Čapljina

Čapljina Чапљина
Municipality and town
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Čapljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canton	Herzegovina-Neretva Herzegovina
Government
• Mayor	Smiljan Vidić (HDZ BiH)
Area
• Total	256 km2 (99 sq mi)
• Land	256 km2 (99 sq mi)
• Water	0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population  (2013)
• Total	28,122
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Post code	88300
Area code	+387 036
Website	www.capljina.ba

Čapljina is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Čapljina is located on the border with Croatia a mere 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the Adriatic Sea.

The river Neretva flows through the municipality and flows into the Adriatic just over the border. The town's landmark is a statue of King Tomislav. The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is also a prominent facet of the town. The municipal coat of arms contains the Croatian chequy, the nearby tower in Počitelj, and Saint Francis of Assisi.

The municipality has a rich archaeological history and untouched wilderness and is starting to develop agricultural tourism. It is also home to Hutovo Blato Park, which contains one of the most diverse bird populations in all Europe. The Croatian town of Metković is located just over the border and there are significant commercial and other links between the two towns new Čapljina International Speedway.

History

Not much is known about this city but it was founded by Romans in 5 BC. However, ancient Greek, and later Roman maps clearly show that the area was populated by several native Illyrian peoples, including the Ardiaei, whom the ancient geographer Strabo lists as one of the three strongest Illyrian peoples – the other two being the Autariatae and the Dardani.

Čapljina is situated in the wider Neretva valley region (the original homeland of ancient Illyrian people of Ardiaei), and its name derives from čaplja which means 'heron'. The Latin word for heron is ardea, a word that bears striking similarity with the name of Ardiaei, and it might possibly be its cognate. This theory opens up many possibilities for the interpretation of the original homeland of the Ardiaei and the etymology of their name. For example, heron might have had totemic pagan value among local Illyrians, due to its presence in this area, and it is not implausible to conclude that one of those Illyrian peoples named itself after a heron, the Ardiaei. The Latin word ardea might be a Latin translation of some original Illyrian word for 'heron' that Romans found when they settled in this area, or the 'ardea' itself, could have been an Illyrian word taken by Romans, who might have slightly altered it and integrated it into their language, the Latin. Indeed, the word Ardiaei is found in ancient Greek sources predating the arrival of Romans and their language to the Illyrian lands. It is also possible that ancient Illyrians or Romans named this place 'the place of heron(s), and the Slavic settlers, who settled in the former Illyrian lands around 6th century A.D. translated the name of this place into their language(s), which in turn gave 'Čapljina', "tha place of heron(s)".

The Prebilovci massacre, in which around 4000 people were killed total, including 600 villagers from the Prebilovci thrown into a pit, is one of the most significant atrocities in this area. Out of about 1000 villagers from Prebilovci, less than 200 survived, 57 families were completely extinguished (including numerous children). After the war, the first conscript from Prebilovci that reached the army age was not until 1962 (Jovan Djurasovic).

Since World War II it has been an important road and rail transportation link, connecting the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the port of Ploče in Croatia. During the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina the city was taken over by the Croatian Defence Council who expelled the non-Croat population and set up concentration camps for Muslim in the Gabela camp.

During the Summer of 2007 wildfires caused extensive damage throughout the rural part of the municipality.

Settlements

• Bajovci • Bivolje Brdo • Bobanovo selo • Crnići • Čapljina • Čeljevo • Doljani • Domanovići • Dračevo • Dretelj • Dubravica • Gabela • Gabela Polje • Gnjilišta • Gorica • Grabovina • Hotanj • Jasenica • Klepci • Lokve • Modrič • Opličići • Počitelj • Prćavci • Prebilovci • Sjekose • Stanojevići • Struge • Svitava • Ševaš Njive • Šurmanci • Šuškovo naselje • Tasovčići • Trebižat • Višići • Zvirovići

Demographics

Year	Croats	%	Muslims	%	Serbs	%	others	%	Total	±%	Ref.
1948	15,699	71.08	−	−	2,670	12.09	3,717	16.83	22,086	—
1953	17,072	70.07	−	−	3,355	13.77	3,937	16.16	24,364	+10.3%
1961	15,444	60.46	5,630	22.04	4,076	15.96	393	1.54	25,543	+4.8%
1971	16,884	59.79	6,999	24.78	3,896	13.80	461	1.63	28,240	+10.6%
1981	13,931	53.51	6,830	26.23	3,467	13.32	1,804	6.92	26,032	−7.8%
1991	14,969	53.69	7,672	27.52	3,753	13,46	1,488	5.34	27,882	+7.1%
2013	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	−	28,122	+0.9%

Ethnic structure by settlements

Absolute ethnic majority

  Croats

  Muslims

  Serbs

Relative ethnic majority

  Croats

  Muslims

  Serbs

Ethnic structure of population of Čapljina municipality, by settlements, 1991 census
Settlement	total	Croats	Muslims	Serbs	Yugoslavs	others
Bajovci	181	176	5	0	0	0
Bivolje Brdo	841	256	562	4	6	13
Crnići	50	50	0	0	0	0
Čapljina	7,461	3,067	2,191	1,267	707	229
Čeljevo	1,058	827	194	1	8	28
Doljani	365	357	0	5	0	3
Domanovići	1,270	326	727	186	21	10
Dračevo	630	582	0	41	0	7
Dretelj	576	508	53	3	11	1
Dubravica	7	1	3	3	0	0
Gabela	2,440	2,046	32	324	24	14
Gnjilišta	345	338	1	0	0	6
Gorica	456	380	65	1	4	6
Grabovina	947	817	29	57	29	15
Hotanj	275	178	93	0	4	0
Jasenica	165	1	157	0	0	7
Klepci	417	14	0	383	13	7
Lokve	587	0	395	192	0	0
Opličići	1,386	108	916	357	0	5
Počitelj	905	172	660	20	36	17
Prćavci	260	260	0	0	0	0
Prebilovci	174	1	0	171	0	2
Sjekose	169	146	10	12	0	1
Stanojevići	194	31	163	0	0	0
Struge	437	284	130	2	16	5
Svitava	319	317	0	0	0	2
Ševaš Njive	262	69	191	0	2	0
Šurmanci	403	354	47	0	2	0
Tasovčići	1,675	294	511	698	138	34
Trebižat	1,399	1,371	9	1	11	7
Višići	1,788	1,207	528	23	15	15
Zvirovići	440	431	0	2	0	7
total	27,882	14,969	7,672	3,753	1,047	441

Culture

In the Čapljina area, there are lots of cultural associations such as the following:

• HKUD Čapljina
• HKUD Sveti Ante (Dretelj)
• HKUD Seljačka Sloga (Trebižat)
• HKUD "Zora" Struge-Gorica

Famous People

• Admir Salihović (born 1988), Canadian footballer
• Nikica Jelavić (born 1985), Croatian footballer
• Ivo Prskalo (born 1948), retired Yugoslav and Australian footballer
• Dada Vujasinović (1964–1994), Serbian journalist and news reporter
• Jasmin Repeša (born 1961), Croatian basketball coach
• Pamela Ramljak, Croatian singer
• Marko Vego (1907–1985), Yugoslav archeologist, epigrapher and historian
• Mirsad Fazlagić (born 1943), retired Yugoslav footballer
• Nikola Prce (born 1980), Bosnian handball player
• Dejan Aćimović (born 1963), Croatian actor
• Dragan Bender (born 1997), Croatian basketball player
• Vukašin Mandrapa (? - 1943), Serbian Orthodox saint

Sport

• HNK Čapljina
• GOŠK Gabela

References

Books

• Konačni rezultati popisa stanovništva od 15. marta 1948. godine (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 9. Belgrade: Savezni zavod za statistiku i evidenciju. 1955.
• Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije: podaci po naseljima i opštinama (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 1. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1991.
• Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije: podaci po naseljima i opštinama (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 2. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1994.
• Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije: podaci po naseljima i opštinama (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 3. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1994.
• Nacionalni sastav stanovništva: rezultati za Republiku po opštinama i naseljenim mjestima 1991 (in Serbo-Croatian). Sarajevo: State Bureau for Statistics of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 1994.
• Popis stanovništva 1953 (in Serbo-Croatian). Vol. 11. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1960.