Kumanovo

It has many historical sites. One of its most important is the 4,000-year-old megalithic astronomical observatory of Kokino, located 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Kumanovo and discovered in 2001. It is ranked fourth on the list of old observatories by NASA.

In 1912, during the First Balkan War, Serbian forces won a decisive victory over the Ottomans north of the town. The two-day Battle of Kumanovo ended Ottoman authority in Vardar Macedonia which contributed to the region's integration into Serbia, and consequently into Yugoslavia. The entire region of Macedonia was split in three between Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria after the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913.

During World War II, the communist resistance in Vardar Macedonia began in Kumanovo on 11 October 1941. The rapid economic, administrative and cultural expansion of Kumanovo began in 1945.