Bjelovar
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| Bjelovar | |||
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 Bjelovar
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| Coordinates: 45°54′N 16°50′E / 45.9°N 16.833°ECoordinates: 45°54′N 16°50′E / 45.9°N 16.833°E | |||
| Country |  Croatia |
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| County | Bjelovar-Bilogora county | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Antun Korušec (CSLP) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 191.9 km2 (74.1 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 135 m (443 ft) | ||
| Population (2001) | |||
| • Total | 41,869 | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Website | bjelovar.hr | ||
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Bjelovar is a city in central Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Bjelovar-Bilogora County. During the 2001 census, there were 41,869 inhabitants, 90.51% of which being Croats. Bjelovar is one of the younger towns of Central Croatia, as it was first mentioned in 1413 and only gained importance when a new fort was built there in 1756. It was built on demand by empress Maria Theresa of Habsburgs. The initial role of the city was to defend central Croatia against the Ottoman invasions.
The town had to wait until the end of the wars to be pronounced a free royal town by ban Ivan Mažuranić in 1874.
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[edit] Name
In Hungarian, the town is known as Belovár; in German, it is known as Belowar; and in Serbian Cyrillic, it is known as Бјеловар.
[edit] History
The oldest Neolithic location of this area can be found in the suburban part of Bjelovar, named Ždralovi, where, while building a basement for the house of Josip Horvatić, a dugout was found and identified as part of the Starčevo culture (generally 5000 – 4300 b. C.) [1][2][3] Findings from Ždralovi belong to a regional subtype of the final variant in the long process of development of that Neolithic culture. It is designated as Ždralovi facies of the Starčevo culture or the Starčevo - Final stages. There are also finding of Korenovo culture, Sopot culture, Lasinja culture and Vučedol culture[4]
[edit] Demographics
Population by settlement:[5]
- Bjelovar, population 27,099
- Breza, population 103
- Brezovac, population 1,085
- Ciglena, population 341
- Galovac, population 449
- Gornje Plavnice, population 683
- Gornji Tomaš, population 94
- Gudovac, population 1,095
- Klokočevac, population 830
- Kokinac, population 193
- Kupinovac, population 139
- Letičani, population 349
- Mala Ciglena, population 17
- Malo Korenovo, population 196
- Novi Pavljani, population 151
- Novoseljani, population 697
- Obrovnica, population 183
- Patkovac, population 262
- Prespa, population 509
- Prgomelje, population 699
- Prokljuvani, population 261
- Puričani, population 132
- Rajić, population 206
- Stančići, population 90
- Stare Plavnice, population 670
- Stari Pavljani, population 242
- Tomaš, population 237
- Trojstveni Markovac, population 1,300
- Veliko Korenovo, population 534
- Zvijerci, population 53
- Ždralovi, population 1,426
Population by ethnicity:
| year | total | Croats | Serbs | Yugoslavs | others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 66.039 | 53.113 (80,42%) | 5.898 (8,93%) | 2.631 (3,98%) | 4.397 (6,65%) |
| 1981 | 66.553 | 48.819 (73,35%) | 5.897 (8,86%) | 9.249 (13,89%) | 2.588 (3,88%) |
| 1971 | 65.824 | 52.580 (79,87%) | 8.689 (13,20%) | 1.726 (2,62%) | 2.829 (4,29%) |
[edit] Geography
The city of Bjelovar is situated on a plateau in the south part of Bilogora (north-west Croatia) at an altitude of 135 metres above sea level. Bjelovar is the capital of the Bjelovar-Bilogora county, but also the natural, cultural and political centre of this area.
Bjelovar is home to an intersection of roads in this area; road D28 intersects with D43, and it lies on the road between Zagreb and west Slavonia, Podravina and Osijek. Also, Bjelovar is currently being connected by dual carriageway with Zagreb. That road is under construction.
The city of Bjelovar has an area of 191.9 km², and administratively it includes 31 other colonies. North-east of Bjelovar there is a long and low elevation called Bilogora with an average height of 150–200 m (highest point: Rajčevica, 309 m). The geology of the area consists of pliocene sandy marl and sandstones with possible less layers of lignite. Older rocks do not appear on surface in this area. In the deep boreholes there are crystalline rocks.
Bjelovar has a temperate continental climate. Winters are moderately cold, summers are warm. Precipitation about 900 mm per year is usual. The characteristic wind during winter is northern, with eastern becoming stronger in spring and it may be quite cold. Usually it blows for a few days one after other. In summer the southern wind appears; it is warm and it heightens air humidity. The mean yearly temperature in Bjelovar is about 12 °C (54 °F).
[edit] International relations
[edit] Twin towns — Sister cities
Bjelovar is twinned with:
- Imotski, Croatia- - Novalja, Croatia
- - Pakrac, Croatia
- Rubiera, Italy
- Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina
[edit] Culture
Bjelovar is home to three memorial areas to soldiers. Memorial Area Barutana is dedicated to those who died defending the city on September 29, 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence; Memorial Area Lug is dedicated to Ustashi soldiers killed by Partisans in 1945 and Memorial Area Borik is dedicated to Partisans killed during the Second World War.
Bjelovar hosts the yearly theatre festival „BOK“ (Bjelovarski odjeci kazališta or Bjelovar Echoes of Theatre). The festival was founded and run by Bjelovar actor Goran Navojec and it gathers the selection of best plays performed in Croatia during previous year.
[edit] Sport
In the 1970s, Bjelovar was known as the team handball capital of Europe, when its local squad RK Bjelovar (under the name Partizan) ruled Croatian, Yugoslav and European handball, with its team coming solely from Bjelovar and neighbourhood.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notable natives and residents
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Jakovljević, G. Arheološka topografija Bilogore, Bjelovarski zbornik ‘89, Bjelovar, 1989, pp 108-119
- ^ Dimitrijević, S. Das Neolithikum in Syrmien, Slawonien und Nordwestkroatien - Einführung in den Stander Forschung, Archeologica Iugoslavica X, Belgrade, 1969, p 39-76 (45, 47)
- ^ Dimitrijević, S. Sjeverna zona - Neolitik u centralnom i zapadnom dijelu sjeverne Jugoslavije, Praistorija jugoslavenskih zemalja II, Sarajevo, 1979, pp 229-360 (252-253)
- ^ Jakovljević, G. Povijest naseljenosti bjelovarskog kraja do osnutka grada ; in: Slukan Altić, M. Povijesni atlasi gradova : I. vol. Bjelovar, Croatian State Archives and the State Archives in Bjelovar, 2003, pp 11-19
- ^ "Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011, First Results by Settlements" (in Croatian and English) (HTML). Statistical Reports (Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics) (1441). June 2011. ISSN 1332-0297. http://www.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/census2011/htm/E11_Zup21_0248.html. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
[edit] Bibliography
- Cresswell, Peterjon; Atkins, Ismay; Dunn, Lily (10 July 2006). Time Out Croatia (First ed.). London, Berkeley & Toronto: Time Out Group Ltd & Ebury Publishing, Random House Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SV1V 2SA. ISBN 978-1-904978-70-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=VZweAAAACAAJ. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
[edit] External links
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