Dautica and Babuna from the west, Klepa from the east, Karadzicica and Golesnica from the north-west. On the western border of the municipality is the highest peak of Jakupica, Solunska Glava (2,540 m). The main rivers are Babuna and Topolka. Along the course of these rivers there is an alluvial field formed as a result of river sediments which is very fertile. The hydropower plant "Lisiće" has been built recently.

The climatic characteristics of the municipality are quite different. The high mountains are covered with snow during all the year, while in the flat part in the summer period there is an unbearably high temperature. The climate is continental. Rainfall is light mainly on autumn and winter days, and summers are hot and dry. Winds come from all directions, but prevail from the north and northwest.

History
The Municipality of Čaška was established in 1996. By the 2004 according to the new territorial division of the Republic, the rural Bogomila Municipality and Izvor Municipality as well as the most western part of Veles Municipality were attached to Čaška Municipality.

Demographics
According to the 2021 Macedonian census, Čaška Municipality has 7,942 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups in the municipality:

Religions
Religious affiliation according to the 2002 and 2021 Macedonian censuses:

Demographic trends
Live births by ethnic affiliation of mother, 2010-2021

Inhabited places
There are 33 inhabited places in this municipality.

Economy
Livestock breeding and agriculture are the main branches of production. Mountainous areas are ideal for livestock breeding, where there are a large number of registered breeders.

Many residents are engaged in the production of tobacco, as well as the production of barley, corn and rice, which has grown along the Topolka River. The well-known mountain potato is cultivated in the areas of the villages of Gorno Jabolčište, Dolno Jabolčište, Drenovo and Papradište. Gorno Vranovci is known for chestnuts, while trout grow in Goložinca and Nežilovo.

In 2010 in Gorno Jabolčište was held the first event with a competitive character which gathered potato growers.

There has been an increase in tourism in the municipality recently. In 2008, there were 25% more tourists than the year before. Besides domestic tourists, there are now also visitors from Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Settlements and infrastructure
The largest settlement in the Municipality of Čaška is Gorno Jabolčište with over 2,400 inhabitants. Recent years have seen more infrastructure commitments and investments. In 2012 the villages Gorno Jabolčište and Dolno Jabolčište were for the first time ever connected to a paved road.

Generally today there is good road connectivity in the municipality. The municipality is connected to City of Veles through a regional road. The Skopje-Bitola train railway also passes through its territory. It is also foreseen the connection to the highway Veles-Prilep-Bitola, which will improve the territorial connection with other parts of the state.

There is no good network of health institutions in the municipality. There are only 6 ambulances in the settlements: Čaška, Melnica, Izvor, Bogomila, Gorno Jabolčište and Dolno Jabolčište, as well as two dental clinics in Čaška and Gorno Jabolčište. There is a specialized clinic for lung diseases in the village of Jasenovo, which the population in the surrounding settlements uses as an ambulance.

The citizens of the Municipality of Čaška are only partially supplied with drinking water through the water supply system built with local self-contribution and voluntary work, own wells and village fountains. Through the water supply network, 22 settlements are supplied with drinking water, while the other 20 settlements are supplied through alternative own sources.

Education
There are no high schools in the Municipality of Čaška, with the nearest in the city of Veles. Instruction in Albanian has been conducted since the 2008/2009 school year.

The municipal council voted for the opening of the classroom with teaching in Albanian at Todor Janev Primary School in Čaška. Supporting this decision were 7 out of 11 councilors. A day earlier, a certain group of Macedonian parents protested against the opening of Albanian-language classroom and boycotted of the lesson.