Debrca (Municipality, North Macedonia)

Дебрца

Last modified: 2023-03-25 by rob raeside
Keywords: debrca | belčišta | mešeišta |
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image by Valentin Poposki, 21 September 2021

• Presentation of Debrca
• Flag of Debrca
• Previous flag
• Former municipalities
  • Belčišta
  • Mešeišta

See also:

• North Macedonia
• North Macedonia: Municipal flags

Presentation of Debrca

The municipality of Debrca (5,507 inhabitants; 425.39 sq. km) is made of the 30 settlements of Arbinovo, Belčišta (seat of the municipality), Botun, Brežani, Belmej, Bolino, Brbjani, Godivje, Gorenci, Gorno Sredorečne, Grko Pole, Dolno Sredorečne, Zlesti, Izdeglavje, Klimeštani, Laktinje, Lešani, Mešeišta, Mramorec, Novo Selo, Ozdoleni, Orovnik, Pesočani, Slatino, Slatinski Čiflik, Slivovo, Sošani, Trebeništa, Turje and Crvena Voda.
The municipality is named after the valley of Debrca, located north of Lake Ohrid in western North Macedonia.

Ivan Sache & Željko Heimer, 18 June 2006

By the request of the local inhabitants, the name of the municipality was changed from Debarca to Debrca, as in the local dialect. That caused a change of the municipal symbols. The flag was changed with a slightly modified coat of arms.
Valentin Poposki, 21 September 2021

Flag of Debrca

The flag of Debrca (Wikipedia), is vertical, blue with a red cross skewed to the flag's hoist and the municipal arms, surrounded by a ring of 30 yellow stars (for the 30 villages?) placed in the center of the cross.

Valentin Poposki & Ivan Sache, 31 October 2009

Previous flag

image by Mello Luchtenberg, 31 October 2009

The old flag uses the old name Дебарца in the arms.
Valentin Poposki, 21 September 2021

Former municipalities

Belčišta

Flag of Belčišta - Image by Mello Luchtenberg & António Martins, 16 September 2006

The municipality of Belčišta (3,354 inhabitants in 1994) was incorporated into the municipality of Debrca in 2004.

The flag of Belčišta (Macedonian Ministry of Local Self-Government website, page no longer online), wass a vertical flag in proportions 2:1, vertically divided red-yellow-blue with six rows of four white stars each placed in the center of the yellow stripe.

Ivan Sache, 10 June 2006

This flag might also have an horizontal version red-over-yellow-over-blue. The colours probably originate from the emblem of the town.

Željko Heimer, 30 January 2002

Mešeišta

Flag of Mešeišta - Image by Mello Luchtenberg & António Martins, 13 November 2006

The municipality of Mešeišta (2,918 inhabitants in 1994) was incorporated into the municipality of Debrca in 2004.
Mešeišt is known as the place where the headquarters of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party was moved to from Ohrid in January 1943. The municipality was erected in 1966; beforehand, it was part of Ohrid.

The flag of Mešeišta (Macedonian Ministry of Local Self-Government website, page no longer online), was vertical, in proportions 2:1.
The charge on the flag is derived from the sun which is placed in the top of the municipal coat of arms. Accordingly, the real flag has probably the sun on top and not on bottom as shown on the image. This seems to be confirmed bya more recent version of the Macedonian Ministry of Local Self-Government website (page no longer online, either), which shows the flag as horizontal, with the sun near the hoist; proper rotation of the flag will logically place the sun on top.

Ivan Sache, 13 November 2006