Vojvodina

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The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Serbian: Аутономна Покрајина Војводина or Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina, listen (help·info)) is one of the two autonomous provinces in Serbia. It is located in the northern part of the country, in the Pannonian plain. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad, while the second largest city is Subotica.

Vojvodina is ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse, with more than 26 ethnic groups and six official languages.

Contents 1 Name 2 History 3 Geography 4 Districts 5 Cities 6 Demographics 7 Politics 8 Culture 9 Gallery 10 References 11 See also 12 External links

[edit] Name

The name "Vojvodina" in the Serbian language simply means "voivodship" (a type of duchy). Its original historical name (from 1848) was the "Serbian Voivodship" (Serbian Vojvodina), but since Vojvodina is now a part of Serbia, there is no need for the prefix "Serbian" anymore. On rare occasions, the Serbian language uses two more varieties of the word Vojvodina, namely Vojvodovina and Vojvodstvo.

The full official names of the province in all official languages of Vojvodina are:

• Аутономна Покрајина Војводина or Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina (in Serbian)
• Vajdaság Autonóm Tartomány (in Hungarian) (listen (help·info))
• Autonómna Pokrajina Vojvodina (in Slovak)
• Provincia Autonomă Voivodina (in Romanian)
• Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodina (in Croatian)
• Автономна Покраїна Войводина (in Rusyn)

[edit] History

Main article: History of Vojvodina

Throughout history, the territory of present day Vojvodina has been a part of Dacia, the Roman Empire, the Hun Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Gepid Kingdom, the Avar Khanate, the Frankish Kingdom, the Pannonian Croatia, the Great Moravia, the Bulgarian Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Serbia and Montenegro. Since 2006, Vojvodina is part of an independent Serbia (It should be noted that historical name of Vojvodina between 1849 and 1860 was Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat. Vojvodina in 1918 united with the Kingdom of Serbia, and in 1945 with the People's Republic of Serbia).

During Roman rule, Sirmium (today's Sremska Mitrovica) was one of the four capital cities of the Roman Empire and six Roman Emperors were born in this city or in its surroundings. The city was also the capital of several Roman administrative units, including the Lower Pannonia, the Pannonia Secunda, the Diocese of Pannonia, and the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum. Roman rule lasted until the 5th century, after which the region came into the possession of various peoples and states.

Slavs (including Serbs) settled today's Vojvodina in the 6th and 7th centuries. In the 9th century, Salan and Glad, Bulgarian dukes (voivods), ruled over the region. The residence of Salan was Titel. The important local voivods were also Ahtum and Sermon, who ruled over the region in the 11th century. After the Bulgarian dukes were defeated, parts of the region (Bačka and Banat) were added to the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, while Syrmia was ruled by the Byzantine Empire until the 12th century, when it too was added to the Kingdom of Hungary.

History of Vojvodina

Ancient times

Pannonia

Lower Pannonia

Pannonia Secunda

Diocese of Pannonia

Prefecture of Illyricum

Medieval times

Pannonia, Byzantine Empire

Voivodship of Salan

Voivodship of Glad

Voivodship of Ahtum

Voivodship of Sermon

Theme Sirmium

Kingdom of Syrmia of Stefan Dragutin

Upper Syrmia of Ugrin Čak

Empire of Jovan Nenad

Voivodship of Syrmia of Radoslav Čelnik

Modern times

Eyalet of Temeşvar

Banat of Temeswar

District of Potisje

District of Velika Kikinda

Serbian Voivodship

Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat

Banat Republic

Banat, Bačka and Baranja

Danube Banovina

Banat (1941-1944)

Autonomous Province of Vojvodina

Between 1282 and 1316, the Serbian King Stefan Dragutin ruled over the Kingdom of Syrmia, which consisted of the northern parts of Serbia, Mačva, Usora and Soli, and his residence was in the city of Debrc. His Kingdom of Syrmia was located in Lower Syrmia (present day Mačva), while another local ruler, Ugrin Čak, ruled over Upper Syrmia (present day Syrmia), Slavonija, and Bačka, while residing in Ilok. Initially, Stefan Dragutin was a vassal of the Hungarian king, but once the central power in the Kingdom of Hungary collapsed, both Stefan Dragutin and Ugrin Čak were de facto independent rulers. Stefan Dragutin died in 1316 and was succeeded by his son, King Vladislav II (1316-1325), while Ugrin Čak died in 1311. Vladislav II was defeated by the king of Serbia, Stefan Dečanski, in 1324, and consequently, Lower Syrmia became a subject of dispute between the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Hungary.

After the Ottoman Empire conquered Serbia (in 1459), Serbian despots ruled in parts of Vojvodina as vassals of the Hungarian kings. The residence of the despots was Kupinik (today Kupinovo) in Syrmia.

After the defeat of the Hungarian Kingdom at Mohács by the Ottoman Empire, the region fell into a period of anarchy and civil wars. In 1526 Jovan Nenad, a leader of the Serb mercenaries, established his rule in Bačka, northern Banat and a small part of Syrmia. He created an ephemeral independent state, with Subotica as its capital. At the peak of his power, Jovan Nenad proclaimed himself Serbian Emperor in Subotica. Taking advantage of the extremely confused military and political situation, the Hungarian noblemen from the region joined forces against him and defeated the Serbian troops in the summer of 1527. Emperor Jovan Nenad was assassinated and his state collapsed. A few decades later, the region was added to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over it until the end of the 17th and the first half of the 18th century, when it was incorporated into the Habsburg Monarchy. At the beginning of Habsburg rule, most of the region was integrated into the Habsburg Military Frontier district, while western parts of Bačka were put under civil administration within Bač county. Later, the civil administration was expanded to other (mostly northern) parts of the region, while southern parts remained under military administration.

At the May Assembly in Sremski Karlovci (May 13-15, 1848), Serbs declared the constitution of the Serbian Voivodship (Serbian Duchy), a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire. The Serbian Voivodship consisted of Syrmia, Bačka, Banat, and Baranja. The metropolitan of Sremski Karlovci, Josif Rajačić, was elected patriarch, while Stevan Šupljikac was chosen as first voivod (duke).

In November 1849, in accordance with a decision made by the Austrian emperor, this Serbian region was transformed into the new Austrian crown land known as Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat. It consisted of Banat, Bačka and Syrmia, excluding the southern parts of these regions which were part of the Military Frontier. An Austrian governor seated in Temeschwar ruled the area, and the title of voivod belonged to the emperor himself. The full title of the emperor was "Grand Voivod of the Voivodship of Serbia" (German: Großwoiwode der Woiwodschaft Serbien). The province was abolished in 1860, and from 1867 was located within the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary.

At the end of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed. On October 29, 1918, Syrmia became a part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. On October 31, 1918, the Banat Republic was proclaimed in Temeschwar. The government of Hungary recognized its independence, but it was short-lived.

On November 25, 1918, the Assembly of Serbs, Bunjevci, and other nations of Vojvodina in Novi Sad proclaimed the union of Vojvodina (Banat, Bačka and Baranja) with the Kingdom of Serbia (The assembly numbered 757 deputies, of which 578 were Serbs, 84 Bunjevci, 62 Slovaks, 21 Rusyns, 6 Germans, 3 Šokci, 2 Croats, and 1 Hungarian). One day before this, on November 24, the Assembly of Syrmia also proclaimed the union of Syrmia with Serbia. On December 1, 1918, Vojvodina officially became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Between 1929 and 1941, the region was known as the Danube Banovina, a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Its capital city was Novi Sad. The Banovina consisted of the Syrmia, Bačka, Banat, Baranja, Šumadija, and Braničevo regions.

During World War II, the Axis Powers occupied the region between 1941 and 1944. Bačka and Baranja were attached to Horthy's Hungary, while Syrmia was attached to the Independent State of Croatia. A smaller Danube Banovina (including Banat, Šumadija, and Braničevo) existed as part of Serbia between 1941 and 1944. The administrative centre of this smaller province was Smederevo. However, Banat itself was a separate autonomous region ruled by its German minority.

Axis occupation ended in 1944 and the region was politically restored in 1945 as an autonomous province of Serbia (incorporating Syrmia, Banat, and Bačka). Instead of the previous name (Danube Banovina), the region regained its historical name of Vojvodina, while its capital city remained Novi Sad.

At first, the province enjoyed only a small level of autonomy within Serbia, but it gained extensive rights of self-rule under the 1974 Yugoslav constitution, which gave both Kosovo and Vojvodina de facto veto power in the Serbian and Yugoslav parliaments, as changes to their status could not be made without the consent of the two Provincial Assemblies. The 1974 Serbian constitution, adopted at the same time, reiterated that "the Socialist Republic of Serbia comprises the Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, which originated in the common struggle of nations and nationalities of Yugoslavia in the National Liberation War (the Second World War) and socialist revolution".

Under the rule of the Serbian president Slobodan Milošević, Vojvodina and Kosovo lost most of their autonomy in September 1990. Vojvodina was still referred to as an autonomous province of Serbia, but most of its autonomous powers - including, crucially, its vote on the Yugoslav collective presidency - were transferred to the control of Belgrade. The province, however, still had its own parliament and government and some other autonomous functions as well.

The fall of Milošević in 2000 created a new climate for reform in Vojvodina. Following talks between the political parties, the level of the province's autonomy was increased by the omnibus law in 2002.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Vojvodina

Vojvodina is situated in the northern part of Serbia. The region is traditionally divided by the Danube and Tisa rivers into: Bačka in the northwest, Banat in the east and Syrmia (Srem) in the southwest. A small part of the Mačva region is also located in Vojvodina, in the Srem District. Today, the western part of Syrmia is in Croatia, the northern part of Bačka is in Hungary, the eastern part of Banat is in Romania (with a small piece in Hungary), while Baranja (which is between the Danube and the Drava) is in Hungary and Croatia. Vojvodina has a total surface area of 21,500 km² (8,299 mi²). Vojvodina is also part of the Danube-Kris-Mures-Tisa euroregion.

[edit] Districts

Vojvodina is divided into 7 districts (Serbian: okrug) that in turn are divided into 46 municipalities. The districts are:

• West Bačka
• North Bačka
• South Bačka
• North Banat
• Central Banat
• South Banat
• Srem

[edit] Cities

Largest cities of Vojvodina (with population figures):

• Novi Sad (215,659),
• Subotica (99,471),
• Zrenjanin (79,545),
• Pančevo (76,110),
• Sombor (50,950),
• Kikinda (41,825),
• Sremska Mitrovica (39,041),
• Vršac (36,001),
• Ruma (32,125),
• Bačka Palanka (29,431),
• Inđija (26,244),
• Vrbas (25,887),
• Bečej (25,703),
• Senta (20,363),
• Kula (19,293),
• Apatin (19,289),
• Temerin (19,143).

See also: List of cities, towns and villages in Vojvodina

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographic history of Vojvodina

Population by national or ethnic groups: ^[1]

	Number	%
TOTAL	2,031,992	100
Serbs	1,321,807	65.05
Hungarians	290,207	14.28
Slovaks	56,637	2.79
Croats	56,546	2.78
Yugoslavs	49,881	2.45
Montenegrins	35,513	1.75
Romanians	30,419	1.5
Roma	29,057	1.43
Bunjevci	19,766	0.97
Rusyns	15,626	0.77
Macedonians	11,785	0.58
Ukrainians	4,635	0.23
Muslims (by nationality)	3,634	0.18
Germans	3,154	0.16
Slovenes	2,005	0.1
Albanians	1,695	0.08
Bulgarians	1,658	0.08
Czechs	1,648	0.08
Russians	940	0.05
Gorani	606	0.03
Bosniaks	417	0.02
Vlachs	101	0
Others	5,311	0.26
Regional identity	10,154	0.5
Undeclared	55,016	2.71
Unknown	23,774	1.17

Population by mother tongue:

	Number	%
Serbian language	1,557,020	76.63
Hungarian language	284,205	13.99
Slovak language	55,065	2.71
Romanian language	29,512	1.45
Roma language	21,939	1.08
Croatian language	21,053	1.04
Macedonian language	4,152	n/a
Albanian language	2,369	n/a
Bulgarian language	920	n/a

Population by religion:

	Number	%
Eastern Orthodox Christians	1,401,475	68.97
Catholics (Roman Catholic and Eastern Rite)	388,313	19.11
Protestants	72,159	3.55
Atheists	12,583	n/a
Muslims	8,073	n/a
Jews	329	n/a
Oriental religions (Buddhism, Hinduism etc.)	166	n/a
Others	4,456	n/a
Without religious affiliation	418	n/a
Undeclared	101,144	n/a
Unknown	42,876	n/a

Population by gender:

• 984,942 males
• 1,047,050 females

Population by age groups:

• 0-14 years: 15.85% (165,332 males, 156,873 females)
• 15-64 years: 68.62% (693,646 males, 700,416 females)
• 65 years and over: 15.53% (125,964 males, 189,761 females)

Source: Republic Statistical Office of Serbia

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of Vojvodina

See also: Vojvodina Elections 2004

The current ruling coalition in the Vojvodina parliament is composed of the following political parties: Democratic Party, United for Vojvodina (the coalition of several regionalist political parties lead by League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina), Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians, and Political movement “Force of Serbia”.

The current president of Vojvodinian government is Bojan Pajtić (Democratic Party), while the president of the Vojvodinian parliament is Bojan Kostreš (League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina).

[edit] Culture

See also: Music of Vojvodina, Religion in Vojvodina, and EXIT (festival)

The Executive Council of Vojvodina is the founder of several newspapers and magazines in Vojvodina's official languages: "Дневник" ^[1] (Daily news) in Serbian and "Magyar Szó" ^[2] (Hungarian Word) in Hungarian are daily newspapers, and weekly magazines are "Hrvatska riječ"^[3] (Croatian Word) in Croatian, "Hlas Ľudu" ^[4] (The Voice of the People) in Slovak, "Libertatea" ^[5] (Freedom) in Romanian, and "Руске слово"^[6] (Rusyn Word) in Rusyn. There are also "Bunjevačke novine" (Bunjevac newspaper) in Bunjevac.

[edit] Gallery

Novi Sad	Subotica	Zrenjanin	Vršac
Petrovaradin fortress	Lake of Ledinci	Srbobran	Kanjiža
Sombor in 1905	Kikinda	Matica srpska	Serbian National Theatre
Kovilj monastery	Hungarians in Vojvodina	Slovaks in Vojvodina	Fruška Gora

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Serbia
• Bačka
• Banat
• Syrmia
• Ethnic groups of Vojvodina
• Human Rights in Vojvodina

[edit] External links

• Government of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
  (English) (Serbian)
• Parliament of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
  (English) (Serbian) (Hungarian) (Slovak) (Romanian) (Rusyn) (Croatian)
• Statistical information about municipalities of Vojvodina
• List of largest cities of Vojvodina
• www.vojvodina.com
• www.vojvodina.co.yu