Municipality of Zelino

Želino exists where the Vardar River bisects Albanian-majority territory at 99% ethnic concentration. This municipality of 18,988 residents covers 201 square kilometers of low-hill terrain in northwestern North Macedonia, stretching from the Skopje border to Tetovo and from Jegunovce to Sopište. The Kozjak Hydro Power Plant creates North Macedonia's largest artificial lake within municipal boundaries.

The formation era established Albanian settlement patterns that survived Ottoman, Yugoslav, and independence-era demographic pressures. The 18 villages—from Trebosh and Pallatic to Zhelino and Strimnic—maintain agricultural traditions on 15,561 hectares of agrarian land alongside 9,046 hectares of mountainous terrain.

Today Želino operates through agriculture supplemented by small and medium enterprises in construction, agricultural processing, and hospitality. The hydroelectric infrastructure represents significant national asset within municipal territory. Development initiatives target ethnic minority women's labor market integration, recognizing that Albanian, Turkish, and Bosnian communities face distinct employment barriers. The Polog Regional Development Center includes Želino in broader economic planning.

By 2026, Želino's combination of Albanian supermajority, hydroelectric resources, and Skopje proximity creates distinct development potential. The artificial lake could support tourism; the agricultural base provides food production capacity; the ethnic composition connects to broader Albanian economic networks extending to Kosovo and beyond.