Medveđa

Medveđa Медвеђа
—  Municipality and Town  —
Coat of arms
Location of the municipality of Medveđa within Serbia
Coordinates: 42°50′N 21°35′E / 42.833°N 21.583°E / 42.833; 21.583
Country	Serbia
District	Jablanica
Settlements	44
Government
– Mayor	Slobodan Drašković
Area[1]
– Municipality	524 km2 (202.3 sq mi)
Population (2011 census)[2]
– Town	2,841
– Municipality	7,296
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	16240
Area code	+381 16
Car plates	LE
Website	www.medvedja.org.rs

Medveđa

Gornji Gajtan

Srednji Bučumet

Lece

Rujkovac

Gazdare

Medevce

Tulare

Ravna Banja

Sijarina

Sijarinska
Banja

Maćedonce

Tupale

Municipality
of Medveđa

Medveđa (Serbian Cyrillic: Медвеђа, pronounced [ˈmɛdvɛdʑa]), (Albanian: Medvegjë) is a town and municipality in Jablanica District of Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality of Medveđa has a population of 7,296 people, while the town has a population of 2,841.

Name & History

Its name is derived from the Serbian word medved (медвед) ("bear" in English), hence the full meaning of the name would be "the place of the bears".

When the territory was part of the Roman Empire, the town had the name of Idimum and the status of mansia.

Architectural debris dating to the 4th century AD lay at various locations of the town, as it was a transitory zone of Upper Moesia, travel and postal stations are among the finds.^[3]

Yugoslav Partisans killed approximately 200 people in Medveđa after taking the town in 1944.^[4]

Settlements

Medveđa municipality include town of Medveđa, town of Sijarinska Banja, and following villages:

• Bogunovac
• Borovac
• Varadin
• Velika Braina
• Vrapce
• Gazdare
• Gornja Lapaštica
• Gornji Bučumet
• Gornji Gajtan
• Grbavci
• Gubavce
• Gurgutovo
• Donji Bučumet
• Donji Gajtan
• Kapit
• Lece
• Mala Braina
• Marovac
• Maćedonce
• Maćedonce (Retkocersko)
• Medevce
• Mrkonje
• Negosavlje
• Petrilje
• Poroštica
• Pusto Šilovo
• Rama Banja
• Retkocer
• Rujkovac
• Svirca
• Sijarina
• Sponce
• Srednji Bučumet
• Stubla
• Tulare
• Crni Vrh
• Čokotin

Economic Trends

One of the least developed municipalities in Serbia. It has many natural advantages for tourism development, because it is near the spa resort with dozens of mineral springs in Sijarinska Spa, and Tulare. On its territory there are mineral resources for mining, semi-precious stones and marble-onyx. The most promising branches of industry is mining, in mine and flotation "Lece", within the Group FARMAKOM, quality products. Great prospects for development in agriculture has, and industries such as livestock (sheep, goats, cows) and fruit (plums, pears, apples, quince) and the timber industry and processing.

Demographics

Ethnic map of the Medveđa municipality.

Ethnic groups in the municipality

In 1991, the population of the Medveđa municipality was composed of: [1]

• Serbs =7,205 (68.86%)
• Albanians = 2,832 (28.67%)
• Others = 330 (2.47%)

In 2002, the population of the Medveđa municipality was composed of:

• Serbs = 6,535 (70.03%)
• Albanians = 1,816 (26.17%)
• Roma = 108 (1%)

Ethnic groups in the town

In 2002, the population of the Medveđa town was composed of:

• Serbs = 2,460 (87.36%)
• Albanians = 203(7.22%)
• Roma = 97 (3.45%)

Settlements by ethnic majority

Settlements with absolute or relative Serb majority are: Medveđa, Bogunovac, Borovac, Varadin, Velika Braina, Donji Bučumet, Donji Gajtan, Donja Lapaštica, Drence, Đulekare, Lece, Maćedonce, Maćedonce (Retkocersko), Medevce, Mrkonje, Negosavlje, Petrilje, Poroštica, Pusto Šilovo, Ravna Banja, Retkocer, Rujkovac, Sijarinska Banja, Sponce, Srednji Bučumet, Stubla, Tulare, Crni Vrh, Čokotin, Mala Braina and Marovac.

Settlements with absolute or relative Albanian majority are: Gornja Lapaštica, Grbavce, Kapit, Svirce, Sijarina, Stara Banja and Tupale.

Politics

Seats in the municipality parliament won in 2004 local elections: [2]

• Coalition for Medveđa (11)
• Socialist Party of Serbia (7)
• Democratic Party of Serbia (6)
• Party for Democratic Changes (6)
• Party for Democratic Activity (6)
• Serbian Renewal Movement (3)
• Serbian Radical Party (2)

Between 1999 and 2001, an ethnic Albanian guerilla organization, known as the "Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac", operated in this region with a goal to secede these three municipalities from Yugoslavia and join them to Kosovo as a part of the Greater Albanian ideal, despite the fact that, unlike Preševo and Bujanovac, the municipality of Medveđa has a Serb majority.

References

1. ^ "Municipalities of Serbia, 2006". Statistical Office of Serbia. http://webrzs.stat.gov.rs/axd/en/Zip/OG2006webE.zip. Retrieved 2010-11-28. 
2. ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia – FIRST RESULTS". Bulletin (Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia) 540. 2011. ISSN 0354-3641. http://media.popis2011.stat.rs/2011/prvi_rezultati.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
3. ^ http://www.narodnimuzej.rs/code/navigate.php?Id=147
4. ^ Ubijeno oko 1000 ljudi

External links

• Medveđa