Čapljina

Čapljina
Municipality and town
Panoramic view of Čapljina

Flag
Coat of arms

Location of Čapljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Čapljina

Location of Čapljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coordinates: 43°06′42.58″N 17°42′19.74″E / 43.1118278°N 17.7054833°ECoordinates: 43°06′42.58″N 17°42′19.74″E / 43.1118278°N 17.7054833°E
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 CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Post code 88300
Area code +387 036
Website www.opcina-posusje.ba

Čapljina is a town and municipality in West Herzegovina. It is located in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 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 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 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.[1]

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)".[2]

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.[3]

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
—
[4]
1953
17,072
70.07
−
−
3,355
13.77
3,937
16.16
24,364
+10.3%
[5]
1961
15,444
60.46
5,630
22.04
4,076
15.96
393
1.54
25,543
+4.8%
[6]
1971
16,884
59.79
6,999
24.78
3,896
13.80
461
1.63
28,240
+10.6%
[7]
1981
13,931
53.51
6,830
26.23
3,467
13.32
1,804
6.92
26,032
−7.8%
[8]
1991
14,969
53.69
7,672
27.52
3,753
13,46
1,488
5.34
27,882
+7.1%
[9]
2013
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
28,122
+0.9%
[10]

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 style="background: bgcolor="#FFFF00" | total style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | Croats style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | Muslims style="background: bgcolor="#FF0000" | Serbs style="background: bgcolor="#C71585" | Yugoslavs style="background: bgcolor="#CC7722" | others
Bajovci 181 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 176 5 0 0 0
Bivolje Brdo 841 256 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 562 4 6 13
Crnići 50 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 50 0 0 0 0
Čapljina 7,461 style="background: bgcolor="#ADD8E6"| 3,067 2,191 1,267 707 229
Čeljevo 1,058 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 827 194 1 8 28
Doljani 365 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 357 0 5 0 3
Domanovići 1,270 326 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 727 186 21 10
Dračevo 630 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 582 0 41 0 7
Dretelj 576 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 508 53 3 11 1
Dubravica 7 1 style="background: bgcolor="#98FF98" | 3 style="background: bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | 3 0 0
Gabela 2,440 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 2,046 32 324 24 14
Gnjilišta 345 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 338 1 0 0 6
Gorica 456 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 380 65 1 4 6
Grabovina 947 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 817 29 57 29 15
Hotanj 275 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 178 93 0 4 0
Jasenica 165 1 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 157 0 0 7
Klepci 417 14 0 style="background: bgcolor="#FF0000" | 383 13 7
Lokve 587 0 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" |395 192 0 0
Opličići 1,386 108 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 916 357 0 5
Počitelj 905 172 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 660 20 36 17
Prćavci 260 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 260 0 0 0 0
Prebilovci 174 1 0 style="background: bgcolor="#FF0000" | 171 0 2
Sjekose 169 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 146 10 12 0 1
Stanojevići 194 31 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 163 0 0 0
Struge 437 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 284 130 2 16 5
Svitava 319 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 317 0 0 0 2
Ševaš Njive 262 69 style="background: bgcolor="#228B22" | 191 0 2 0
Šurmanci 403 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 354 47 0 2 0
Tasovčići 1,675 294 511 style="background: bgcolor="#EBC2AF" | 698 138 34
Trebižat 1,399 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 1,371 9 1 11 7
Višići 1,788 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 1,207 528 23 15 15
Zvirovići 440 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 431 0 2 0 7
total 27,882 style="background: bgcolor="#4169E1" | 14,969 7,672 3,753 1,047 441

Current

See also: Gabela camp

The Bosniak and Serb populations were expelled during the war in the early 1990s and today the majority of the population are Croats. No reliable estimates on the population exist since a census has not been conducted since 1991.

Culture

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

Famous People

Sport

References

Notes

Books

  • Konačni rezultati popisa stanovništva od 15. marta 1948. godine (in Serbo-Croatian) 9. Belgrade: Savezni zavod za statistiku i evidenciju. 1955.
  • Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije: podaci po naseljima i opštinama (in Serbo-Croatian) 1. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1991.
  • Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije: podaci po naseljima i opštinama (in Serbo-Croatian) 2. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1994.
  • Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije: podaci po naseljima i opštinama (in Serbo-Croatian) 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) 11. Belgrade: Federal Statistical Office. 1960.
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