Tetovo is located in the Polog Plain, just 40 km away from Skopje, at an altitude of 450-550m above sea level with the River Vardar flowing through it. Tetovo used to be a rural settlement situated around the St. Bogorodica (Holy Mother) Church until the 15th century, when its rapid economic development started. At that time, the town was known by the name of Htetova. In the 19th century the French travelogue writer noted that the town had about 4,000 to 5,000 inhabitants. Modern-day Tetovo has a population of 70,841.