General Features

Pelagonia planning region is located in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. On south it borders with the Republic of Greece and on southwest with the Republic of Albania.

The Pelagonia planning region covers the basins of the Pelagonia and Prespa valley. The name of the area comes from Pelagonia valley which covers the largest part of the territory of all planning regions. Pelagonia covers the central-western part of the Republic of Macedonia. It consists of the Bitola and Prilep fields in the Republic of Macedonia, the basin of Crna Reka and its tributaries and the Lerin field in the Republic of Greece. The valley is surrounded by the mountains Baba, Busheva Planina from west, Dautica and Babuna from north, Selechka Planina and Nidje from east, while from south and southwest is surrounded by the slopes of Neredska Planina which is on the territory of the Republic of Greece. The average altitude is between 540 and 610 meters in the Bitola field, and 615 and 710 meters altitude in the Prilep field.

The hydrological potential in Pelagonia planning region consists of the Crna Reka with its tributaries Blato, Shemnica, Dragor and Eleshka river. The catchment of Crna Reka is a part of the Aegean catchment area.

Crna Reka is the main and the largest river flow in Pelagonia planning region. The total length is 207 km and the overall flow is in the Republic of Macedonia. The catchment area of Crna Reka is 5.890 km2 which is 28,68% of the catchment area of river Vardar where it seeps. During the seep, Crna Reka has outflow of average 37m3/sec.

As hydro-logical potential, Prespa lake is an unique natural and geographical tourist motive and a destination for development of the lake tourism in this region. The Prespa Lake is a natural lake, divided by three countries. Geographically, the lake is in the southwest part of the country and it belongs in the Pelagonia planning region. Prespa Lake is located at an altitude of 853 meters, with maximum length of 28 km and maximum width of 17 km. The average depth of the lake is 54 meters, and the maximum depth is 76 meters. The total water area is 276,4 km2, of which 191,4 km2 are in Macedonia, 37,6 km2 in Greece and 46,2 km2 in Albania. For irrigation of the arable land in the region the accumulations Strezevo and Prilep Lake are important, as well as the artificial accumulation Suvodol.

Pelagonia region has agricultural land with an area of 276. 777 ha. Thereof 117.770 ha are an arable agricultural land, and the remaining 159007 ha – pastures. The structure of arable land – plowed fields and gardens participate with 83%. As industry, the agriculture accounts for 4% of production and 5% of total employment in the region.

The total forest area in 2014 was 143.545 ha or 14,6% of total forest land.

Of all deposits in the region most economically important are the coal bearings (lignite) in Pelagonia and Mariovo which today are used in the three blocks of REK Bitola and non-metallic bearings diatomaceous earth in Monastery – Mariovo and white marble in Prilep. Special mineral resource is the cold mineral springs in the village Medjitlija, Bitola that is long period in exploitation.

On the territory of Pelagonia planning region there are two national parks. Pelister National Park and a part of the National Park Galichica, which are a huge tourism developing potential and improving of the region economy