THE FACTORS OF THE CHANGES OF IBAR-KOPAONIK REGION

Abstract

Valley part of subregion covers the valley through which runs the river Ibar an the mountainous part covers the mountain Kopaonik. The valley of Ibar used to be centar of medieval state of Serbia in the past. The region is poorly inhabited dan luntll recently has shown the tendency of lagging behind in the economic development. In this area, the mining has been known in Middle Ages when Kopaonik was know to have been the famous mining area. The exploatiation of iron are still goes on. In this subregion there are some other ores discovered, such as mangetite, graphite, volostonit, cobalt. These all enables the mining cooperation vhit the industry to become the leading economic field wich has influenced the concentration of the population in the cities. As the condition for faster economic development appear some Important coal reserves. However, within a few past years the tourism has been promoted as the main facotor of changes of Kopaonik, as well as of the Ibar valley. Kopaonik has proved to be both the witer and summer tourist center. It has become the largest ski center in Serbia. But the mountainous tourism and mining are related in Kopaonik. The Ibar valley has the conditions for the development of tourism (numerous mediaIeval monasteries and spas), too.