Surdulica

Infobox Serbia municipality
native_name = Сурдулица|official_name=Surdulica
district = Pčinja
mayor = Novica Tončev (Grupa Građana)
area_km2 = 628
population_total = 10914 | mpop=22190
latd = 42| latm = 41|longd = 22| longm = 10
code = 17
settlements = 41
plates = VR
postal_code = 17530
website =

Surdulica (Serbian Cyrillic: Сурдулица) is a town and municipality situated in the southeast of Serbia (approx. 42°41'30"N, 22°10'E). In 2002, the population of the town was 10,914, while population of the municipality was 22,190.

Geography

The town's elevation is 480 meters, the highest peak Strešer is 1875 meters high. There is a medium sized Vlasina lake close to Surdulica. It is rich with fish and game birds. There are many sources of clean mountain water around the town. Two rivers flow through the town, Vrla and Romanovce River.

History

Historically, the town was first mentioned in the 13th century. Liberated from Turks in the late 19th century, it soon started to grow and develop. Today this is an industrial town, but it also has beautiful nature and wildlife around it.

From 1992 to 2000, the town's mayor was Miroslav Stojiljković Mimi, one of the best-known people from the town ever. Alongside with Dobrivoje Budimirović Bidža from Svilajnac and Raka Radović from Trstenik, he is one of the Serbian most intriguing mayors during the 1990s.

NATO Bombing

NATO spokesman Jamie Shea commented that on April 27, 1999, during the NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia, one NATO aircraft bombed a "small residential area" in Surdulica "by mistake". Twenty civilian bodies were found dead as a result of this attack, twelve of whom were children. [http://www.warfacts.org.yu/massacres/surdulica.html] Eighteen houses in total were destroyed with another 500 homes left permanently unsuitable for residing in. Eleven missiles were fired on Surdulica causing damage to more than 300 civilian buildings. Shea also said that one bomb was released by mistake during the attack over army barracks. The NATO spokesman stated repeatedly that the Alliance was doing everything to avoid civilian casualties. He did however say that "the technology is not perfect and never will be."

chools

There are two primary schools in the very town of Surdulica - Vuk Karadžić School and Jovan Jovanović Zmaj School, and several schools in the villages around the town. The number of pupils attending schools in the rural parts of the municipality decreases rapidly each year.There are three secondary schools: Svetozar Marković Gymnasium, Josif Pančić School of Agriculture (which shares the same building with the gymnasium), and Nikola Tesla Technical School.

ettlements

Municipality of Surdulica includes the following settlements:
*Surdulica
*Alakince
*Bacijevce
*Belo Polje
*Binovce
*Bitvrđa
*Božica
*Vlasina Okruglica
*Vlasina Rid
*Vlasina Stojkovićeva
*Vučadelce
*Gornja Koznica
*Gornje Romanovce
*Groznatovci
*Danjino Selo
*Dikava
*Donje Romanovce
*Drajinci
*Dugi Del
*Dugojnica
*Zagužanje
*Jelašnica
*Kalabovce
*Kijevac
*Klisura
*Kolunica
*Kostroševci
*Leskova Bara
*Masurica
*Mačkatica
*Novo Selo
*Palja
*Rđavica
*Stajkovce
*Strezimirovci
*Suvojnica
*Suhi Dol
*Topli Do
*Topli Dol
*Troskač
*Ćurkovica

Demographics (2002 census)

Ethnic groups in the Surdulica municipality:
*Serbs = 18,274
*Roma = 10,119
*Bulgarians = 1,004
*Yugoslavs = 106
*others

ee also

*List of places in Serbia

External links

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/YI/2/Surdulica.html Surdulica]