Orahovica
Encyclopedia
Orahovica is a town in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

. It is situated on the slopes of the mountain Papuk
Papuk
Papuk is the largest mountain in the Slavonia region in eastern Croatia, near the city of Požega. It extends between Bilogora to the northwest, Krndija to the east, and Ravna gora and Psunj to the southwest....

 and positioned on the state road D2
D2 (Croatia)
D2 state road is a trunk state road in the northern areas of Croatia that spans from the border crossing with Slovenia at Dubrava Križovljanska in the west via Varaždin, Koprivnica, Virovitica, Našice, Osijek, Vukovar, ending in Ilok at the border crossing with Serbia...

 Varaždin
Varaždin
Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...

-Koprivnica
Koprivnica
Koprivnica is a city in northern Croatia. It is the capital of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. In 2011 the city administrative area had a total population of 30,872, with 23,896 in the city itself.-Population:...

-Našice
Našice
Našice is a town in the Osijek-Baranja county of Croatia, population 7,894 , total municipality population 16,228 . It is located on the northern slopes of Krndija Mountain in eastern Slavonia, 51 km southwest of Osijek; elevation 157 m....

-Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

.

Economy

Orahovica has a well-developed industry (tile production, panel-parquet, wine production, fruit and vegetables processing, metal processing...). Agriculture plays an important role for the town economy (crop and livestock farming, fresh water fish, fruit and vineyards).

History

The name Orahovica is derived from the word orah, meaning a walnut tree.

Orahovica was first officially mentioned in the year 1228, in a historical document issued by king Andrew II
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...

.
Ružica fortification was first mentioned in the year 1357 as a royal estate.
In the 15th, and the first half of the 16th century the town was a thriving community owned by various patricians.

Suleiman II
Suleiman II
Suleiman II was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1687 to 1691...

, in his 1543 campaign, conquered Orahovica. The Turkish rule lasted till the year 1687 in which period the town became a notable sandjak. After the liberation, and up until the end of the 19th century many prominent noble families, like the Pejačević family, and the Mihalović family, owned the town.

In the 20th century the town was a centre of a large municipality with a well-developed industry, and agriculture.
During the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...

 Orahovica suffered from a number of shell attacks that caused certain material damage.

It received the status of a city in 1997.

Population

In the 2011 census, the total population of the administrative area of Orahovica was 5,792, distributed in the following settlements:
  • Bijeljevina Orahovička
    Bijeljevina Orahovička
    Bijeljevina Orahovička is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:...

    , population 36
  • Crkvari
    Crkvari
    Crkvari is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 127
  • Dolci
    Dolci
    Dolci may refer to:* Dolci, an Italian surname:** Angelo Dolci , Italian cardinal** Carlo Dolci , Italian painter** Danilo Dolci , Italian social activist, sociologist, popular educator and poet...

    , population 284
  • Donja Pištana
    Donja Pištana
    Donja Pištana is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 233
  • Duzluk
    Duzluk
    Duzluk is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 164
  • Gornja Pištana
    Gornja Pištana
    Gornja Pištana is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina County, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 4
  • Karlovac Feričanački
    Karlovac Feričanački
    Karlovac Feričanački is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina County, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 12
  • Kokočak
    Kokočak
    Kokočak is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 9
  • Magadinovac
    Magadinovac
    Magadinovac is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 11
  • Nova Jošava
    Nova Jošava
    Nova Jošava is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 187
  • Orahovica, population 3,904
  • Stara Jošava
    Stara Jošava
    Stara Jošava is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina County, Croatia.-Population:...

    , population 239
  • Šumeđe
    Šumeđe
    Šumeđe is village in north-eastern Slavonia, situated in municipality town of Orahovica, Virovitica-Podravina county, Croatia.-Population:-References:...

    , population 33

In 2001, a large majority of population were Croats
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...

.
Orahovica (settlement), ethnic composition
Year of census 2001 1991 1981 1971 1961
|-
Croats 3,519 (82.56%) 2,999 (69.51%) 2,593 (64.74%) 2,587 (76.26%) 2,453 (80.82%)
Serbs 478 (11.21%) 771 (17.87%) 618 (15.43%) 604 (17.80%) 495 (16.30%)
Yugoslavs 0 218 (5.05%) 649 (16.20%) 118 (3.47%) 19 (0.62%)
others and unknown 265 (6.21%) 326 (7.55%) 145 (3.62%) 83 (2.44%) 68 (2.24%)
total 4,262 4,314 4,005 3,392 3,035

  • Source: CD-rom: "Naselja i stanovništvo RH od 1857-2001. godine", Izdanje Državnog zavoda za statistiku Republike Hrvatske, Zagreb, 2005.

Notable sights

  • Orahovica's Lake - the most popular destination every summer.
  • Locomotive "Ćiro" - in the middle of the town
  • Ružica grad - old ruins of the fortress near the lake
  • Watermill - in the city park

Education

  • Kindergarten "Palčić"
  • Primary school "I.B. - Mažuranić"
  • High School "Stjepan Ivšić"

Tourism

Orahovica became one of the most popular tourist destinations in Virovitica-Podravina County
Virovitica-Podravina County
Virovitica-Podravina county is a northern Slavonian county in Croatia. Its county seat is in Virovitica and it includes the area around the Drava river, hence the name Podravina...

 and Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...

. Its culture, events, beautiful nature, sports and lake attract more and more tourists every year.

The nearby Orahovica Lake offers various forms of recreation, especially during the warm season of the year. Fishing opportunities are offered on the nearby fishpond Grudnjak.

External links

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