Šiprage facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Šiprage Шипраге
Village
Šiprage Location in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Municipality	Kotor Varoš
Founded	Not later than the 5th century
Highest elevation	520 m (1,710 ft)
Lowest elevation	507 m (1,663 ft)
Population  (1991)
• Total	952
Demonym(s)	Šipražani
Time zone	Central European
Area code(s)	+387 (051)
Website	http://www.opstinakotorvaros.com/

Šiprage (Serbian Cyrillic: Шипраге) is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Republika Srpska area, within the Kotor Varoš Municipality.

This village has changed its official status over time. It grew from a local community into a municipality in the County of Kotor Varoš. However, in the 1950s, it became a local community again.

What's in a Name? The Origin of Šiprage

The name Šiprage comes from a powerful family called Šipraga. It is not fully clear if this family always lived in the area or if they moved there. They owned a lot of land in the valley of the Vrbanja River and its smaller streams.

Stories passed down through generations say that the Šipraga family started in a place called Pougarje. This area is on the slopes of Vlašić Mountain, near the Ugar River.

Exploring the Geography of Šiprage

Šiprage is located along the Vrbanja River. It is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of Banja Luka and 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Kotor Varoš. The village center is part of the local community.

The village sits in a long valley surrounded by several mountain ranges. To the northeast is Šipraško Brdo (Šiprage's Hill), with its highest point, Glavić, at 950 meters (3,117 feet). To the south is Jasik (769 meters), and to the southeast is Šahinovina–Stražbenica (848 meters). To the west is Radohova (with Kape at 950 meters), and to the northwest is Borčići (799 meters) with Hrastik.

The settlement, including the Vrbanja River and its tributaries, is about three kilometers long and two kilometers wide. It has many sources of fresh drinking water. One of these, along with the Crkvenica stream, provides water for the local water system. Several streams flow into the Vrbanja River here: Musić potok, Crkvenica, and Bakin potok on the right side. On the left side are Ćorkovac, Zagradinski potok, and Demićka.

Understanding Šiprage's Climate

Šiprage and the area around it have a moderate continental climate. This means it experiences all four seasons clearly: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The temperatures and rainfall change quite a bit throughout the year, but they tend to be stable over many years.

Here are the long-term climate details for Šiprage:

The difference between the driest and wettest months is 41 millimeters (1.6 inches). Throughout the year, the average temperatures change by about 20.6 °C (37.1 °F).

Nature and Wildlife in Šiprage

In the Šiprage Valley and on the hills around it, along the Vrbanja River and its streams, there is a lot of farmland. There are also forests with a mix of trees like spruce, abies, white pine, black pine, beech, and hornbeam.

These natural areas and mountain meadows are home to many animals, both large and small. You might find bears, wild boars, wolfs, foxes, rabbits, hedgehogs, badgers, martens, and weasels. Some of these animals are unique to Bosnia.

The Vrbanja River, especially upstream from the village of Obodnik to Tomina Luka, is known for its salmonid fish. These include fish like grayling, huchen, and brown trout. However, the grayling disappeared in the 1970s, and the trout are also at risk. This is due to floods, too much fishing, and pollution from forest activities. Efforts are made to restock the fish, but this raises questions about the natural fish populations.

A Look at Šiprage's History

The first signs of people living in the Vrbanja river valley date back to the Neolithic period (New Stone Age). Later, the Illyrian tribe called the Maezaeis lived here. Around the 4th century BC, the Celts arrived.

Roman Times and Early Settlements

From the Roman period, there are several important sites in Šiprage. At the mouth of the Crkvenica stream into the Vrbanja river, remains of an early Christian basilica (a type of church) from the 3rd to 5th centuries were found in 1891.

Archaeological findings confirm that a Roman settlement existed here. There are also stećci, which are medieval tombstones, dating back to the 12th century. Originally, these tombstones were located at the meeting point of the Crkvenica stream and the Vrbanja River. Some were later moved and built into the walls of nearby buildings. One of the best-preserved stećak is now underwater in the Vrbanja River, very close to its original spot.

From Empires to Yugoslavia

In the Middle Ages, Šiprage was part of the state of Bosnia, specifically a region called Donji Kraji ("Lower regions"). Later, in 1519, the Ottomans took control of the area. In 1878, the region became part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Finally, in 1918, it joined Yugoslavia.

Šiprage During World War II

During World War II, Šiprage was an important place for the Partisans, who were resistance fighters. The 12th Division Hospital was set up in the Demić gorge to help their 5th Corpus. Even though the nearby village was bombed by the German air force (Luftwaffe), the hospital survived.

To keep the hospital safe, it was moved to nearby villages like Stopan, Lozići, Palivuk, Čudnić, and Kruševo Brdo. Around 600 injured people and patients were moved. After the fighting, the hospital returned to Šiprage on January 15, 1944. After the war, in 1960, the remains of soldiers from a grave in the woods were moved to a shared Partisan Memorial Cemetery in Šiprage.

The Bosnian War and Its Aftermath

During the Bosnian War (1992–95), many villages around Šiprage were destroyed. This included Bosniak villages along the Vrbanja River, both upstream towards Kruševo Brdo and downstream towards Banja Luka.

A detention camp for Bosniak people from the Kotor Varoš Municipality was located at the Police station in Šiprage.

After 1996, many Bosniak villages were partly rebuilt. This was possible thanks to help from the Luxembourgish government and soldiers from the BELUGA battalion, part of the SFOR-EUFOR Mission. The only mosque in the wider area was also rebuilt. During the war, an Orthodox church was built in the center of the village. It was built on the site where the "Forestry House" and the local government office used to be.

Population of Šiprage

The number of people living in Šiprage has changed over the years. Here's a look at the population based on different censuses:

Population Changes Over Time

• 1931. and 1953.: These numbers are for the whole Šiprage Municipality, not just the village.
  • These numbers are for the wider Šiprage area.

Population by Ethnic Group (1971-1991)

Here's a breakdown of the population by different ethnic groups for several census years:

See also

In Spanish: Šiprage para niños