Sveti Nikole

Sveti Nikole (Macedonian: Свети Николе [ˌsvɛːti ˈnikɔlɛ] ^ⓘ; meaning Saint Nicholas) is a town in North Macedonia. It is the seat of Sveti Nikole Municipality and a center of a plain called Ovče Pole (Plain of sheep), famous for sheep farming, lamb meat, and dairy products of all kinds.

Sveti Nikole Свети Николе (Macedonian)
From the top, Statue of Saint Nicholas, Church of Saint Nicholas, The National Museum
Flag Seal
Sveti Nikole Location within North Macedonia
Coordinates: 41.864690°N 21.941486°E / 41.864690; 21.941486
Country	North Macedonia
Region	Vardar
Municipality	Sveti Nikole
Government
• Mayor	Dejan Vladev (VMRO-DPMNE)
Population  (2002)
• Total	13,746
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	2220
Car plates	SN
Climate	Cfa
Website	svetinikole.gov.mk

History

According to legend, the town was named after the church of Saint Nicholas (Sveti Nikola), built in the beginning of the 14th century. It is said to have been the biggest of all 42 churches in this area at its time.^[1]

The former settlement of Arbanaško, itself derived from Arbanas (an old South Slavic ethonym for Albanians), is in present-day Sveti Nikole, suggesting either direct linguistic contact with Albanians or the former presence of an assimilated Albanian community.^[2]

Demographics

On the 1927 ethnic map of Leonhard Schulze-Jena, the town is written as "Kliseli" shown as having a mixed population of Christian Bulgarians and Turks.^[3] According to the 2002 census, the town had a total of 13,746 inhabitants.^[4] Ethnic groups in the village include:^[4]

• Macedonians 13,367
• Turks 80
• Serbs 52
• Roma 72
• Aromanians 149
• Others 25

Sports

Local football club FK Ovče Pole plays in the Macedonian Third League (Southeast Division).

Notable people from the town

• Lazar Koliševski (1914–2000) - Macedonian politician, prime minister and president
• Kiril Lazarov (b. 1980) - Team handball player

References

1. Андонов, Кире (December 19, 2018). "Во Свети Николе се одбележува патронот на градот – Свети Никола (галерија+видео) | Моја Општина - Сите општини на едно место". Моја Општина (in Macedonian). Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
2. Murati, Qemal (2004). Fjalor i Fjalëve Shqipe Në Maqedonishten Dhe Idiomatikë Shqiptaro-maqedonase. Logos. p. 43. Në nomenklaturën e onomastikës sllavomaqedonase ka shumë fjalë shqipe që kanë mbetur si apelativa të fosilizuara, qoftë si rezultat i ndikimit gjuhësor të drejtpërdrejtë në kontakt, qoftë si rezultat i procesit të asimilimit të popullsisë shqiptare në atë sllave, me ndërrim të substratit etnik, ku popullsia shqiptare ka ndërruar etninë ose është asimiluar, por topikët me burim shqiptar mbetën të pandërruar, të papërkthyer, pra e ruajtën burimin e primitivit. ... Arbanasko2 - vendbanim i zhdukur (Sveti Nikole), që ruan emrin etnik Arbanas I Arbanash.
3. Schultze Jena, Leonhard. Makedonien: Landschafts- und Kulturbilder. Jena, Verlag von Gustav Fischer, 1927
4. Macedonian Census (2002), Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion, The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 173.

External links

• Sveti Nikole