The West Bačka District (Serbian: Западнобачки округ, romanizedZapadnobački okrug, pronounced [zâːpadnobâːtʃkiː ôkruːɡ]; Hungarian: Nyugat-bácskai körzet) is one of seven administrative districts of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It lies in the geographical region of Bačka. It has a population of 154,491 inhabitants. The administrative seat of the district is the city of Sombor.

West Bačka District
Zapadnobački okrug
Западнобачки округ
Cities and municipalities
Location of the West Bačka District within Serbia
Location of the West Bačka District within Serbia
Country Serbia
Province Vojvodina
Administrative centerSombor
Government
 • CommissionerGoran Nonković
Area
 • Total
2,420 km2 (930 sq mi)
Population
 (2022 census)
 • Total
154,491
 • Density64/km2 (170/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeRS-05
Municipalities3 and 1 city
Settlements37
- Cities and towns5
- Villages32
Websitewww.zapadnobacki.okrug.gov.rs

Name

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In Serbian, the district is known as Zapadnobački okrug or Западнобачки округ, in Croatian as Zapadnobački okrug, in Bunjevac as Zapadnobački okrug, in Hungarian as Nyugat-bácskai körzet, in Slovak as Západnobáčsky okres, in Rusyn as Заходнобачки окрух, and in Romanian as Districtul Bacica de Vest.

Administrative history

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In the 9th century, the area was ruled by the Bulgarian-Slavic duke Salan. From 11th to 16th century, during the administration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, the area was divided between the Bodrogiensis County, Bacsensis County, and Csongradiensis County. In 1526–1527, the area was ruled by the independent Serb ruler, emperor Jovan Nenad, while during Ottoman administration (16th-17th century), it was part of the Sanjak of Segedin.

During Habsburg administration (18th century), the area was divided between the Batsch County, Bodrog County and the Military Frontier. The two counties were joined into single Batsch-Bodrog County in the 18th century. Since the abolishment of the Theiß-Marosch section of the Military Frontier in 1751, part of that territory was also included into Batsch-Bodrog County. In the 1850s, the area was mostly part of the Sombor District, with some parts in the Novi Sad District. After 1860, the area was again included into Batsch-Bodrog County.

During the royal Serb-Croat-Slovene (Yugoslav) administration (1918–1941), the area was part of the Novi Sad County (1918–1922), Bačka Oblast (1922–1929), and Danube Banovina (1929–1941).

During the Hungarian-German Axis occupation (1941–1944), the area was included into Bács-Bodrog County. Since 1944, the area was part of autonomous Yugoslav Vojvodina (which was part of new socialist Yugoslav Serbia since 1945). The present-day districts of Serbia (including West Bačka District) were defined by the Government of Serbia's Enactment of 29 January 1992.

Municipalities

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Map of West Bačka District
 
Ethnic map (2002 census)

It encompasses the municipalities of:

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1948200,465—    
1953207,941+3.7%
1961219,331+5.5%
1971220,671+0.6%
1981220,876+0.1%
1991215,916−2.2%
2002214,011−0.9%
2011188,087−12.1%
2022154,491−17.9%
Source: [1]

According to the census done in 2011, the West Bačka had 188,087 inhabitants.

Ethnic groups

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Population of West Bačka District according to ethnic group 2002–2011.
Ethnic
group
census 2002 census 2011
Number % Number %
Serbs 134,644 62.92% 122,848 65.31%
Hungarians 21,825 10.2% 17,576 9.34%
Croats 12,960 6.06% 10,879 5.78%
Montenegrins 9,182 4.29% 5,070 2.70%
Rusyns 5,535 2.59% 4,718 2.51%
Roma 1,941 0.91% 3,018 1.60%
Bunjevci 2,806 1.31% 2,162 1.15%
Ukrainians 1,508 0.71% 1,344 0.71%
Romanians 1,620 0.76% 1,340 0.71%
Yugoslavs 6,870 3.21% 1,274 0.68%
Slovaks 1,264 0.59% 1,096 0.58%
Total 214,011 188,087

Culture

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Sombor is a town of rich cultural tradition with numerous buildings of significance including: Prefecture Hall (Županija), City Hall (Gradska Kuća), Milan Konjović Gallery, Serbian Orthodox Church of St George, Roman Catholic Church of Holy Trinity.[2]

The iconostasis of the Serbian Orthodox church in Stapar was painted by Jakov Orfelin in the late 18th century. It is a protected monument registered as cultural heritage, bearing witness to the long history of this town.[3]

Historic St Nicholas Cathedral in Ruski Krstur was built in 1784 and underwent a major reconstruction in 1836. The walls were painted in 1936 by Milenko Djurić. The church is under the protection of the Republic of Serbia, as a cultural monument of great importance.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Tourist organization of Sombor | Sights". Tourist organization of Sombor. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  3. ^ "Tourist organization of Sombor | Stapar". Tourist organization of Sombor. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  4. ^ Vojvodine, Turistička organizacija. "RUSINSKA GRKOKATOLIČKA CRKVA PRENOSA MOŠTIJU SVETOG NIKOLE - Ruski Krstur". Vojvodina Travel. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
  • Note: All official material made available by the Government of Serbia is public by law. Information was taken from official website.
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