Zvornik

Infobox Settlement

settlement_type =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Bosnia and Herzegovina

subdivision_type1 =
subdivision_name1 =
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =

timezone=CET
utc_offset=+1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2

unit_pref=
map_caption =Location of Zvornik within Bosnia and Herzegovina
latNS=N
longEW=E
population_as_of= 1991
native_name = Зворник
official_name = Zvornik
other_name =
image_shield = Zvornik coa.png

---

area_total_km2 = 387|population_blank1 = 79000|population_blank1_title=Municipality
population_total = 81,295
|parts_type=Settlements
parts =
latd=44|latm=39
longd=19|longm=10
area_code = 56
website = [http://www.opstina-zvornik.org/ www.opstina-zvornik.org]
footnotes =
|leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Zoran Stevanović (SPRS)
leader_party =
| Zvornik (Cyrillic: Зворник) is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of Bijeljina. The town Mali Zvornik ("little Zvornik") lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.

Zvornik Today

The Municipality of Zvornik is one of the 9 most developed municipalities in the Republika Srpska. Zvornik has a square named after King Petar I of Serbia. A town in the Republika Srpska is also named after him, using his "nom de guerre" - Mrkonjić Grad.

aint’s Day

Zvornik municipality has its patron saint – St. Petka Trnova whose day is celebrated on August 8th.Saint martyr Paraskeva lived in 2nd century AD.

Originally, she had Roman roots coming from a Christian family. After her parents had died, she gave away all her property to the poor and became a nun.

Due to her preaching of Christian religion and many miracles that she had done, she was imprisoned, tortured, and in the end killed with the sward, as ordered by prince Tarasije.

Population

According to the 1910 census, the majority in the Zvornik municipality were Orthodox Christians (54.78%).

1991

Municipality of Zvornik - total: 81,295

* Muslims by nationality - 48,102 (59.16%)
* Serbs - 30,863 (37.96%) (See: Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
* "Yugoslavs" - 1,248 (1.53%)
* Croats - 122 (0.15%) (See: Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
* others and unknown - 960 (1.18%)

Town of Zvornik - total: 14,584

* Muslims by nationality - 8,854 (60.71%)
* Serbs - 4,235 (29.03%)
* "Yugoslavs" - 944 (6.47%)
* Croats - 76 (0.52%)
* others and unknown - 475 (3.25%)

The city's demographic situation has changed drastically in the last 15 years. Serbs are great majority today.Fact|date=March 2008

History

Early history

Zvornik is first mentioned in the year 1410, although it was known as "Zvonik" ("bell tower") at that time. The town's geographic location has made it an important trade link between Bosnia and the east. For instance, the main road connecting Sarajevo and Belgrade runs through the city. Zvornik has also the distinction of being the only city in Bosnia that directly lies on the border to Serbia.

During the Ottoman occupation, Zvornik was the capital of the Zvornik sanjak (an administrative region). This was primarily the case because of the city's crucial role in the economy and the strategic importance of the city's location.

Bosnian War

During the Bosnian War, most of Zvornik's Bosniak population was expelled, and there was a massive intake of Serb refugees from Muslim and Croat controlled areas. At the beginning of the war, there were some instances of mass killings in Zvornik and the surrounding villages.cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/189610.stm
publisher=BBC News] It is known that the suburbs of Karakaj and Čelopek were places of prisons where hundreds of Bosniaks were killed.cite news
url=http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-concentration-and-internment-camps
publisher=Alliance of Detainees of Bosnia and Herzegovina] Recently, mass graves of victims killed in the massacre of Srebrenica were found in the village of Liplje, south of Zvornik. Fact|date=February 2007

After the war, the town's population consisted of only Serbs. With the help of the international community, there has been an effort to return refugees back to the municipality, but the process has been slow and will take many years to complete.

At the same time almost none of the Serbian refugees that settled in Zvornik during the Bosnian war and right after did not go back to their pre-war location. It is also worth mentioning that Zvornik's population nearly doubled in the post war years because of a huge influx of Serbian refugees from Tuzla and the Sarajevo region.

Climate

Just like most of Bosnia, Zvornik has very hot summers and cold winters. Except for the area near the river Drina, the city is surrounded by mountains with preserved forests, which creates a beautiful scenery with the town's location at the bottom of a valley.

Education

It is presumed that the Orthodox primary school was established in Zvornik before the 18th century. In 1880, this school was transferred to a new building (present-day’s printing – house). The school was built by the Serbs for education of their children. The state primary school became operational in 1866/67. In 1920, a Secondary School for construction with commercial department was built. It was the only secondary school until the Second World War.

There are five elementary schools on the territory of the Municipality Zvornik: “Sveti Sava” in Zvornik, which was one of the biggest schools by number of pupils in the former SFRJ, “Petar Kočić” in Kozluk, “Vuk Karadžić” in Roćević, “Desanka Maksimović” in Čelopek, “Nikola Tesla” in Pilica and “Petar Kocic” in Karakaj.

Tourism

Welcome to Zvornik, an industrial, business, commercial and tourist town.

Great manifestation called the Cultural Summer of Zvornik usually takes part between August 2 and 8, and its main objective is to become a traditional cultural event which will open the doors of Zvornik for the recognized cultural values.

The tourist offer of the town is specific, because of its great natural potential, which has not yet been used for development of mass tourism. To all guests who crave for true rest, the town can offer peace and numerous other attractions duringboth, summer and winter.

Although Zvornik has been marginalized, far from the public eye in BIH, we usually say that Zvornik has been given so much beauty, monuments and history that the town is impossible to get around. The people of Zvornik like to emphasize one more thing: we do not need to be given anything; we just need what is ours - not to be taken away from us. We have everything: industry, waters, forests, stone, people who are in love with their town.Tourists indeed have something to see in Zvornik and its neighborhood: the river Drina, Zvornik Lake, which is rich in trout and suitable for water sports. They can go fishing and hunting, have a rest by the river and lake in summer, and ski in near-by Igrište in winter. The guest will have a chance to see, a part from natural beauties, monuments of the town: Zvornik fortress, Museum collection, Villa Andr Zvornik has two hotels: Hotel Vidikovac, outside the town (direction Sarajevo) and splendid located at the Zvornik lake with a beautiful terrace view over the lake and the Serbian side of the river. It used to be a modern hotel, but now (2007) it is dilapidated. Drina hotel in the centre of Zvornik is closed. Outside the centre (direction Tuzla) a new motel Laguna is opened en it seems to be a modern (five stars?) hotel.

Sport

The local football club, FK Drina Zvornik, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska. Basketball club KK Drina Zvornik.

ee also

*Podrinje

References

* Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, Zavod za statistiku Bosne i Hercegovine - Bilten no.234, Sarajevo 1991.

External links

* [http://www.opstina-zvornik.org www.opstina-zvornik.org]
* [http://www.zvornik.net www.zvornik.net]
* [http://www.zvornik.blog.ba/ www.zvornik.blog.ba]