Kavadarci (Кавадарци) city, Macedonia

Kavadarci is a city in the Povardarie region (flow of river Vardar) with 34,252 inhabitants according to the 2002 census. Located on both sides of Vatashka River (Luda Mara) in the Tikvesh area, at an altitude of 270 m. It covers an area of 866 ha.

Kavadarci has a modified Mediterranean climate with an average annual air temperature of 13,6 ° C (56.48 F) and an average annual amount of precipitation of 476 mm.

With Negotino, Kavadarci is connected with the E-75 highway.

Kavadarci in early time was a village. An urban settlement was founded in the second half of the XIX century. The rapid development experienced by the construction of the Vardar railway, when the trade of wine and poppy had progressed, in early days the city have been named Velehan, and later was renamed to Kavadarci.

Between the two world wars, Kavadarci had an agricultural-handicraft function. In 1931 in the town lived 5504 inhabitants.

The population of Kavadarci especially increased in 1950 and 1953 when 8540 people lived there and in 2002 that number was increased to 34,252 inhabitants, of whom Macedonians were 33,125, while Roma minorities were most numerous (606), followed by Serbs (184) and Turks (164).

Kavadarci today is a municipality and the center of the most famous Macedonian wine region – Tikvesh. The municipality covers an area of 99,244 ha, there are 40 settlements with 38,741 inhabitants. Besides vineyards, largely present in tobacco cultivation.

Kavadarci has a large wine cellar, wood processing plant, metallurgical plant for nickel, tobacco processing enterprise, jewelry factory, etc.

“Tikveski grozdober” ( Тиквешки гроздобер) or “Kavadarecki grozdober” (Кавадаречки гроздобер) is a grape carnival held every year in Kavadarci, which represents a continuation of a long and rich tradition in this region, since the time of ancient Macedonia, when in honor of Dionysus, the God of wine, were held “Dionysius days”.

Kavadarci is a cultural, educational, and health center of the Tikves region. Within operate several primary and two secondary schools, there is a House of Culture and Medical Center.

At the village Vozarci on Crna (Black) River in 1968, a hydroelectric plant was built, forming the largest artificial lake in Macedonia – Tikvesh Lake.