Kneževo, Bosnia and Herzegovina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kneževo Кнежево
Town and municipality
Kneževo
Coat of arms
Location within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity	Republika Srpska
Area
• Total	332.9 km2 (128.5 sq mi)
Population  (2013 census)
• Total	9,793
• Density	29.417/km2 (76.190/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Area code(s)	51
Website	Official Kneževo Municipality Website: https://web.archive.org/web/20150714171428/http://www.opstinaknezevo.com//

Kneževo (Serbian Cyrillic: Кнежево), also known as Skender Vakuf (Serbian Cyrillic: Скендер Вакуф), is a town and a municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2013, about 9,793 people lived there.

The Name of Kneževo

Before the Bosnian War (1992-1995), the town was called Skender Vakuf. During the war, the authorities in Republika Srpska changed its name to Kneževo. Because of this, some news and media in the area still call it Skender Vakuf-Kneževo.

A Look at Kneževo's History

A plaque dedicated to local Serb victims of fascism

Long ago, during the time of the Roman Empire, a Roman basilica (a type of large public building) was found in nearby Imljani and Javorani. Parts of an old Roman road, which connected Servitium (today's Banja Luka) to Levsaba (Travnik), were also discovered close by.

You can also find old tombstones called Stećaks in the area. These date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, when this region was part of the Kingdom of Bosnia.

The town of Kneževo was founded during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. It was first mentioned in official records in 1693. The town's original name, Skender Vakuf, comes from a charitable gift (called a vakuf) made by Ali-dedo Skender, which helped the town grow.

Sadly, the Old Mosque and the New Mosque in Skender Vakuf were destroyed in 1992 during the Bosnian War. A very sad event also happened in 1992, known as the Korićani Cliffs massacre. During this event, many Bosniak and Croat people were killed in the municipality. After the war, a part of the municipality became a new area called Dobretići.

Exploring Kneževo's Geography

The Ugar river

Landscape from Osmača

Lake Bočac and Čemernica

Nature park Čemernica

Kneževo is located between three rivers: the Ugar, the Vrbas, and the Vrbanja. It is surrounded by mountains like Čemernica and Ranča to the west, Vlašić to the south, and Ježica to the northeast.

The town itself is about 864 meters (2,835 feet) above sea level. However, the land in the municipality ranges from 600 meters (1,969 feet) to 1,493 meters (4,898 feet) high. Kneževo is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of Banja Luka, which you can reach by the M56 motorway.

Kneževo shares borders with several other municipalities. These include Čelinac to the far north, Kotor Varoš to the east, and Travnik, Dobretići, and Jajce to the south. To the west is Mrkonjić Grad, and to the northwest is the city of Banja Luka. The southern border of the municipality is also the border between Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are the two main parts of the country. The southern mountainous area is covered in forests and has tall limestone mountains.

Villages and Towns in Kneževo Municipality

Besides the main town of Kneževo, the municipality includes many smaller settlements:

People of Kneževo: Demographics

City assembly building

This section shows how the population of Kneževo and its surrounding areas has changed over the years, and the different groups of people who live there.

Population Changes

Ethnic Groups in Kneževo Town

Ethnic Groups in Kneževo Municipality

After the Bosnian War, most of the old Skender Vakuf municipality became part of the new Kneževo municipality in Republika Srpska. However, four villages that were mainly Croat before the war became part of the new Dobretići municipality, which is in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Culture and Landmarks

Church in Živinice

Wooden church in Javorani

Kneževo is home to several important cultural sites. These include the Old Church of St. Nicholas, which was built in 1757, and the 18th-century Church of Prophet Elijah.

In Imljani, there is a monument that honors 43 soldiers from the Army of Republika Srpska who died during the war.

Famous People from Kneževo

• Radojka Lakić, a National Hero of Yugoslavia
• Luka Radetić, a National Hero of Yugoslavia
• Dujko Komljenović, a National Hero of Yugoslavia
• Lazar Tešanović, a Chetnik officer, born in Javorani
• Željko Raljić, a journalist
• Momir Ćelić, a professor
• Tihomir Radetić, a film director
• Radenko Mijatović, president of the Football Association of Slovenia

See also

In Spanish: Kneževo para niños