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Obrovac
Obrovac (Croatia)
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| County | Zadar |
| Location | |
| Mayor | Ante Župan (HDZ) |
| Population (2001) |
4,000 (municipality) 1,500 (town) |
| Time zone (UTC) | UTC+1 Central European Time |
Obrovac (pronounced [ɔbrɔ̌ːʋats]) is a town located in northern Dalmatia, in the Zadar County of Croatia. Town population is 1,500 people (2005 data), and the whole Obrovac municipality has a population of 4,000 people. The town is located in the canyon of the river Zrmanja.
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Obrovac is a town on the Zrmanja River some 11 km from the mouth of the river of the Novigrad sea. Above the town are the ruins of a fortified city. Its tributary Krupa attracts numerous day-trippers and, and in recent times, rafting, canoe, and kayak lovers. Not far from the town of Krupa is a monastery with a valuable icon collection. About 2 km (1.24 mi) north-west of the town, along the road heading up to the mountains, lies a huge deserted industrial complex.
Obrovac first got its name in 1337. In 1527 Obrovac was taken over by the Ottoman Turks. In 1687 Stojan Janković who was a leader of Dalmatian Serbs forced the Turks out of Obrovac.
The current ethnic majority are Croats with 85%, while 15% are Serbs. However, before the Croatian military operation Storm in 1995, 86% of population were Serbs. During Operation Storm, the entire population of Obrovac fled before the Croatian Army entered the town. When the Croatian military forces entered the town on the first day of the operation, they found a ghost town. This was recorded by the cameras of the Croatian Radiotelevision reporters, who found a single old man to talk to.
Also of interest is that Croatian and Tottenham Hotspur footballer Luka Modrić was born here. Dado Pršo's family is also from Obrovac.
In 2008, Obrovac unveiled a restored riviera, which was the biggest financial investment in the city since Croatian independence.[1] In 2009, a mass grave from World War II was found in the area.[2]
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