Kupres, Canton 10

"Kupres" redirects here. For other uses, see Kupres (disambiguation).
Kupres

Coat of arms
Kupres

Location of Kupres in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coordinates: 43°59′26″N 17°16′46″E / 43.99056°N 17.27944°ECoordinates: 43°59′26″N 17°16′46″E / 43.99056°N 17.27944°E
Country Bosnia and Herzegovina
County Canton 10
Government
  Municipality president Perica Romić (HDZ BiH)
Area
  Total 569,8 km2 (2,200 sq mi)
Population (2013 census)
  Total 5,573
  Density 9,8/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Area code(s) +387 34
Website www.opcinakupres.ba
Kupres town

Kupres is a town and municipality in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Position

Kupres is 43 km (27 mi)[1] distanced from Livno, 127 km (79 mi) [2] from Mostar,143 km[3] from Sarajevo, 123 km[4] from Banja Luka and 127 km (79 mi) [5] from Split.

About Kupres

Kupres was first mentioned in documents from the Kingdom of Croatia which was based in nearby Duvno (now called Tomislavgrad). It was part of the Ottoman Empire (as was the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and in more recent times, in both the Banovina of Croatia (until 1939) and later Yugoslavia until the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.

The town is situated in the middle of the Kupres Plain (Kupreško Polje) and was the scene of fierce fighting in the recent War in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, leaving the town extensively damaged and the local economy in ruins. Both are being rebuilt and restored to the benefit of the community and the region, especially where related to tourism infrastructure.

Kupres is located 1,120 to 1,150 m (3,675 to 3,773 ft) above sea level and averages 55 days a year of snowfall due to its advantageous location in the Dinaric Alps. There is a ski resort popular especially with Croatians who visit due to its proximity to the Croatian border and affordable prices. The town also has a large natural lake. Croatian Kuna is often accepted as currency in many of the town's businesses due to high levels of Croatian visitors.

There is an annual cultural and agricultural fair held in Kupres each July. The town has good road and bus access heading towards Tomislavgrad and Livno, and is connected to the nearby town of Bugojno in Bosnia Proper via a tunnel.

The town has a monument to the Croatian defenders of Vukovar.[6]

Division of Kupres

Following the Dayton Agreement, which split Bosnia and Herzegovina following the 1990s conflict according to ethnic lines, the town has evolved into a Croat-dominated town. The ethnic Serb population have mostly left and separated from the main part of the town, forming their own town (also confusingly called Kupres, though commonly referred to as Srpski Kupres) within the Republika Srpska.

Demographics

1971

11,496 total

1991

10,098 total

main square
Roman Catholic Holy family church

Culture

Kupres is very famous for stećak tombstones. There is one large group of stećak tombstones called Ravanjska vrata and one in Rastičevo.

Kupres is also famous for tumuli-burial mounds. In one of those archeologists found a grave and a skeleton. It is believed to be more than 3000 years old and it is now kept in Gorica museum in Livno.

Tourism

landscape around city during summer

Kupres is a famous skiing resort in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are two main ski centers - Čajuša and Stožer.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kupres.