Pcinja River
Encyclopedia
The Pčinja is a 128 km long river in Serbia
and Macedonia
, a left tributary of the Vardar
river.
where Tripušnica meets the left tributary of Lesnička reka (Cyrillic: Лесничка река) from the south and continues to the west under the name of Pčinja. The region represents one of the fastest depopulating and economically least developed parts of Serbia (population of 12.556 in 1971 (34 per km²) and 6.372 in 2002 (17 per km²; down 50%). After the Pčinja passes next to the northern side of the mountain of Široka planina
and the village of Šajince where it receives the right tributary of Koćurica (Cyrillic: Коћурица) from the north, it is prevented to continue to the west by the eastern side of the Rujen mountain and turns south, into the narrow valley between the Rujen and Kozjak mountains. The small village and monastery of Prohor Pčinjski
are located in the valley. Just after the river passes next to the monastery, after 45 km of flow in Serbia, the Pčinja crosses the Macedonian border.
, with the neighboring Katlanovska Banja, the most popular spa in Macedonia. The upper course in Macedonia creates a micro-region of Sredorek (Macedonian: Средорек), and the lower a micro-region of Kotorci (Macedonian: Которци), with the gorge of Bader (Macedonian: Бадерска клисура) in between. In the lower course, the Pčinja follows the western side of the mountain Gradištanska and flows into the Vardar river, on the gorge of Taor section of the Vardar's course, halfway between the cities of Skopje
and Veles
.
Katlanovo is located on the highway Skopje-Thessaloniki
, and even though some 25 km away from Skopje, a string of Skopje's fast growing suburbs is located along the highway (Jurumleri, Idrizovo
, Petrovec
), and if the city continues to grow, in some future it will reach Katlanovo and the banks of Pčinja.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, a left tributary of the Vardar
Vardar
The Vardar or Axios is the longest and major river in the Republic of Macedonia and also a major river of Greece. It is long, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of river is ....
river.
Serbia
The Pčinja originates from several streams on the western slopes of the Dukat mountain which meet at the village of Radovnica and continue to the west originally under the name of the Tripušnica (Cyrillic: Трипушница). The river creates a micro-region of Pčinja, with center being the municipal seat of TrgovišteTrgovište
Trgovište is a small town and municipality located in the Pčinja District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the population of the town is 1,785, while population of the municipality is 5,145.-Municipality:...
where Tripušnica meets the left tributary of Lesnička reka (Cyrillic: Лесничка река) from the south and continues to the west under the name of Pčinja. The region represents one of the fastest depopulating and economically least developed parts of Serbia (population of 12.556 in 1971 (34 per km²) and 6.372 in 2002 (17 per km²; down 50%). After the Pčinja passes next to the northern side of the mountain of Široka planina
Široka planina
Široka planina is a mountain in southern Serbia, near the Macedonian border. The nearest town is Trgovište. Its highest peak Kopljača has an altitude of 1345 meters above sea level....
and the village of Šajince where it receives the right tributary of Koćurica (Cyrillic: Коћурица) from the north, it is prevented to continue to the west by the eastern side of the Rujen mountain and turns south, into the narrow valley between the Rujen and Kozjak mountains. The small village and monastery of Prohor Pčinjski
Prohor Pcinjski
Prohor Pčinjski is an 11th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery in the deep south of Serbia, located in village Klenike, Pčinja District near the border with Macedonia...
are located in the valley. Just after the river passes next to the monastery, after 45 km of flow in Serbia, the Pčinja crosses the Macedonian border.
Macedonia
For the remaining 83 km, the river bends gently to the southwest. It passes next to the villages of Karlovce, Dragomance, Strnovac, Vojnik, Klechevce, Pčinja, Studena Bara, Gorno Konjare, Dolno Konjare and the small town of KatlanovoKatlanovo
Katlanovo is a village in the Republic of Macedonia. It belongs to the Petrovec municipality and is situated between the cities of Skopje and Veles.-See also:* Petrovec municipality...
, with the neighboring Katlanovska Banja, the most popular spa in Macedonia. The upper course in Macedonia creates a micro-region of Sredorek (Macedonian: Средорек), and the lower a micro-region of Kotorci (Macedonian: Которци), with the gorge of Bader (Macedonian: Бадерска клисура) in between. In the lower course, the Pčinja follows the western side of the mountain Gradištanska and flows into the Vardar river, on the gorge of Taor section of the Vardar's course, halfway between the cities of Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
and Veles
Veles (city)
Veles is a city in the center of the Republic of Macedonia on the Vardar river. The city of Veles is the seat of Veles Municipality.-Name:The city's name was Vylosa in Ancient Greek and before the Balkan Wars, it was a township with the name Köprülü in the Üsküp sandjak, Ottoman empire for 600...
.
Katlanovo is located on the highway Skopje-Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, and even though some 25 km away from Skopje, a string of Skopje's fast growing suburbs is located along the highway (Jurumleri, Idrizovo
Idrizovo
Idrizovo is a community in the outskirts of the city of Skopje in the Republic of Macedonia.With the establishment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia following the Second World War, a internment camp was built in the area wherein political prisoners could be detained. Today, the...
, Petrovec
Petrovec, Republic of Macedonia
Petrovec is a village in the Republic of Macedonia situated about 15 km southeast of the national capital Skopje. It is the seat of the Petrovec municipality....
), and if the city continues to grow, in some future it will reach Katlanovo and the banks of Pčinja.
Characteristics
- The Pčinja belongs to the Aegean seaAegean SeaThe Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
drainage basinDrainage basinA drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. Its own drainage area covers 3.140 km², of that 1.247 km² in Serbia and 1.893 km² in Macedonia.
- The average discharge on the river's mouth into the Vardar is 14 m³/s, and its not navigable.
- All the major tributaries of the Pčinja are in Macedonia: Bistrica, Petroshnica and Kriva RekaKriva RekaThe Kriva Reka , is a 75 km long river in northeastern Macedonia, and the biggest left tributary of the Pcinja River.- Geography and Tributaries :...
from the left; Kumanovska reka, from the right.