Svilajnac
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Location in Serbia | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General Information | |
| District | Pomoravlje |
| Land area | 326 km² |
| Population (2002 census) |
9,395 (town) 25,511 (municipality) |
| Settlements | 22 |
| Coordinates | |
| Area code | +381 35 |
| Car plates | JA |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) |
| Website | http://www.svilajnac.org.yu |
| Politics | |
| Mayor | Dobrivoje Budimirović "Bidža" For a Wealthier Municipality of Svilajnac (Za Bogatu Opštinu Svilajnac) |
Svilajnac (Serbian Cyrillic: Свилајнац) is a town and municipality located in central Serbia at 44.13° North, 21.12° East, 100 km south-east of Belgrade, on the banks of the river Resava, and bordering the river Morava. Its name stems from the word for silk in Serbian. It is the de facto administrative center of the Resava region.
Contents |
[edit] History
Svilajnac was first mentioned in Turkish records in 1467 as a village of a hundred households. The village, and later town, gained prominence through its silk production and location at the crossroads between north-east, south-east and western Serbia. The town flourished as a trading center, where silk, wool and livestock were traded.
Svilajnac and the area around it have been the birthplace of one of the most important and famous people in Serbian history, the leader of the First Serbian Uprising, Stevan Sinđelić. A statue in his honor was raised in the central square of Svilajnac.
One of only several bridges across the Morava is located in Svilajnac, giving it a unique strategic value. During the Second World War, the original bridge was destroyed by the retreating Yugoslav Army. After the war, the bridge was rebuilt with German war reparations.
[edit] Demographics
In 2002 the town had total population of 9,395, while municipality had a population of 25,511. A substantial part of the population (around 7,000) works abroad.
In recent years, a significant part of the teenage population has taken to narcotics, notably hard drugs such as heroin and hashish. This is attributed largely to the diaspora community. The recent generation of children with parents working abroad have been raised by their grand-parents or other relatives, who control the spending habits of this generation leniently.
| Svilajnac in 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serbs | 96.35% | |||
| Vlachs | .92% | |||
| Roma | .73% | |||
| other | 2% | |||
According to the last official census data collected in 2002, the ethnic composition of Svilajnac is:
- Total: 25,511
- Serbs: 24,579 (96.35%)
- Vlachs: 235 (.92%)
- Roma: 187 (.73%)
- Others : 510 (2%)
[edit] Economy
Today, Svilajnac is a fairly wealthy city, though its wealth can be attributed to the fact that 7,000 of its residents work abroad. The city's economy is largely based on its service sector that caters to the diaspora that returns over the summer. Apart from commercial services, Svilajnac's economy is largely agricultural, with the exception of the Compo (now defunct) furniture factory.
The state-owned factory contributed substantially to the local economy, until the 1990s, when economic crisis lead to the partial closure of the plant. The factory has been privatised in recent years, and is expected to reach its former production output, greatly aiding the local economy.
[edit] Important Objects
Svilajnac is also the location of a Lignite Thermoelectric plant, built only several hundred meters upriver from the bridge.
Svilajnac is also the location of a military barracks, which can house up to 5,000 soldiers at any one time, although it only regularly houses a nominal force of several hundred.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- www.svilajnac001.co.yu (in Serbian)
- www.svilajnac.com (in Serbian)
- www.kdsvilajnac.g0g.net (in Serbian)
- www.svilajnac.org.yu (in Serbian, official page of Municipality of Svilajnac)
