Štip

Štip (Штип ʃtip) is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of North Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities. As of the 2021 census, the city of Štip had a population of about 44,866. Štip is the largest textile production center in the country. It is the center of the fashion industry in North Macedonia, as well as the site of the sole public university in eastern North Macedonia, Goce Delčev University of Štip. The city of Štip is the seat of Štip Municipality. The name Astibos is mentioned first by the ancient historian Polyaenus in 2nd century BC, who notes that Paeonian kings did ritualistic bathing in the Astibo / Brigantium (today: Bregalnica) river, as a coronation ritual. Astibo is also marked in the Tabula Peutingeriana, as one of the stations from Stobi (near modern Gradsko) to Serdika (today: Sofia). The name evolved from the ancient Astibos, to Byzantine Stipeon, to modern Shtip. It is generally acknowledged that the Slavic 'Štip' follows Proto-Albanian phonetic rules and was acquired via the Albanian 'Shtip'. Shtip may indicate that Proto-Albanian was spoken in the region in pre-Slavic antiquity. The local Aromanian community also refer to the city as Shtip. The city is located at the intersection of the Lakavica, Ovče Pole, and Kočani valleys. Two rivers pass through Štip, the Bregalnica which is the second largest in North Macedonia, and the Otinja which divides the city center. The hill Isar, with its early medieval fortress on top, dominates the city and provides for the common reference as The city under the Isar. The area surrounding the city is suffering from deforestation which is contributing to the temperature extremes, summers being hot and dry with mean temperatures around and days above being common. Winters are short (less than 2 months usually) and mild (though considered cold for the area) with normals around , but with occasional drops down to .