Čapljina Railway Station
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Čapljina ( cyrl, Чапљина, ) is a city located in
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton The Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (;) ) is one of 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The canton mainly comprises the Neretva river valley area and parts of Herzegovina west of Mostar, its administrativ ...
of the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian: ''Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine'' / ''Федерација Босне и Херцеговине'') is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities composing Bo ...
, an entity of
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. It is located on the border with
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
a mere from the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
. The river
Neretva The Neretva (, sr-Cyrl, Неретва), also known as Narenta, is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Four Hydroelectricity, hydroelectric power plants with Dam, large dams (higher than 15 metres) provide flood ...
flows through the city and flows into the Adriatic just over the border. The town's landmark is a statue of
King Tomislav Tomislav (, ) was the first king of Croatia. He became Duke of Croatia and was crowned king in 925, reigning until 928. During Tomislav's rule, Croatia forged an alliance with the Byzantine Empire against Bulgaria. Croatia's struggles with the F ...
. The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi is also a prominent facet of the city. The city
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...
contains the
Croatian checkerboard The Croatian checkerboard or checky (, ) is the national symbol of Croatia and Croats. It covers the main shield of the Croatian coat of arms, above which there is a crown with five smaller shields. Squares are always arranged correctly and they ...
, the nearby tower in
Počitelj Počitelj is a settlement and a historic village in the Township of Čapljina in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its walled nucleus is protected National Monument of B ...
, and
Saint Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italian mystic, poet and Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Christian life of poverty, he ...
. The city has a rich
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
history and untouched
wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...
and is starting to develop agricultural tourism. It is also home to Hutovo Blato Park, which contains one of the most diverse bird populations in all
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. The Croatian town of
Metković Metković () is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Climate Since records began in 1997, the highest temper ...
is located just over the border and there are significant commercial and other links between the two towns.


History

Not much is known about this city but it was founded by Romans in 5 BC. However, ancient Greek, and later Roman maps clearly show that the area was populated by several native
Illyrian peoples The Illyrians (, ; ) were a group of Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks. The territory ...
, including the
Ardiaei The Ardiaei were an Illyrian people who resided in the territory of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Croatia between the Adriatic coast on the south, Konjic on the north, along the Neretva river and its right ...
, whom the ancient geographer Strabo lists as one of the three strongest Illyrian peoples – the other two being the
Autariatae The Autariatae or Autariatai (alternatively, Autariates; , ''Autariatai''; ) were an Illyrian people that lived between the valleys of the Lim and the Tara, beyond the Accursed Mountains, and the valley of West Morava. Their territory was lo ...
and the
Dardani The Dardani (; ; ) or Dardanians were a Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan people, who lived in a region that was named Kingdom of Dardania, Dardania after their settlement there. They were among the oldest Balkan peoples, and their society wa ...
. Čapljina is situated in the wider Neretva valley region (the original homeland of ancient Illyrian people of ''Ardiaei''), and its name derives from ''čaplja'' which means '
heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...
'. The Latin word for heron is ''ardea'', a word that bears striking similarity with the name of ''Ardiaei'', and it might possibly be its cognate. This theory opens up many possibilities for the interpretation of the original homeland of the Ardiaei and the etymology of their name. For example, heron might have had totemic pagan value among local Illyrians, due to its presence in this area, and it is not implausible to conclude that one of those Illyrian peoples named itself after a heron, the ''Ardiaei''. The
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''ardea'' might be a Latin translation of some original Illyrian word for 'heron' that
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
found when they settled in this area, or the 'ardea' itself, could have been an Illyrian word taken by Romans, who might have slightly altered it and integrated it into their language, the Latin. Indeed, the word ''Ardiaei'' is found in ancient Greek sources predating the arrival of Romans and their language to the Illyrian lands. It is also possible that ancient Illyrians or Romans named this place 'the place of heron(s), and the Slavic settlers, who settled in the former Illyrian lands around 6th century A.D. translated the name of this place into their language(s), which in turn gave 'Čapljina', "''the place of heron(s)''". The Prebilovci massacre, in which around 4,000 people (mainly Serbs) were killed total, including 300 villagers from the
Prebilovci Prebilovci ( sr-cyrl, Пребиловци) is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the city of Čapljina (Чапљина). Prebilovci was first mentioned in the 15th century. The village has a population of roughly around 50 inhabitants. Pr ...
thrown into a pit, is one of the most significant atrocities in this area during the
Genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia The Genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Genocid nad Srbima u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj, separator=" / ", Геноцид над Србима у Независној Држави Хрватској) was the sy ...
. Out of about 700 villagers from Prebilovci, fewer than 200 survived. As a revenge, In 1942, the Serbian royalist
Chetniks The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
attacked several villages in the Čapljina area. The village of
Hotanj Hotanj is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the municipality of Čapljina Čapljina ( cyrl, Чапљина, ) is a city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia a ...
was burned, and many Croat and Bosniak civilians were killed. Since World War II it has been an important road and rail transportation link, connecting the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the port of Ploče in
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. During the 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina the city was taken over by the
Croatian Defence Council The Croatian Defence Council (, HVO) was the armed wing of the self-proclaimed Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, a breakaway entity unrecognised by the international community and accused of ethnic-based violence during the conflict. It exis ...
, which expelled the non-Croat population and set up concentration camps for
Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
at
Gabela camp The Gabela camp or Gabela prison was a prison camp run by the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and Croatian Defence Council in Gabela. The camp was located several kilometres south of Čapljina. Its prisoners were Bosniaks and Serbs. The camp ...
and Dretelj camp. During the summer of 2007
wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
caused extensive damage throughout the rural part of the municipality. The officials of Čapljina, Stolac, Čitluk and Neum declared the state of natural disaster on their territories.


Status

In May 2019, the Municipality of Čapljina became an official city.


Settlements


Demographics


Ethnic composition


Culture

In the Čapljina area, cultural associations include the following: * HKUD Čapljina * HKUD Višići (
Višići Višići is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the municipality of Čapljina Čapljina ( cyrl, Чапљина, ) is a city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosni ...
) * HKUD Luke (
Višići Višići is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the municipality of Čapljina Čapljina ( cyrl, Чапљина, ) is a city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosni ...
) * HKUD Sveti Ante ( Dretelj) * HKUD Seljačka Sloga (
Trebižat Trebižat is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the municipality of Čapljina Čapljina ( cyrl, Чапљина, ) is a city located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosn ...
) * HKUD "Zora" Struge-Gorica * KUD "Kolo Dubravsko" (
Bivolje Brdo Bivolje Brdo is a village in Čapljina municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Population Ethnic composition Total: 841 * Muslims - 562 (66.82%) * Croats - 256 (30.43%) * Yugoslavs - 6 (0.71%) * Serbs - 4 (0.47 ...
)


Notable residents

*
Dejan Aćimović Dejan Aćimović (1963) is a Bosnian-Croatian actor and film director. He was born in Čapljina, SFR Yugoslavia, now Bosnia and Herzegovina. As an actor, his work included principal and supporting roles in numerous films, both within and outsi ...
(born 1963), Croatian actor *
Dragan Bender Dragan Bender (born 17 November 1997) is a Croatian professional basketball player who last played for the Monbus Obradoiro of the Spanish Liga ACB. He stands and played the power forward and center positions. He was selected by the Phoenix ...
(born 1997), Croatian basketball player in the
Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
*
Milorad Ekmečić Milorad Ekmečić ( sh-Cyrl, Милорад Екмечић; 4 October 1928 – 29 August 2015) was a Yugoslav and Serbian historian. During World War II he became a member of the Yugoslav Partisans after the fascist Ustaše perpetrated the Pr ...
(1928–2015), Serbian historian *
Mirsad Fazlagić Mirsad Fazlagić (born 4 April 1943) is a Bosnian retired professional football player and manager. He played as a full-back. Club career Fazlagić started his football career in the youth setup of his local hometown team Čapljina in 1957. As ...
(born 1943), retired Yugoslav footballer *
Nikica Jelavić Nikica Jelavić (; born 27 August 1985) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Jelavić began his career with Croatian side Hajduk Split of the Prva HNL in 2002, before moving to Belgian Pro League club Zulte Wa ...
(born 1985), Croatian footballer *
Vukašin Mandrapa Vukašin Mandrapa ( sr-Cyrl, Вукашин Мандрапа; died 1942 or 1943), also known as Vukašin of Klepci () and Vukašin of Jasenovac () is a Serbian Orthodox layman who was alleged to have been murdered in the Jasenovac concentration ...
(? - 1943), Serbian Orthodox saint * Semjon Milošević (born 1979), retired footballer *
Slobodan Praljak Slobodan Praljak (; 2 January 1945 – 29 November 2017) was a Bosnian Croat general found guilty by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of committing violations of the laws of war, crimes against humanity, and ...
(1945–2017), Croatian general, politician, war criminal and writer *
Admir Salihović Admir Salihović (born 15 November 1989) is a Bosnian footballer who plays for EDC FC Burnaby in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League. Career He is a talented, young player who can play on the left or right-hand side of midfield, he joins the Wh ...
(born 1988), Bosnian footballer * Ivo Prskalo (born 1948), retired Yugoslav and Australian footballer *
Dada Vujasinović Radislava "Dada" Vujasinović ( sr-cyrl, Радислава "Дада" Вујасиновић, ; 10 February 1964 – 8 April 1994) was a Serbian journalist and reporter for the news magazine '' Duga'', published in Belgrade. Career She covered ...
(1964–1994), Serbian journalist and news reporter *
Jasmin Repeša Jasmin Repeša (born 1 June 1961) is a Bosnian-born Croatian professional basketball coach and former player currently serving as head coach for Trapani Shark of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A. Repeša has won numerous pro club competitions d ...
(born 1961), Croatian basketball coach *
Pamela Ramljak Feminnem is a girl group from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina composed of three members. They represented both countries at the Eurovision Song Contest; Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005 (with original members Ivana Marić, Neda Parmać and Pam ...
(born 1979), Croatian singer *
Marko Vego Marko Vego (8 January 1907 – 26 February 1985) was a Bosnian and Yugoslav archaeologist, epigrapher and historian. Biography Vego was born in Čapljina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to father Jozo who was a worker at a tobacco station. Vego ...
(1907–1985), Yugoslav archeologist, epigrapher and historian *
Nikola Prce Nikola Prce (born 31 August 1980) is a Bosnian handball player for KH BESA FamGas and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He is one of the best handball players and leader of a young generation of players in Bosnia and Herzegovina men's na ...
(born 1980), Bosnian handball player * Josip Šutalo (born 2000), Croatian football player


Sports

*
HNK Čapljina HNK Čapljina (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Hrvatski nogometni klub Čapljina'', Literal translation, lit. Croatian Football Club Čapljina) is a professional association football club from the city of Čapljina that is situated in Bosnia and He ...
(
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
) * GOŠK Gabela (
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
) *
HKK Čapljina Lasta HKK Čapljina Lasta ( Croatian: ''Hrvatski košarkaški klub Čapljina'', English: ''Croatian Basketball Club Čapljina'') is a professional basketball team from Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It competes in the Basketball Championship of Bo ...
(
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
)


Twin towns – sister cities

Čapljina is twinned with: *
Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of Koprivnica-Križevci County. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total populati ...
, Croatia * Požega, Croatia *
Vrhnika Vrhnika (; ;''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 120. ) is a town in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Vrhnika. It is locat ...
, Slovenia


References


Bibliography

* * * * * *


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capljina Populated places in Čapljina Cities and towns in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina