Šamac

:"Also see: Šamac (disambiguation)"Infobox Settlement

---

settlement_type =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Bosnia and Herzegovina
subdivision_type1 =Republika Srpska
subdivision_name1 =
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
timezone=CET
utc_offset=+1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
unit_pref=
map_caption =Location of Šamac within Bosnia and Herzegovina
latNS=N
longEW=E
population_as_of= 1991
native_name = Шамац
official_name = Šamac/Bosanski Šamac
other_name =

---

area_total_km2 =
population_blank1 = ?|population_blank1_title=Municipality
population_total = 32,835
|parts_type=Settlements
parts =
latd =45|latm=06
longd=18|longm=47
area_code = 54
website = [http://www.opstinasamac.org/ www.opstinasamac.org]
footnotes =
leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Mirko Lukić (SDS) [ [http://www.izbori.ba/documents/Rezultati%20izbora%202004/Utvrdjeni/2004NacelniciRS.pdf From Centralna izborna komisija Bosne i Hercegovine] — in Serbo-Croatian]
leader_party =
|

Šamac (Cyrillic: Шамац) or Bosanski Šamac (Cyrillic: Босански Шамац), is a town and municipality in the northern part of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the right bank of the Sava river. [http://www.vladars.net/en/srpska/opstine.html] Across the river is Slavonski Šamac in Croatia.

History

The city was part of the old Ottoman province of Bosnia by the time it was incorporated in the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of 19th century. After the I World War, the city passed to part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1929 to 1939, it was part of Drina Banovina; and from 1939 until 1941 it was part of the Banovina of Croatia. During World War II, Bosanski Šamac, as all the rest of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was included into Nazi-controlled Independent State of Croatia. After 1945, the city was reintegrated within the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tito's Yugoslavia.

In the early stages of the Bosnian war the town was taken by Serbs who established the provisional municipal government. Most Bosniaks and Croats were ethnically cleansed. [ [http://www.hrw.org/reports/1994/bosnia/ War Crimes in Bosnia-Hercegovina: Bosanski Samac — Six War Criminals Named by Victims of “Ethnic Cleansing”] , "Human Rights Watch", April 1994] [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984525-1,00.html FACE TO FACE WITH EVIL] , "Time magazine", May 13, 1996] During the war, a semi-permanent front line was established against Croatian and Bosniak forces towards the neighboring Orašje. In 2003, three town leaders at the time of the Yugoslav Wars were sentenced in ICTY for crimes against humanity. [ [http://www.asil.org/ilib/ilib0622.htm#j3 International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) (Trial Chamber II): Prosecutor v. Blagoje Simic, Mirolsav Tadic and Simo Zadic (October 17, 2003)] ]

The town lies on an important strategic position – the corridor connecting north-western and south-eastern parts of Republika Srpska, near Brčko and bordering the two FBiH's exclaves at the frontier with Croatia. As with most other places under their control, Srpska authorities removed the "Bosnian" adjective from the town's official name. Bosniaks and Croats continue to refer to it as "Bosanski Šamac".

Demographics

1971

31.374 total
* Croats - 14.336 (45,69%)
* Serbs - 14.230 (45,35%)
* Muslims - 2.192 (6,98%)
* Yugoslavs - 481 (1,53%)
* others - 135 (0,45%)

1991

Municipality of Bosanski Šamac

total: 32,960

* Croats - 14,731 (44.69%)
* Serbs - 13,628 (41.34%)
* Muslims by nationality - 2,233 (6.77%)
* "Yugoslavs" - 1,755 (5.32%)
* others and unknown - 613 (1.85%)

Town of Bosanski Šamac (itself)

total: 6,239

* Muslims by nationality - 2,178 (34.90%)
* Serbs - 1,755 (28.12%)
* "Yugoslavs" - 1,195 (19.15%)
* Croats - 827 (13.25%)
* others and unknown - 284 (4.55%)

2006

Municipality of Bosanski Šamac

In 2006, the majority of the inhabitants of the municipality were ethnic Serbs. [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
] ]

References

* Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, Zavod za statistiku Bosne i Hercegovine - Bilten no.234, Sarajevo 1991.

Sport

The local football club, FK Borac Šamac, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska.

Famous residents

Bosanski Šamac is the birthplace of Alija Izetbegović (former leader of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Sulejman Tihić (Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Zoran Đinđić (former prime minister of Serbia), and Predrag Nikolić (chess Grand Master).
Dario Damjanović
Ilija Katić

Monument to Bosnian Serbs

A monument in Bosanski Šamac, Republika Srpska, for the Serbs who fought and died in the Bosnian war, has the Serbian eagle in the center, the years which the war occurred (1992-1995) and the Serbian slogan: "Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava" on the left and right sides. [ [http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/62/291.html Jean-Arnault Derens, EU plans trade routes across the continent ] ]

ee also

*Municipalities of Republika Srpska

References

External links

* [http://www.opstinasamac.org/ Official site of Šamac Municipality]
* [http://www.BosanskiSamac.net/ Bosanski Šamac]
* [http://www.geocities.com/kladnjak/ Klub građana i prijatelja grada Bosanskog Šamca]