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Bosilegrad

Bosilegrad
Босилеград (Serbian)
Босилеград (Bulgarian)
Town and municipality
Flag of Bosilegrad
Flag
Coat of arms of Bosilegrad
Coat of arms
Location of the municipality of Bosilegrad within Serbia
Location of the municipality of Bosilegrad within Serbia
Coordinates: 42°30′N 22°28′E / 42.500°N 22.467°E / 42.500; 22.467
Country Serbia
RegionSouthern and Eastern Serbia
DistrictPčinja
Settlements37
Government
 • MayorVladimir Zaharijev (To Smo Mi)
Area
[1]
 • Town18.37 km2 (7.09 sq mi)
 • Municipality571 km2 (220 sq mi)
Elevation
696 m (2,283 ft)
Population
 (2022 census)[2]
 • Town
2,348
 • Town density130/km2 (330/sq mi)
 • Municipality
6,065
 • Municipality density11/km2 (28/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
17540
Area code+381(0)17
Car platesVR
Websitewww.bosilegrad.org

Bosilegrad (Serbian Cyrillic: Босилеград; Bulgarian: Босилеград) is a town and municipality located in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia. The municipality comprises an area of 571 km2 (220 sq mi). According to the 2022 census, the town has a population of 2,348, while the municipality has 6,065 inhabitants.[3]

Along with Dimitrovgrad (Tsaribrod), Bosilegrad is an economic and cultural centre of Serbia's ethnic Bulgarian community.

History

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Historically, Bosilegrad was part of Bulgaria. On May 15, 1917, Serbian paramilitaries (Chetniks) under the command of Kosta Pećanac crossed the old Bulgarian border and, as part of the Toplica Uprising, captured Bosilegrad, which they then burned. Then Pećanac and his band withdrew to Kosovo, which was controlled by the Austro-Hungarian Army.

The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes gained some territory from Bulgaria as part of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, following the invasion and occupation of part of the Kingdom of Serbia by Bulgaria and subsequent Allied defeat of the Central Powers in the First World War. From 1929 to 1941, it was part of Vardar Banovina. The Bulgarian army occupied Bosilegrad during the Second World War from 1941 to 1944. At the end of the Second World War, Bulgaria switched sides in the war and in October 1944 gave the occupied Western outlands back to Yugoslavia.[4]

Settlements

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Aside from the town of Bosilegrad, the municipality consists of the following villages:

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
194818,816—    
195319,751+0.97%
196118,368−0.90%
197117,306−0.59%
198114,196−1.96%
199111,644−1.96%
20029,931−1.44%
20118,129−2.20%
20226,065−2.63%
Source: [5][3]

According to the 2022 census, the municipality of Bosilegrad has 6,065 inhabitants. Only 32.28% of inhabitants live in urban areas.[3]

Ethnic groups

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The majority of municipality's population are Bulgarians, amounting to 72.3% of total population. Other minor ethnic groups are Serbs and Roma people. The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Ethnic group Population
1971[6] 		Population
1981[7] 		Population
1991[8] 		Population
2002[9] 		Population
2011[10] 		Population
2022[3]
Bulgarians - - - 7,037 5,839 4,075
Serbs 292 616 1,165 1,308 895 786
Macedonians 58 49 - 42 38 26
Montenegrins 13 6 6 3 2 1
Romani 13 10 3 - 162 143
Muslims 1 1 10 - - -
Yugoslavs 255 3,976 1,649 288 20 18
Others 16,675 9,538 8,811 1,253 1,173 1,016
Total 17,306 14,196 11,644 9,931 8,129 6,065
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Municipalities of Serbia, 2006". Statistical Office of Serbia. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  2. ^ "2022 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings: Ethnicity (data by municipalities and cities)" (PDF). Statistical Office of Republic Of Serbia, Belgrade. April 2023. ISBN 978-86-6161-228-2. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  3. ^ a b c d "2022 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  4. ^ Велизар Енчев, Югославската идея: исторически, политически и международни аспекти на доктрината за национално освобождение и държавно обединение на южните славяни, Захарий Стоянов, 2009, ISBN 9540902673, стр. 314.
  5. ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Knjiga III: Nacionalni sastav stanovništva FNR Jugoslavije (1971)" (PDF). stat.gov.rs (in Serbian). Republički zavod za statistiku. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Nacionalni sastav stanovništva SFR Jugoslavije (1981)" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Republički zavod za statistiku. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  8. ^ "STANOVNIŠTVO PREMA NACIONALNOJ PRIPADNOSTI (1991)" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Republički zavod za statistiku. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Popis stanovnistva, domacinstava i stanova u 2002" (PDF). stat.gov.rs (in Serbian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Попис становништва, домаћинстава и станова 2011. у Републици Србији" (PDF). stat.gov.rs. Republički zavod za statistiku. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
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