Zvornik
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| Zvornik Зворник |
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| Coordinates: 44°39′N 19°10′E / 44.65°N 19.167°E | |
| Country | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Zoran (SPRS) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 387 km2 (149.4 sq mi) |
| Population (1991) | |
| - Total | 81,295 |
| - Municipality | 79,000 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Area code(s) | 56 |
| Website | www.opstina-zvornik.org |
Zvornik (Cyrillic: Зворник) is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in the Republika Srpska entity. The town Mali Zvornik ("little Zvornik") lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.
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[edit] Population
According to the 1910 census the city of Zvornik had 732 houses and 3688 inhabitants: 2098 Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks), 754 Bosnian Serbs, 185 Catholics (Bosnian Croats), 9 Lutherans, 148 Bosnian Jews and 498 military persons.
[edit] 1991
Municipality of Zvornik - total: 81,295
- Muslims by nationality (Bosniaks) - 48,102 (59.16%)
- Bosnian Serbs - 30,863 (37.96%) (See: Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Yugoslavs - 1,248 (1.53%)
- Bosnian Croats - 122 (0.15%) (See: Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Others and unknown - 960 (1.18%)
Town of Zvornik - total: 14,584
- Muslims by nationality (Bosniaks) - 8,854 (60.71%)
- Bosnian Serbs - 4,235 (29.03%)
- Yugoslavs - 944 (6.47%)
- Bosnian Croats - 76 (0.52%)
- Others and unknown - 475 (3.25%)
The city's demographic situation has changed drastically in the last 15 years. Bosnian Serbs are great majority today.[citation needed]
[edit] History
[edit] Early history
Zvornik is first mentioned in the year 1410, although it was known as Zvonik ("bell tower") at that time. The town's geographic location has made it an important trade link between Bosnia and the east. For instance, the main road connecting Sarajevo and Belgrade runs through the city. Zvornik has also the distinction of being the only city in Bosnia that directly lies on the border to Serbia.
During the Ottoman period, Zvornik was the capital of the Zvornik sanjak (an administrative region). This was primarily the case because of the city's crucial role in the economy and the strategic importance of the city's location.
[edit] Bosnian War
During the Bosnian War (1992-1995) Zvornik's Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) population was totally expelled. In April 1992 could many European news stations daily reported Serbian Army attacks and mass killings of the Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) population of Zvornik and the surrounding villages.[1] It is known that the suburbs of Karakaj and Čelopek were places of prisons where hundreds of Zvornik's Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) were killed.[2] Recently, mass graves of victims killed in the massacre of Srebrenica were found in the village of Liplje, south of Zvornik.[citation needed]
During the war Serb forces destroyed mosques in and around the city.
With the help of the international community, since the end of the Bosnian War (1995) there has been an effort to return refugees back to the municipality, but the process has been slow and will take many years to complete.
[edit] Climate
Just like most of Bosnia, Zvornik has very hot summers and cold winters. Except for the area near the river Drina, the city is surrounded by mountains with preserved forests, which creates a beautiful scenery with the town's location at the bottom of a valley.
[edit] Tourism
Welcome to Zvornik, an industrial, business, commercial and tourist town.
Great manifestation called the Cultural Summer of Zvornik usually takes part between August 2 and 8, and its main objective is to become a traditional cultural event which will open the doors of Zvornik for the recognized cultural values.
The tourist offer of the town is specific, because of its great natural potential, which has not yet been used for development of mass tourism. To all guests who crave for true rest, the town can offer peace and numerous other attractions during both, summer and winter.
Although Zvornik has been marginalized, far from the public eye in BIH, we usually say that Zvornik has been given so much beauty, monuments and history that the town is impossible to get around. The people of Zvornik like to emphasize one more thing: we do not need to be given anything; we just need what is ours - not to be taken away from us. We have everything: industry, waters, forests, stone, people who are in love with their town. Tourists indeed have something to see in Zvornik and its neighborhood: the river Drina, Zvornik Lake, which is rich in trout and suitable for water sports. They can go fishing and hunting, have a rest by the river and lake in summer, and ski in near-by Igrište in winter. The guest will have a chance to see, a part from natural beauties, monuments of the town: Zvornik fortress, Museum collection, Villa Andr Zvornik has two hotels: Hotel Vidikovac, outside the town (direction Sarajevo) and splendid located at the Zvornik lake with a beautiful terrace view over the lake and the Serbian side of the river. It used to be a modern hotel, but now (2007) it is dilapidated. Drina hotel in the centre of Zvornik is closed. Outside the centre (direction Tuzla) a new motel Laguna is opened en it seems to be a modern (five stars?) hotel.
[edit] Kula Grad
In Kula Grad, a village that is part of Zvornik municipality, there is a Turkey Middle Age fort from which you have a superb view on the town.
[edit] Sport
The local football club, FK Drina Zvornik, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska. Basketball club KK Drina Zvornik.
[edit] People
- Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian footballer
- Samir Muratović, Bosnian footballer
- Sejad Salihović, Bosnian footballer
- Said Husejinović, Bosnian footballer
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, Zavod za statistiku Bosne i Hercegovine - Bilten no.234, Sarajevo 1991.
- ^ . BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/189610.stm.
- ^ . Alliance of Detainees of Bosnia and Herzegovina. http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-concentration-and-internment-camps.
[edit] External links
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