Bileća

Coordinates: 42°52′N 18°26′E / 42.867°N 18.433°E / 42.867; 18.433
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Bileća
Билећа
Town and municipality
Bileća lake
Bileća lake
Flag of Bileća
Flag
Coat of arms of Bileća
Coat of arms
Location of Bileća within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location of Bileća within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Location of Bileća
Coordinates: 42°52′N 18°26′E / 42.867°N 18.433°E / 42.867; 18.433
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity Republika Srpska
Geographical regionHerzegovina
Settlements61 (2013.)
Government
 • Municipal mayorVeselin Vujović (SDS)
 • Municipality632.33 km2 (244.14 sq mi)
Population
 (2013 census)
 • Town
8,220
 • Municipality
10,807
 • Municipality density17/km2 (44/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code59
Websiteopstinabileca.ba
Architecture in the city centre
Serbian Orthodox Vidovdanska church
Catholic church
Bileća lake

Bileća (Serbian Cyrillic: Билећа) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants.

History[edit]

The first traces of civilization in Bileća date from the Neolithic period, although archaeological sites are insufficiently explored.

During the Middle Ages, Bileća was located on the boundary of the župa of Vrm and the nearby Vlach necropolis was often mentioned as an important crossroad location for caravans on the way from Dubrovnik to Nikšić and Ključ, near Gacko.[1][2] The town became part of the Bosnian state for the first time in 1373, after the defeat of Nikola Altomanović,[3] but the first mention of the town under its present name is from 25 January 1387, while it appears as Bilechia in 1438.[2] A document dated 8 September 1388 mentions that the army of the duke Vlatko Vuković defeated the Turkish army at the Battle of Bileća. The period from the 13th to the 16th century was marked by the building of a large number of stećci, monolith markers that weigh up to 5 tons.[citation needed]

Bileća was held by the Turks from 1466, although it was a rebellious area that was difficult to control. Nearby lies the town of Vučji Do, in which the Battle of Vučji Do took place in 1876. The Congress of Berlin included Bileća in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which brought economic development to the region. The first primary school in Bileća was opened in 1880.

Settlements[edit]

Aside from the town of Bileća, the municipality includes the following settlements:

Demographics[edit]

Population[edit]

Population of settlements – Bileća municipality
Settlement 1948. 1953. 1961. 1971. 1981. 1991. 2013.
Total 13,531 14.026 14,125 13,444 13,199 13,284 10,807
1 Baljci 417 293
2 Bileća 1,270 1,563 2,491 4,033 5,763 7,568 7,476
3 Podosoje 971 1,055

Ethnic composition[edit]

According to the 1910 census, the absolute majority in the Bileća municipality were Orthodox Christians (82.27%). According to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1931 population census, the majority was held by Orthodox Christians 81.27%.

Ethnic composition – Bileća town
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971.
Total 7,616 (100,0%) 7,568 (100,0%) 5,763 (100,0%) 4,033 (100,0%)
Serbs 7,500 (98,5%) 5,619 (74,25%) 3,882 (67,36%) 2,810 (69,68%)
Bosniaks 7 (0,1%) 1,290 (17,05%) 841 (14,59%) 828 (20,53%)
Others 90 (1,2%) 411 (5,431%) 26 (0,451%) 36 (0,893%)
Yugoslavs 209 (2,762%) 651 (11,30%) 64 (1,587%)
Croats 19 (0,2%) 39 (0,515%) 42 (0,729%) 82 (2,033%)
Montenegrins 286 (4,963%) 190 (4,711%)
Macedonians 23 (0,399%) 14 (0,347%)
Albanians 7 (0,121%) 1 (0,025%)
Slovenes 5 (0,087%) 8 (0,198%)


Ethnic composition – Bileća municipality
2013. 1991. 1981. 1971.
Total 10 807 (100,0%) 13,284 (100,0%) 13,199 (100,0%) 13,444 (100,0%)
Serbs 10,646 (98,51%) 10,628 (80,01%) 10 190 (77,20%) 10,880 (80,93%)
Others 114 (1,055%) 448 (3,372%) 34 (0,258%) 50 (0,372%)
Bosniaks 26 (0,241%) 1,947 (14,66%) 1,803 (13,66%) 2,079 (15,46%)
Croats 21 (0,194%) 39 (0,294%) 44 (0,333%) 82 (0,610%)
Yugoslavs 222 (1,671%) 773 (5,857%) 69 (0,513%)
Montenegrins 317 (2,402%) 261 (1,941%)
Macedonians 24 (0,182%) 14 (0,104%)
Albanians 8 (0,061%) 1 (0,007%)
Slovenes 6 (0,045%) 8 (0,060%)

Economy[edit]

Dam on Klinje Lake

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):[4]

Activity Total
Agriculture, forestry and fishing 2
Mining and quarrying 1
Manufacturing 377
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 78
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities 107
Construction 195
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 267
Transportation and storage 86
Accommodation and food services 81
Information and communication 25
Financial and insurance activities 18
Real estate activities -
Professional, scientific and technical activities 22
Administrative and support service activities 4
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security 225
Education 193
Human health and social work activities 80
Arts, entertainment and recreation 42
Other service activities 31
Total 1,834

Sports[edit]

Local football club FK Hercegovac has spent one season in the country's second tier-First League of the Republika Srpska.

Climate[edit]

Climate data for Bileća (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.9
(48.0) 		10.2
(50.4) 		14.3
(57.7) 		16.7
(62.1) 		21.1
(70.0) 		26.7
(80.1) 		28.1
(82.6) 		30.6
(87.1) 		25.6
(78.1) 		17.6
(63.7) 		13.8
(56.8) 		9.1
(48.4) 		18.6
(65.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8) 		4.9
(40.8) 		7.9
(46.2) 		11.4
(52.5) 		16.1
(61.0) 		20.8
(69.4) 		23.2
(73.8) 		23.2
(73.8) 		17.7
(63.9) 		13.3
(55.9) 		8.9
(48.0) 		4.8
(40.6) 		13.0
(55.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1) 		−0.5
(31.1) 		2.8
(37.0) 		5.3
(41.5) 		9.6
(49.3) 		13.2
(55.8) 		15.3
(59.5) 		15.3
(59.5) 		11.8
(53.2) 		7.5
(45.5) 		4.2
(39.6) 		0.2
(32.4) 		7.0
(44.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 147.8
(5.82) 		149.8
(5.90) 		133.5
(5.26) 		120.3
(4.74) 		99.8
(3.93) 		76.8
(3.02) 		53.5
(2.11) 		58.1
(2.29) 		125.1
(4.93) 		179.0
(7.05) 		224.2
(8.83) 		198.5
(7.81) 		1,566.3
(61.67)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 9.8 9.9 9.5 9.7 9.5 7.6 5.1 5.2 8.0 9.4 11.1 11.2 106.2
Source: NOAA[5]

Features[edit]

Notable people[edit]

Tijana Bošković, world and European champion
Director Dušan Vukotić won Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 1961

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ciobanu, Octavian (2018). "The emergence of Vlach necropolises with petroglyphs in Western Balkans". Revista de Etnologie şi Culturologie. XXIV: 7.
  2. ^ a b Detelić, Mirjana (2007). Epski gradovi. Leksikon [Epic Cities. A lexicon]. Belgrade: Balkanološkog instituta SANU. p. 53. ISBN 9788671790406.
  3. ^ Ćirković, Sima (2020). Živeti sa istorijom. Belgrade: Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji. p. 218.
  4. ^ "Cities and Municipalities of Republika Srpska" (PDF). rzs.rs.ba. Republika Srspka Institute of Statistics. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Bileca Climate Normals 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 4 September 2023.

External links[edit]

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