West Serbia (region)

West Serbia (Serbian: Западна Србија) refers to the western part of central Serbia including the area between the Sava river in the north, the Kolubara, Ljig and Dičina in the east, Western Pomoravlje and Stari Vlah in the south, and Drina in the west, encompassing roughly 6,500 square kilometres. The region is further divided into microregions such as Mačva, Posavina, Podrinje, Pocerina, Valjevska Podgorina, Jadar, Rađevina, Tamnava, Lešnica and Azbukovica.

Another interpretation includes the southwestern part of central Serbia, including the Raška macroregion (with Zlatibor).

Geography

There are different interpretations on the border of the region.

  • West Serbia is a macroregion described as an oblast ("province").[1] It stretches from the Sava in the north, the Drina confluence to the Zvijezda mountain and from there along the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the west, encompassing the Tara river branches from the Uvac river.[1] The Uvac valley is the beginning of the southern border, going to the Dobroselica village, from where it includes the catchments between the Drina tributaries of Lim and Uvac and basin of Western Morava in the east, with mountain ridges of Murtenica, Javor and Radočel.[1] The Studenica river is the southern border, including the Studenica monastery and Ušće town (varošica), where the Studenica enters into the Ibar river, and from there becomes the eastern border downstream into the Western Morava near Kraljevo.[1] From Kraljevo, the Western Morava is the border river until the Dičina river enters, forming the eastern border to Rajac in the north.[1] Across Rajac, the eastern border follows down the Ljig river into the Kolubara river and from here up to the Sava.[1] The majority of the region is bordered by rivers, except the mountains of Murtenica, Javor, Golija, Radočel in the south, dividing the region from Southwestern Serbia (or "Raška").[1] According to O. Savić (1978), there were 834 settlements in the oblast, including 16 cities (gradovi): Obrenovac, Arilje, Bajina Bašta, Valjevo, Ivanjica, Kraljevo, Krupanj, Lajkovac, Loznica, Lučani, Mali Zvornik, Požega, Užice, Ub, Čačak and Šabac.[2]
  • West Serbia is a geological region including the mountains of Cer–Vlašić–Gučevo–Boranja–Jagodnja and Sokoska–Medvednik and Povlen–Bukovi, Maljen and Suvobor–Karadag–Jelova–Ponikve, Tara and Zvezda–Zlatibor–Murtenica, Mučanj and Javor, according to J. Žujović (1893).[3]

West Serbia is a communication- and transportation zone connecting central Serbia with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia.[1] During the Yugoslav era, it was a transit zone to all republics.[1]

The relief is dominated by low and medium mountains: Gučevo, Boranja, Jagodnja, Sokolske planine, Jablanik, Medvednik, Povlen, Maljen and Suvobor with Rajac. In Valjevska Podgorina, around Lelić and Bačevac, karst relief appears in the form of holes, coves and caves. The Petnička Cave near Valjevo is famous.

The rivers in the region include Drina, Kolubara, Gradac, Jadar and other smaller rivers. There are hot springs in limestone terrains. Zvornik Lake is a lake created by damming the Drina, and the water is used to produce electricity in the Zvornik hydroelectric plant. The most famous thermal mineral springs are in Banja Koviljača, Banja Vrujca and Banja Badanja.

Settlements

Most of the rural settlements are of the scattered type, except in Mačva. Valjevo and Šabac are larger towns, while smaller include Loznica, Mali Zvornik, Krupanj, Koceljeva, Bogatić and Ljubovija. Valjevo, with c. 60,000 inhabitants, located by the Kolubara, is the largest urban settlement and an important cultural, educational and industrial center of the region, with a developed food and chemical industry, as well as defense industry. Šabac with c. 55,000 inhabitants, located by the Sava, is the center of the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industry. Loznica with c. 20,000 inhabitants, located by the Štira, is an important cultural and economic center of the picturesque Jadar, known for its historical viscose industry.

History

Neolithic remnants were found in Tekeriš.[4] The region has a history of urban settlements in the Roman, medieval and Ottoman periods.[2] The Roman settlement of Gensis existed in the area of Loznica, on the route from Sirmium to ad Drinum.[5] The northwestern part of present-day central Serbia was known in the 14th century during the reign of King Stefan Dragutin as Syrmia, however, from that time on, it was no longer known as such.[6] In the mid-15th century Krupanj and Zajača were known as Serbian Despotate mines.[6]

West Serbia was an operational zone of the Yugoslav Partisans in World War II.[7] It was the primary area of the 1941 uprising.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Savić 1978, p. 231.
  2. ^ a b Savić 1978, p. 232.
  3. ^ Žujović, Jovan (1893). Geologija Srbije. Vol. I. SKA.
  4. ^ Barjaktarović 1964, p. 13.
  5. ^ Barjaktarović 1964, p. 15.
  6. ^ a b Barjaktarović 1964, p. 16.
  7. ^ Mitrović 1975, pp. 10–11.
  8. ^ Mitrović 1975, p. 10.

Sources

Further reading

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