Location

Velmej is located at Dolna Debarca

Debarca

Debarca is a historical region in western Republic of Macedonia, north of Ohrid and south-west of Kičevo. Its territory is now divided between Debarca municipality and Drugovo municipality....

 region, 13 km. east from the high road Ohrid

Ohrid

Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

-Kicevo

Kicevo

Kičevo is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar. The capital Skopje is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.-Population:The municipality...

 high road.

On the western slopes of mountain Ilinska Bigla, from the north and the east side, the village is surrounded with the mountain massifs of Ilinska Bigla, (to the east is Kilaec peakat 1068 m, to the north is Čuki at 1303 m) and in the west and south sides is the Velmej field.

The village's altitude is 860 m. The area of the village Velmej takes 39.3 km² or 10% of the territory of Debarca

Debarca

Debarca is a historical region in western Republic of Macedonia, north of Ohrid and south-west of Kičevo. Its territory is now divided between Debarca municipality and Drugovo municipality....

.

The closest airport to Velmej is OHD-Ohrid

Ohrid

Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

, located 18.7 km southwest of Velmej. Other nearby airports include SKP-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...

 95.0 km to the northeast and TIA-Tirana

Tirana

Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...

 Rinas 99.7 km to the west.

Places near Velmej, Macedonia: 3.2 km to Grko Pole, 3.5 km to Sošani, 4.1 km to Lešani, 4.1 km to Gorno Sredoreče, 4.7 km to Dolno Sredoreče, 6.3 km to Kuratica, 5.4 km to Ozdoleni, 6.3 km to Slatino

Slatino

Slatino is a village in Debarca Municipality Republic of Macedonia.- Part of the history of the village of Slatino :In Macedonia there are three villages named Slatino in Tetovo, Brodsky and Debarca. In warm and sunny autumn day we visited the area Slatino Debarca. Rural settlement through the...

, 5.8 km to Brežani

Brežani

Brežani is a village in the municipality of Blace, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 61 people.-References:...

, 6.0 km to Belčišta, 6.2 km to Zlesti, 7.6 km to Izdeglavje, 8.5 km to Sirula, 10.1 km to Arbinovo, 10.7 km to Plakje.

History

During the Second World War, in 1943, Karaorman Mountain, about 30 km. from Ohrid

Ohrid

Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

, covered with dense vegetation and abounding in game, particularly the region around Debarca

Debarca

Debarca is a historical region in western Republic of Macedonia, north of Ohrid and south-west of Kičevo. Its territory is now divided between Debarca municipality and Drugovo municipality....

 on its eastern slopes, became the centre of partisan activity. The first free territory in Western Macedonia was established there. The region of Debarca was especially favorable for the development of partisan warfare, in which the local population engaged in large numbers.

The first National Liberation Committiees were set up in Debarca on
liberated territory in the spring of 1943. Their task was to organize
life throughout the free territory. The Debarca District National
Liberation Committee devoted special attention to education.

The first schools with classes on the Macedonian language

Macedonian language

Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...

 were opened in October and November 1943 in Velmej, Vrbjani, Belciste, Botun and other Ohrid

Ohrid

Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

 villages.

Economy

55.3% of the surface area of Velmej is forest and mountains, 22.4% is farmland, and 22.3% is in the moorland.

Culture

In the Ohrid

Ohrid

Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

 region there are several Neolithic settlements: Dolno Trnovo in Ohrid

Ohrid

Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...

 and Zlastrana in the village of Gorno Sredorece (Debarca

Debarca

Debarca is a historical region in western Republic of Macedonia, north of Ohrid and south-west of Kičevo. Its territory is now divided between Debarca municipality and Drugovo municipality....

), as well as the Kutlina site in the village of Velmej (Debarca

Debarca

Debarca is a historical region in western Republic of Macedonia, north of Ohrid and south-west of Kičevo. Its territory is now divided between Debarca municipality and Drugovo municipality....

), which dates back to the Eneolithic period.

At the centre of Velmej is a high bell tower of St Nikolas church. There is another church St. Geoge look down on northwards part of the village.

Also, an impressive fountain called ”Istok” (East) which disposes large amount of water running through 18 sources is situated at the western part of the village. That is the place where the traditional wedding ceremony called ”Bringing water by the bride” happens. Nowadays, there is a water system through the village, built in 1982, but “Istok” still brings together the inhabitants of Velmej.

Near the fountain is a tablet of fallen fighters of People's Liberation War

People's Liberation War

The Yugoslav FrontThe Yugoslav Front, is also known as the National Liberation War . started in April 1941 when the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was quickly overrun by Axis forces and partitioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia and client regimes in Serbia with German Banat.The war was...

 and Ilinden rebellion.

Famous Peoples

• Zoran Stavreski - minister of finance of the Government Republic of Macedonia
• Ljube Trpeski - ex-governor of National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
  National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
  The National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia is the central bank of the Republic of Macedonia, located in the capital city, Skopje.The current Governor of the NBRM is Dimitar Bogov, since May 21, 2011.-Functions:...
  
  
• Ilija Iloski - ex-Director of Customs Administration of the Republic of Macedonia, ex-member of Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
  Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
  The Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia, the Assembly , has 123 members, elected for a four year term, by proportional representation from 6 electoral districts, each contributing 20 MPs.- Result :...
  
   - Chief Operating Officer, Director of KMB - Komercijalna Banka Skopje
  Komercijalna banka Skopje
  Komercijalna banka Skopje was established in 1955 as Komunalna Banka of the city of Skopje and was specialized for approving housing loans and financing construction operations...
  
  
• Miroslav Ginoski - Director of EMO Metrology Products