The Mountains in Macedonia

The mountains in Macedonia are divided according to the following criteria:Time of origin, the geological composition, the size and the geographical orientation, they are divided in two groups: Rhodope and Dinaric. Height: high, medium and low.In the first division, the Rhodope group is considered as older and embraces the larger part of the mountain regions in eastern Macedonia, while the Dinaric group is younger and divided in 3 subgroups: Vardar zone, which includes the mountains on the both sides of the river Vardar, right after the great curve of the river north-west of Skopje. Pelagonia massif, located on the west-southwest of the Vardar zone and eastern of the Shara zone. Shara zone, the highest one in Macedonia, is located in the most western part of the country, and stretches in north-south direction along the borders with Serbia and Montenegro, Albania and Greece.

According to the second division, the group of high mountains of altitude above 2000 meters includes: Korab 2764 (2864m), Shar Planina (2747m) Baba (2601m), Jakupica (2540m), Nidze (2521m), Deshat (2373m), Krchin (2341m), Galichica (2288m), Stogovo (2273m), Jablanica (2257 m), Osogovo (2252m), Kozhuf (2171m), Bistra (2163m), Raduka (2080m), Cheloica (2062m) and Belasica (2029m). Medium mountains between 1000 and 2000m height above see level include: Plakenska (1999m), Vlaina (1932m), Pesok (1917m) Ilinska (1909m), Suva Gora (1857m), Kozjak (1822m), Karaorman (1794m), Busheva (1788m), Ljuben (1764m), Plachkovica (1754m), Babuna (1746m), Maleshevska (1745m), Ograzden (1744m), Bilino (1703m), Baba Sach (1698m), Selechka (1663m), Bigla (1656m), Crna Gora (1651m), Skopska Crna Gora (1628m), Bezimena (Nameless) with the peak Chave (1557m), Golak (1538m), Bukovik (1528m), Krushevska (1524m), Dren (1511m), Bezimena (Nameless), south of Krushevo, with the peak Buka (1494m), Bezimena (Nameless), north-west of Bitola, with the peak Bel Kamen (1431m), Goten (1430m), Osoj (1401m), German (1387m), Beaz Tepe (1348m), Kozjak (1326m), Bezimena (Nameless) western from Demir Hisar (1318m), Malinska (1235m), Zheden (1264m), Suva Planina (1189m), Konechka/Serta (1159m), Klepa (1150m), Vodno (1066m), Vitachevo (1039m), Gradeshka (1002m).The group of low mountains, from 500 to 1000m altitude comprises of: Plavush (996m), Smrdesh (971m), Mangovica (874m), Gradishanska (861m).

The mountains in the Republic of Macedonia, by their shape are very different, ranging from mild round shape in the eastern part, to fully Alpine in the western part. Such diversity offers great possibilities for developing sports as alpinism, sport climbing, speleological, cannoning, paragliding, skiing, ski-climbing etc. On the slopes of some of the mountains, there are ski-centers, such as Popova Shapka on Shar Planina, Mavrovo (Bistra), Begova Cheshma (Baba), Krushevo (Krushevo Mountain), Oteshevo (Galichica) and other smaller centers, constantly developing.