Kačarevo

Kačarevo (Качарево) is a town in northern Serbia, situated in the municipality of Pančevo, South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The town has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 7,624 people (2002 census).

Name

The town was originally named by German name "Franzföld", after the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. In Serbian, it has been known as "Francfeld" (Францфелд), and in Hungarian as "Francföld", "Ferencfalva" and "Ferenchalom".

Since 1918, it has been known in Serbian as "Kraljevićevo" (Краљевићево) and "Banatsko Kraljevićevo" (Банатско Краљевићево). After Second World War, the settlement was re-named "Kačarevo" (Качарево) in honour of the national hero Svetozar Kačar.

Geography

Kačarevo is located on flat and fertile plains at coor dms|44|57|59|N|20|41|37|E|, approximately 11 km N of Pančevo and 21 km NW of Belgrade. It is located within the South Banat District, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, which is in the northern part of Serbia.

The largest neighbouring settlement is indeed Pančevo, but the region is also scattered with other smaller inhabited places, similar in size with Kačarevo, such as Banatsko Novo Selo and Jabuka.

The altitude above sea level is roughly about 81 meters, or 265 feet, and the Postal Code is 26212.

History

The town was founded in 1787. By 1921 its population included 4,450 Germans, which comprised 97.7 percent of the total population of the time. It was also the location of a concentration camp for local civilians of German origin held by Partisans after World War II.

After World War II, the town was colonized by Serbs who came from Bosnia, Krajina, Lika, and Dalmatia as well as Macedonians who came from Macedonia.

More recently, on May 11, 1999 during the NATO Bombing Campaign of the Kosovo War, the town was targeted by NATO forces in a mission to destroy an apparent tactical reporting post. There were also unsubstantiated claims of an F-16 being shot down on the outskirts of Kačarevo in the early morning hours of May 8, 1999 by a surface-to-air missile, while speculation also suggests that the pilot ejected safely as there was an intensive search by Yugoslav military during the night and during the next morning.

Demographics

1971 census

According to the 1971 census, the town was ethnically mixed, and ethnic Macedonians formed relative majority (41.13 percent).

2002 census

The number of reported inhabitants of the town in 2002 was 7,624, in approximately 2,529 households. The majority of inhabitants are ethnic Serbs (5,042 or 66.13%), while Macedonians form 19.24% of the population or 1,467 people. Unfortunately, about 8 percent of the towns' population are either refugees or internally displaced persons, mostly resulting from recent wars in Kosovo and Bosnia.

Historical population

*1961: 7,792
*1971: 8,088
*1981: 8,309
*1991: 8,103
*2002: 7,624

Economy

The main occupation of the towns' people is in agriculture, as with many other local settlements. However, many of the towns’ inhabitants also work in the factories of the neighbouring city of Pančevo.

Tourism

Town is famous for its bacon festival known as "Slaninijada" ("slanina" is a Serbian word for "bacon"). Festival was first time organized in 1988.

Recent/current community projects

There have been several community projects of late that attempted to enhance the wellbeing of locals, funded by money from both the municipality and residents, and also from money received from US aid. Projects include:
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=2-08-09-02 Improvement of Green Spaces, Ecological Education, and Cleaning] ,
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=3-08-09-05 Improving Kačarevo’s Hog Production] ,
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=3-08-09-06 Organise and Register Kačarevo’s Hog Farmers' Cooperative] ,
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=2-08-09-04 Establishing Community Centre] ,
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=2-08-09-01 Building the Capacity of Communal Public Utility Service] ,
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=3-08-09-07 Citizens Environmental Action] , and
* [http://www.sada.usaid.org.yu/en/projects_details.cfm?ngo=ADF&id=2-08-09-03 Well Digging for Water Supply] .

References

*Slobodan Ćurčić, Broj stanovnika Vojvodine, Novi Sad, 1996.

ee also

*List of places in Serbia
*List of cities, towns and villages in Vojvodina

External links

* Satellite image from [http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=44%C2%B057%E2%80%B257.5%E2%80%B3N%2C%2020%C2%B041%E2%80%B254.5%E2%80%B3E&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl Google Maps]
* Current [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/YI/2/Kacarevo.html Weather] in Kačarevo.