Bijelo Polje is a town in northern
MontenegroMontenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. It has a population of 15,883 (2003 census).
Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality (population of 50,284). It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro. Bijelo Polje means "White Field" in
Serbo-CroatianSerbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
.
History
Bijelo Polje was within the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
until its liberation by a multi-national force during the
Balkan WarsThe Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
(1912). Under Ottoman rule the city was known as Akova.
Bijelo Polje's Church of Saint Peter and Paul is the place where the famous UNESCO
Miroslav's GospelMiroslav Gospels is a 362-page illuminated manuscript Gospel Book on parchment with very rich decorations. It is one of the oldest surviving documents written in Old Church Slavonic, along with the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja...
of
MiroslavMiroslav may refer to:* Miroslav , a Slavic masculine given name* Miroslav of Croatia, king of Croatia* Miroslav of Hum, Serbian king of Zahumlje* Miroslav of Podgoria, Serbian Zupan of Podgorica...
, brother of the Serb ruler
Stefan NemanjaStefan Nemanja was the Grand Prince of the Grand Principality of Serbia from 1166 to 1196, a heir of the Vukanović dynasty that marked the beginning of a greater Serbian realm .He is remembered for his contributions to Serbian culture and...
was written.
Population
Bijelo Polje is the administrative centre of the Bijelo Polje municipality, which in 2003 had a population of 50,284. The town of Bijelo Polje itself has 15,883 citizens. According to the latest results from 2010, Bijelo Polje has a population of 46,676.
Population of Bijelo Polje (town):
- 1981 - 11,927
- 1991 - 16,464
- 2003 - 15,883
- 2010 - 15,400
Population of Bijelo Polje (municipality):
- 1948 - 36,795
- 1953 - 41,432
- 1961 - 46,651
- 1971 - 52,598
- 1981 - 55,634
- 1991 - 55,268
- 2003 - 50,284
- 2010 - 46,676
Ethnic groups (1991 census):
- Orthodox Montenegrins (49.22%)
- Muslim Montenegrins (41.57%)
- Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(7.57%)
Ethnic composition in 2003
| Ethnicity |
Number |
Percentage |
SerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
|
20,743 |
36.31% |
BosniaksThe Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
|
14,409 |
25.22% |
| Muslims Muslims by nationality was a term used in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as an official designation of nationality of Slavic Muslims. They were one of the constitutive groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
(Muslim Montenegrins) |
9,896 |
17.18% |
| Montenegrins ( muslim and orthodox ) |
9,214 |
16.13% |
| Roma |
146 |
0.26% |
| Croats Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
|
49 |
0.09% |
AlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
|
35 |
0.06% |
| Other |
165 |
0.29% |
| not declared |
1,033 |
1.81% |
| no data |
1,514 |
2.65% |
| Total |
57,124 |
100% |
Ethnic composition in 2010
Serbs/ 16,562 (42.96%)
Montenegrins/ 8,808 (26.02%)
Bosniaks / 12,592 (17.72%)
Albanians / 57 (0,21%)
Muslims / 5,985 (5,76%)
Croats / 41 (0,12%)
Bosnians / 6 (0,1%)
Bosniaks-Muslims / 84 (0,8%)
Montenegrins-Muslims / 10 (0,6%)
Montenegrins-Serbs / 32 (0,13%)
Gorani / 5 (0,5%)
Yugoslav / 27 (0,6%)
Other / 239 (0,52%)
Culture and sights
Bijelo Polje was the birthplace of the oral poet Avdo Međedović and of many prominent writers, such as
Ćamil SijarićĆamil Sijarić was a Montenegrin novelist and short story writer. He was born in Šipovice, Bijelo Polje in Montenegro to Bosniak parents. He spent most of his life in Skopje, Belgrade and later, Sarajevo, where he died in a helicopter crash in 1989. However, almost all his major works are about...
,
Miodrag BulatovićMiodrag Bulatović was a Montenegrin Serb novelist and playwright...
, as well as Risto Ratković, who wrote the first Montenegrin novel "Nevidbog", a story actually set in the city of Bijelo Polje.
City's best known brand is
Rada mineral water, vastly consumed in Montenegro during summer months.
Transport
Bijelo Polje is connected to the rest of Montenegro by two motorways. It is situated on the main road connecting Montenegro's coast and
PodgoricaPodgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
with northern Montenegro and
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
(
E65European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
,
E80European route E 80, also known as Trans-European Motorway or TEM, is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon, Portugal to Gürbulak, Turkey, on the border with Iran...
).
Bijelo Polje is also a station on
Belgrade - Bar railway, the last station in Montenegro for trains leaving for
BelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, and it serves as a regional train station.
Podgorica AirportPodgorica Airport is an international airport located south of Podgorica, Montenegro. It is the main hub for Montenegro Airlines....
is 130 km (80.8 mi) away, and has regular flights to major
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an destinations.
External links