Zenica
Zenica (
Cyrillic:
Зеница) is an industrial city (the fourth largest, after
Sarajevo,
Banja Luka and
Tuzla) in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the capital of the
Zenica-Doboj Canton of the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity. It is located about 70 km north of
Sarajevo and is situated on the
Bosna river, surrounded by mountains and hills.
The town's Stara čaršija (old quarter) contains several attractions, including a
synagogue, which is now the City Museum and Art Gallery. There is also a
mosque (Čaršijska mosque), an Austrian fountain and an old bey's farm house (Hadžimazića House).
It is said people have lived in Zenica almost from the beginning of time. Ruins of an old
Roman town can still be seen in city Bistum novum, and during the
Middle Ages, the part of the city called Bilino Polje was very important. Here, the famous sabor of 1203 occurred, where Bosnian
Ban Kulin (1163-1204), widely regarded as one of the most prominent Bosnian rulers of the Middle Ages, pressed by the Vatican, supposedly abandoned the traditional Church of Bosnia (a dualist variation of Christianity) and converted to Catholicism. Bilino Polje was still important until the
Ottoman invasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The home
football stadium of
NK Čelik is named
Bilino Polje after the part of the city where it is situated.
Zenica is the place of origin of the
Serbian House of Petrovic dynasty that migrated in the 14th century to
Herzegovina and would rule
Montenegro for over two centuries.
During the Ottoman period Zenica was merely a small kasaba (town). In the nineteenth century, it was the center of a district (
kaza), which was part of the sub-province (
sancak) of
Travnik. There was never an important mosque in Zenica, unlike the neighboring town Travnik, which was once a centre of Bosnian
viziers. Zenica continued in this way for over 400 years until
Austria-Hungary conquered it in 1878.
A few years after the conquest, the Austrians started to build a
steel factory in town. The town grew rapidly with the new steel factory and booming economy. By the end of Austrian rule it was a small town still, with just over 10,000 inhabitants, but never the less it began to develop into a major town.
The true boom of Zenica started after the partisans liberated the small town in 1945 and began to develop the steel industry. During those years new buildings were constructed there and the town grew rapdily, spreading to encompass Bilino Polje, Klopce, and Radakovo, all villages during the Ottoman period. Many apartment blocks were built to house the miners.
In 1948 the town had 12,000 people, but by 1961 the towns population had grown to over 30,000. In 1981 the town had over 63,000 people, and in the last census in 1991 Zenica was a city of some 96,027 people. The town's population grew almost six-fold in the last 50 years.
However, during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, the demographics of the city altered to a certain extent, whereby the city received a large number of ethnic Bosniak refugees from other parts of the country. Today, Zenica is trying to regain the economic power it used to be famous for before the 1992-1995 war.
Zenica, for many of its characteristics and features, is a specific urban and economic area. Its peculiarities originate from both its geographic location, since it is situated in the very center of
Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the economic and social character of its development.
Zenica is situated in one of the largest and most beautiful valleys in the middle part of the River Bosna by which the state has got its name. The River Bosna well is in
Ilidža near
Sarajevo and its mouth into the River
Sava near
Bosanski Šamac, which make it a natural north south corridor. The Zenica valley itself is stretching from Lasva canyon in the south, to Vranduk canyon to the north.
The main rail and road communications pass through the River Bosna valley. Sarajevo and
Tuzla airports are not far away from the region. With comparatively good roads (for the present Bosnian circumstances), and standard gauge railway roads (with two tracks from Doboj to Zenica), Zenica is well connected to the north, west and east of the country. What is particularly important for its economic development is the access to sea via rail and roads. European corridor of the future north-south highway also passes through Zenica.
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The biggest building in Zenica |
Zenica is a seat of Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is the center of the Canton in terms of administration, politics, economy, culture, education, science and sports.
Zenica-Doboj Canton is situated in the middle part of River Bosna valley, as well as on the banks of the River Krivaja, Usora and its confluents. Geographically, the area is equally distributed into the river valleys gradually elevating into the range of low hills, and then into the high mountains. Judging by this fact, one could make a conclusion that the area of Canton offers various opportunities: from agriculture in the valleys, cattle breeding and fruit growing in the hilly landscapes, to the exploitation of one-hundred-year old deciduous and periwinkle forests in the mountains.
Zenica " Doboj canton covers the area of 3,904 square kilometers, with its 427,000 inhabitants. This Canton is composed of the following municipalities: Zenica,
Kakanj,
Visoko,
Breza,
Vareš,
Olovo,
Maglaj,
Zavidovići,
Žepče,
Tešanj,
Usora and
Doboj South.Transport communications and industrial infrastructure have been relatively well developed. Geographic location of the Canton offers good communications with the central European countries. Those countries are connected with the
Adriatic Sea via railroad going the way down through the River Bosna valley, crossing the whole territory of the Canton. The same route will be utilized for Sarajevo-Zenica highway being registered as a corridor of the European highway network. It is going to connect
Budapest to the Adriatic Sea and Ploce port. The construction of the highway has already started.
Industry of Zenica " Doboj Canton is mainly characterized by two of its features: mono structure of its production facilities and large business systems. Zenica has been identified with its huge Steel Factory for decades, Zavidovici with its furniture factory Krivaja, Visoko with its leather-textile combine, Kakanj with its brown coal mines and Power Plant, etc. This paradox of socialism aspiring towards economic gigantism has a good chance of turning into one of the most realistic development opportunities for the Canton. Renewed production in these large systems offers practically unlimited opportunities for starting the whole range of small and medium-sized companies. With the skillful workforce and highly liberal and active management, one can establish all kinds of very successful businesses.
Privatization is a strategic goal of the economic development of the Canton. Presently, the state is the owner of the industrial facilities, large portion of land and all natural resources. Macroeconomists see the exceptional opportunity in the privatization process bringing forward positive results.
Zenica is a town located in the valley of the river Bosnа on the height of 316 meters above sea level. It is the economic centre of
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Zenica is distanced 70 kilometres from the capital Sarajevo, north, by the valley of the river Bosna. The closest airport is in
Sarajevo, which can be reached by the motor road next to the river and throughout the Stup knot.
*Surface: 500 square kilometres
*Geographic latitude and longitude: 44°12' and 17°56'
*Height above sea level: 316 metres
*Cultivable soil: 64.14 km² (12,69 %)Forests: 37.84 km² (60,90 %)Pastures: 11.81 km² (2,34 %)Meadows: 72.63 km² (14,37 %)
Before the
Second World War, the town had 15.000 inhabitants, before the last war the town had 150.000 inhabitants, the same amount it has today. Many members of different nations, cultures, faiths and heritages are registered in the structure of the population of Zenica and they are all connected with deep traditions of tolerant living.
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Official city homepage*
Official Zenica International Fair homepage*
Bosnian cities - Zenica
