Berane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berane Беране
Town and municipality
Clockwise, from top: Berane town hall, Đurđevi stupovi monastery, Grammar School, Main square, Panorama of Berane
Flag Coat of arms
Berane Location in Montenegro
Country	Montenegro
Region	Northern Montenegro
Municipality	Berane
Founded	1862
Settlements	66
Area
• Town and municipality	496 km2 (192 sq mi)
Population
• Rank	8th in Montenegro
• Density	49/km2 (130/sq mi)
• Urban	9,923
• Rural	15,239
• Municipality	25,162
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	84300
Area code	+382 51
ISO 3166-2 code	ME-03
Car plates	BA
Climate	Cfb

Berane (Cyrillic: Беране) is a town in Montenegro, located in the northern part of the country. It sits on the Lim river. From 1949 to 1992, the town was called Ivangrad (Cyrillic: Иванград). This name honored Ivan Milutinović, a national hero.

In 2023, Berane had a population of 9,923 people. The wider area of its municipality had 25,162 residents. Berane is an important center for education, medicine, religion, and sports. Many successful people have come from this town.

History of Berane

In the Middle Ages, the area around Berane was known as Budimlja. It was a very important place for religion, politics, and trade in Medieval Serbia. In 1219, Saint Sava, the first Serbian archbishop, started one of the first Serbian churches here.

The Đurđevi stupovi Monastery was built in the late 1100s. Many monasteries and churches in this area show the rich religious life of the Serbs. Another important monastery, Šudikovo, was destroyed by the Turks in 1738.

The area of Berane was part of the Medieval Serbian state until 1455. That year, the Turks took control of the city of Bihor and Budimlja.

During the First Serbian Uprising (1804), people in this area rebelled against the Turks. Mojsije Zečević, a leader from the Đurđevi stupovi Monastery, played a key role. He was a close friend of Petar I Petrović-Njegoš and Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, who were important leaders of Montenegro.

Fights against the Turks continued until the area was finally freed. Major battles happened between 1825 and 1862. The most famous was the Rudes battle on April 7, 1862, where Serbian and Montenegrin rebels won. Berane was finally freed from the Turks in 1912 and became part of Montenegro.

During World War II, there was a civil war in the region. After the war, from 1949 to 1992, Berane was called Ivangrad. It grew into a major industrial center in Montenegro. However, the town's economy suffered greatly in the late 1980s when Yugoslavia faced economic problems. Even though its original name was brought back in 1992, the town's economy struggled for many years.

Culture and Education

The Serbian Orthodox Church and its monasteries, like Šudikova and Đurđevi stupovi, have greatly influenced the culture of this area. Later, schools and other cultural places took on this role.

The Berane Gymnasium (a type of high school), founded in 1913, was very important. Many famous artists and scientists studied there.

Today, cultural institutions in Berane include the Cultural Centre, which has a library. There is also the Polimski Museum, which has a large collection of old and valuable items. The house of Duke Gavro Vuković, a famous lawyer and writer, has been rebuilt for cultural events. Berane also has a school for music and several amateur art clubs.

There are 13 elementary schools, four high schools, and one music school in Berane. The town also has four colleges: a Faculty of Management in Transport and Communications, a Faculty of Teacher-training, a Higher Medical School, and a program for Applied Computer Engineering. Many well-known scientists have come from Berane, even though it doesn't have a special science institution.

Economy and Sports

The municipality of Berane is one of the less wealthy areas in Montenegro. Many factories and businesses closed in the last 15 years. This happened because of the economic problems that affected former Yugoslavia. In the past, many people moved from farms to the town for factory jobs. But when the factories closed, many people faced tough times.

Recently, many small private businesses have started, mostly in shops and restaurants. The total number of people working in the municipality is about 3,000. However, the economy is slowly improving. A coal mine has reopened, and new commercial buildings are being built. More people are moving back to the town.

Berane is connected to the rest of Montenegro by two-lane roads. Bijelo Polje is 35 kilometers away. From there, you can take a train or road to Podgorica and the coast, or to Serbia. You can also reach Serbia by going east through Rožaje. Berane is also on the route of the future Bar-Boljare motorway.

Berane has an airport, but it hasn't been used for regular flights since the 1980s. There are plans to open it again for regional flights. Podgorica Airport is about 150 kilometers away and has flights to major European cities.

Berane has good sports facilities. The most successful sports teams are the handball club Berane and the table tennis club Budim. There is also the football club Berane, a basketball club, a boxing club, an athletic club, and a tennis club. The Sports Centre has many different sports areas. The City Stadium can hold 11,000 people, making it the second largest stadium in Montenegro. A new city hall is also being built next to the stadium.

People and Population

Berane is the main town of Berane Municipality. In 2023, the municipality had 25,162 people, and the town itself had 9,923 people.

Here's how the population of Berane town has changed over the years:

Ethnic groups (2011 census)

Languages spoken (2011 census)

Religions (2011 census)

Climate

Berane has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. Here are some facts about the weather:

Sister Cities

Berane has special friendships with other cities around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities":

Famous People

Berane has been home to many successful people in arts, sports, education, and other fields:

Artists

Athletes

Political, Educational, and Historical Figures

Others and Related People

Gallery

• 

  Panorama of Berane

• 

  Hotel Berane, one of the town's symbols, renovated in 2017

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  Beach at the Lim river

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  City stadium

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  Šiš lake near Berane, Bjelasica mountain

• 

  Musical school in Berane

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  Jasikovac WWII monument

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  Forming of the Eight Montenegrin Brigade in 1944.

See also

In Spanish: Berane para niños