its economic development through agriculture, cattle raising and mining. The numerous mines in the region, as well as the pottery craft continued as a tradition in the Roman period. Modern Period In the late 19th and early 20th century, Valandovo was part of the Salonica Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. In 1913, as a result of the Balkan Wars, the town became a part of the Kingdom of Serbia, which in 1918 joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. From 1929 to 1941 Valandovo was part of the Vardar Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1941 to 1944, during the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, Valandovo, as most of Vardar Macedonia, was annexed by the Kingdom of Bulgaria. Geography and Climate Having an ideal Mediterranean climate, the town and its surroundings give the impression of a large garden abundant with the well-known and tasty Valandovo figs and pomegranates, as well as other early-spring vegetables and fruits. Population and Ethnicities According to the census performed in 2002, the population of the municipality of Valandovo is 11,890 inhabitants. The ethnic structure of the population living in the Valandovo is: Macedonians: 9,830 (82.67%) Turks: 1,333 (11.21%) Romani: 32 (0.27%) Serbs: 639 (5.37%) Bosniaks: 1 Vlachs: 1 Others: 52 (0.45%) Music Festival Valandovo is known for its annual music festival in which the best folk singers from Macedonia take part. The first festival started as a result of the continuity of the rich and long musical tradition of this region. It was held in 1985 and became a new tradition promoted from its very beginning. For over 20 years now, the festival has presented valuable music and has gained great national significance. The chief organisers of the festival faced some problems and difficulties from the humble beginnings but nevertheless, they never gave up on their idea. The festival was quickly accepted by audiences. In 1989, a summer festival stage with 1,200 seats was built and all performances from 1985 – 89 were broadcast on television and so seen by 30,000 people. Valandovo musical production has issued 35 audio-cassettes, records and video-cassettes. In 1993, the festival was held in Sydney, Australia. The FOLK FEST has been admitted to FIDOV – the World Federation of Festival Organisations, with its head office in Los Angeles, United States. This membership enables a worldwide presentation of both Macedonia and the festival. The festival has also received several