{{Infobox settlement <!--See Template:Infobox Settlement for additional fields that may be available--> <!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage--> <!-- Basic info ---------------->| name = Ostrec | official_name = Острец | native_name = | nickname = | settlement_type = Village | total_type = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows --> | motto = <!-- images and maps -----------> | image_skyline = Aerial view of Ostrec village (2025).jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Aerial view of Ostrec village in 2025 | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = North Macedonia | pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none --> | pushpin_map_caption = Location within North Macedonia | pushpin_mapsize = <!-- Location ------------------> | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{NMK}} | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = 15px Pelagonia | subdivision_type2 = Municipality | subdivision_name2 = 13px Bitola <!-- Smaller parts (e.g. boroughs of a city) and seat of government -->| seat_type = | seat = | parts_type = | parts_style = <!-- =list (for list), coll (for collapsed list), para (for paragraph format) Default is list if up to 5 items, coll if more than 5--> | parts = <!-- parts text, or header for parts list --> | p1 = | p2 = <!-- etc. up to p50: for separate parts to be listed--> <!-- Politics ----------------->| government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager --> | leader_name1 = | established_title = <!-- Settled --> | established_date = <!-- Area ---------------------> | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, to display imperial before metric--> | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields with measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion--> | area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on unit conversion--> | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = <!-- Elevation --------------------------> | elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> tags--> | elevation_m = | elevation_ft = | elevation_max_m = | elevation_max_ft = | elevation_min_m = | elevation_min_ft = <!-- Population -----------------------> | population_as_of = 2021 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 161 | population_density_km2 = <!--For automatic calculation, any density field may contain: auto --> | population_density_sq_mi = <!-- Government -----------------------> | municipality president = <!-- General information ---------------> | timezone = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | coor_type = <!-- can be used to specify what the coordinates refer to --> | coordinates = {{Coord|41|02|N|21|16|E|region:MK|display=inline,title}} <!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->| postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = | area_code = | website = . | blank_name = Car plates | blank_info = BT | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | footnotes = }} '''Ostrec''' (Macedonian Cyrillic: Острец; {{Langx|sq|Ostrec}}) is a village in the municipality of Bitola, North Macedonia. The village is about 12 kilometers away from Bitola, North Macedonia. It used to be part of the former municipality of Bistrica. thumb|Close-up view of Ostrec village in 2025
== Culture == Ostrec has traditionally and exclusively been populated by Ghegs, a northern subgroup of Albanians and speak the Gheg Albanian dialect,<ref name="Indogermanische183">{{cite book|last=Indogermanische Gesellschaft|title=Indogermanisches Jahrbuch, Vol. 13|year=1929|publisher=Karl J. Trübner|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S6fNAAAAMAAJ&q=Ostrec+geg|pages=183}} "Monastir (Bitol) auch für das Studium des Alb. geeignet: Ostrec (11 km von Monastir), Zlokućani haben geg., Dihovo, Bratindol, Magarevo, Ramna, Kažani, Dolenci, Lera, Crnovec, Drevenik, Murgašovo tosk. Bevölkerung. Die tosk."</ref><ref name="Jusufi282">{{cite book|last=Jusufi|first=Lumnije|chapter=Eine zentralgegische Sprachinsel im toskischen Sprachareal von Manastir|editor-last= Demiraj|editor-first= Bardhyl|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bmIVOGu0WWEC&q=K%C3%ABshava&pg=PA5|title= Wir sind die Deinen: Studien zur albanischen Sprache, Literatur und Kulturgeschichte, dem Gedenken an Martin Camaj (1925-1992) gewidmet|publisher= Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|date=2010|pages=282|isbn= 9783447062213}}</ref><ref name="Godisenzbornik171">{{cite book|last=Godišen zbornik|title=Volumes 17-18|year=1969|publisher=Univerzitet vo Skopje. Geografski institut|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b0ceAQAAIAAJ&q=%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8+%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%88%D1%9A%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8|pages=171}} "Чисто албански села сега се: Арматуш, Кишава, Острец, Злокуќани, Снегово, Старо Змирново, Саждево, Јакреново, Борино, Норово, Древеник. При ослободувањето од турското владеење во 1912 г. оваа област имала повеќе чисто албански села."</ref> similar to the Matjan and Dibran Geg subdialects, while the surrounding Albanian villages around Pelister Mountain are mostly Tosk-speaking.
==Demographics== Erekovci is attested in the Ottoman defter of 1467/68 as a village in the vilayet of Manastir. The inhabitants attested largely bore Albanian anthroponyms, such as ''Leko Arbanash'', ''None Arbanash'', ''Gon'' son of ''Tanush'' etc.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murati |first1=Qemal| journal=Studime Albanologjike|title=EMRA VETJAKË TË PROVENIENCËS SHQIPTARE NË VILAJETIN E MANASTIRIT NË DRITËN E DEFTERËVE OSMANË TË SHEK. XV |date=2022 |publisher=ITSH|page=36|quote=OSTREC Leko Arbanash; None Arbanash; Gin, vëllai i Nikollës; Gin, i biri i Tanush-it; Gon, i vjetër; Gon, i biri i Koke-s; Gin, i biri i Pano-s. }}</ref>
Due to emigration in the 1960-1970s, a sizable diaspora from the village exists in the mainly Western Suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.<ref name="ImmMuswii">{{cite web|title=After World War II|url=http://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whatson/past-exhibitions/kurbet/after-world-war-ii/|publisher=Immigration Museum|access-date=16 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304135044/http://museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whatson/past-exhibitions/kurbet/after-world-war-ii/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
As of the 2021 census, Ostrec had 161 residents with the following ethnic composition:<ref>[https://makstat.stat.gov.mk/PXWeb/pxweb/en/MakStat/MakStat__Popisi__Popis2021__NaselenieVkupno__PodatociNaselenie/T1503P21.px/table/tableViewLayout2/?rxid=cc8e0490-07b6-4002-adf4-9b4891b66655 Total resident population of the Republic of North Macedonia by ethnic affiliation, by settlement, Census 2021]</ref> *Albanians 154 *Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources 7
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 229 inhabitants.<ref name = Statisticaloffice/> Ethnic groups in the village include:<ref name = Statisticaloffice>Macedonian Census (2002), [http://www.stat.gov.mk/publikacii/knigaX.pdf ''Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion''], The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 70.</ref> *Albanians 228
Many Albanians migrated to Türkiye from this village between 1920-1930. In addition, in the 1950s, there were migrations to Türkiye again. There are also those who immigrated to Australia and America. Immigrants to Türkiye and their children mostly reside in [https://www.facebook.com/groups/buyukkale Büyükkale village] of [http://www.tire.bel.tr/ Tire] district of İzmir city. In 1960 through to the mid-1970’s many of these Ostrecly moved to Australia, the vast majority live in Melbourne, (Naarm) Victoria.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== Facebook Ostrec Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/ostrec
{{commons category|Ostrec}}
{{Bitola Municipality}}
Category:Villages in Bitola Municipality Category:Albanian communities in North Macedonia