Plitvicka Jezera
Encyclopedia
Plitvička Jezera is a municipality (općina) in central Croatia
, in the eastern part of the Lika-Senj county
, that lies in and near the eponymous Plitvice Lakes National Park, bisected by the D1 main road
(Zagreb
–Split
). Its total area is 539.08 km². The main town and seat of the municipality is Korenica
. Other smaller towns and villages are Bjelopolje
, Jezerce
, Gornji Vaganac, Ličko Petrovo Selo
, Plitvice and Smoljanac.
and 30.5% Serb
. The pre-war numbers show a Serb majority.
The settlements in the municipality are:
and the Krajina uprising, many areas were mined to stop enemy advances. The area around Korana Bridge has recently been demined, but there are still some others still suspected to be mine contaminated, as for reports from the local NGO Croatian Mine Action Centre.
Many local inhabitants of Serb ethnicity left the municipality during the war, with around 1,500 - 2,000 of them returning once the situation improved.
According to Human Rights Watch
, many of the ethnic Serbian returnees were experiencing a higher unemployment rate, and were also being "excluded from work in municipal or town-run services and institutions, including the National Park".
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 ...
, in the eastern part of the Lika-Senj county
Lika-Senj County
Lika-Senj county is a county in Croatia that includes most of the Lika region and some northern coastline of the Adriatic near the town of Senj, including the northern part of the Pag island...
, that lies in and near the eponymous Plitvice Lakes National Park, bisected by the D1 main road
D1 (Croatia)
The state road D1 is a national highway in Croatia. It is a one-lane highway that spans from Macelj border crossing in the north via Krapina, Zagreb, Karlovac, Slunj, Gračac, Knin, Sinj, ending in Split...
(Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
–Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
). Its total area is 539.08 km². The main town and seat of the municipality is Korenica
Korenica
Korenica is a village in Lika, Croatia, located in the municipality of Plitvička Jezera, on the road between Plitvice and Udbina. It has 1,570 residents .In SFR Yugoslavia it was named Titova Korenica after Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito...
. Other smaller towns and villages are Bjelopolje
Bjelopolje
Bjelopolje is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D1 highway....
, Jezerce
Jezerce
Jezerce is a village in Croatia....
, Gornji Vaganac, Ličko Petrovo Selo
Ličko Petrovo Selo
Ličko Petrovo Selo is a village in Lika, Croatia. It is located near the Plitvice Lakes. The road bypassing the national park, the D504, connects it to the D1 highway. East of the village, the D217 ends at the Ličko Petrovo Selo border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina ....
, Plitvice and Smoljanac.
Demographics
According to 2001 census, its total population was 4,668. The ethnic composition of Plitvička Jezera is 67.3% CroatCroats
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...
and 30.5% Serb
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...
. The pre-war numbers show a Serb majority.
The settlements in the municipality are:
- BjelopoljeBjelopoljeBjelopolje is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D1 highway....
- Čanak
- Čujića Krčevina
- Donji Babin Potok
- Donji VaganacDonji VaganacDonji Vaganac is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D217 highway....
- Drakulić Rijeka
- Gornji Babin PotokGornji Babin PotokGornji Babin Potok is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D52 highway....
- Gornji Vaganac
- Gradina KoreničkaGradina KoreničkaGradina Korenička is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D1 highway....
- HomoljacHomoljacHomoljac is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D52 highway....
- Jasikovac
- JezerceJezerceJezerce is a village in Croatia....
- Kalebovac
- Kapela Korenička
- Kompolje Koreničko
- Končarev Kraj
- KoranaKoranaThe Korana is a river in central Croatia and west Bosnia and Herzegovina. The river has a total length of and watershed area of .It rises in the eastern parts of Lika, creates the world-famous Plitvice Lakes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Downstream from Plitvice Lakes the Korana river forms a 25...
- KorenicaKorenicaKorenica is a village in Lika, Croatia, located in the municipality of Plitvička Jezera, on the road between Plitvice and Udbina. It has 1,570 residents .In SFR Yugoslavia it was named Titova Korenica after Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito...
- Kozjan
- Krbavica
- Ličko Petrovo SeloLičko Petrovo SeloLičko Petrovo Selo is a village in Lika, Croatia. It is located near the Plitvice Lakes. The road bypassing the national park, the D504, connects it to the D1 highway. East of the village, the D217 ends at the Ličko Petrovo Selo border crossing with Bosnia and Herzegovina ....
- Mihaljevac
- Novo Selo Koreničko
- Oravac
- Plitvica Selo
- Plitvička Jezera
- Plitvički Ljeskovac
- Poljanak
- Ponor Korenički
- PrijebojPrijebojPrijeboj is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D1 highway....
- RastovačaRastovačaRastovača is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the municipality of Posušje.-References:...
- Rešetar
- Rudanovac
- Sertić Poljana
- Smoljanac
- Šeganovac
- TrnavacTrnavacTrnavac is a small village in Serbia situated in the municipality of Zajecar, in the Timok District, eastern Serbia.- Background:The village is located in the valley, on the banks of the Timok river. The village has a population of around 300 people. As of 2009, most of the Trnavac population is...
- Tuk Bjelopoljski
- VranovačaVranovačaVranovača is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D1 highway....
- Vrelo KoreničkoVrelo KoreničkoVrelo Koreničko is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D52 highway....
- Vrpile
- ZaklopačaZaklopacaZaklopača is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Grocka....
- Željava
History
During the Croatian War of IndependenceCroatian 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...
and the Krajina uprising, many areas were mined to stop enemy advances. The area around Korana Bridge has recently been demined, but there are still some others still suspected to be mine contaminated, as for reports from the local NGO Croatian Mine Action Centre.
Many local inhabitants of Serb ethnicity left the municipality during the war, with around 1,500 - 2,000 of them returning once the situation improved.
Economy
It is most famous for the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a major tourist destination and its main source of income, together with arable lands, grazing lands and woods. Due to the Plitvice Lakes National Park unique geological evolution and beauty, it was entered in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979.According to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, many of the ethnic Serbian returnees were experiencing a higher unemployment rate, and were also being "excluded from work in municipal or town-run services and institutions, including the National Park".