Bjelovar-Bilogora County (; hr, Bjelovarsko-bilogorska

županija ''Županija'' (singular; plural ''županije'') or ''Župnija'' (singular; plural ''župnije'') is a South Slavic administrative subdivision. For the etymology, see Župa. The term Županija is used in: * Croatia: counties of Croatia *Cantons of ...

) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in central

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. The central city of Bjelovar was first mentioned in 1413, and it only gained importance when a new fort was built in 1756 to defend against the Ottoman invasions. The town was pronounced a free royal town in 1874. The other part of the county name is for the hill of

Bilogora Bilogora (Bilo-gora, or ''Bilogorje'', ''Bilo-gorje'') is a low mountainous range in Central Croatia. It consists of a series of hills and small plains some 80 kilometres in length stretching in the direction northwest-southeast, along the southwest ...

that stretches along the northern edge of the county. Other towns in the county are Daruvar,

Garešnica Garešnica is a town in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Croatia. It is located in the geographical region of Moslavina. There are a total of 10,472 inhabitants, of whom 85% are Croats. Garešnica is located in central Croatia at the foot of Moslavačk ...

Čazma Čazma is a town in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Croatia. It is part of Moslavina. Geography Čazma is situated 60 kilometers east of Zagreb and only 30 kilometres from the center of the region - Bjelovar. Čazma is situated on the slopes of Mosl ...

, and

Grubišno Polje Grubišno Polje (Czech: ''Hrubečné Pole'') is a town in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Croatia. Demographics In the 1991 census, the settlement had equal numbers of Serbs and Croatians, but during the Croatian War of Independence the Croatian Serbs ...

. The Bjelovar-Bilogora County borders on the

Koprivnica-Križevci County Koprivnica-Križevci County ( hr, Koprivničko-križevačka županija ; hu, Kapronca-Kőrös megye) is a county in Northern Croatia. Its hyphenated name comes from two entities: the two of its largest cities, Koprivnica and Križevci; Koprivn ...

in the north,

Virovitica-Podravina County Virovitica-Podravina County (; hr, Virovitičko-podravska županija ; hu, Verőce-Drávamente megye) is a northern Slavonian county in Croatia. Its county seat is in Virovitica and it includes the area around the Drava river, hence the name ''P ...

in the northeast,

Požega-Slavonia County Požega-Slavonia County ( hr, Požeško-slavonska županija ) is a Croatian county in western Slavonia. Its capital is Požega. Its population was 78,034 at the 2011 census. Alongside the City of Zagreb and Bjelovar-Bilogora County, it is one o ...

in the southeast,

Sisak-Moslavina County Sisak-Moslavina County ( hr, Sisačko-moslavačka županija) is a Croatian Counties of Croatia, county in eastern Central Croatia and southwestern Slavonia. It is named after the city of Sisak and the region Moslavina just across the river Sava. ...

in the southwest, and

Zagreb County Zagreb County ( hr, Zagrebačka županija) is a county in Northern Croatia. It surrounds, but does not contain, the nation's capital Zagreb, which is a separate territorial unit. For that reason, the county is often nicknamed "Zagreb ring" ( hr, z ...

in the west. Alongside the City of Zagreb and

, it is the only Croatian county that does not border another nation.

Administrative division

Bjelovar-Bilogora County is further divided into 5 towns (''grad'', pl. ''gradovi'') and 18 municipalities (''općina'', pl. ''općine'').

Demographics

Bjelovar-Bilogora County Population Pyramid Census 2011 ENG

As of the 2021 census, the county had 101,879 residents. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 39 people per km². As of the 2011 census, the county had 119,764 residents. The

was 45 people per km². Ethnic

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

form the majority with 84.8% of the population, followed by

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

at 6.3% and

Czechs The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, c ...

at 5.2%.

Politics

Minority councils and representatives

Directly elected minority councils and representatives are tasked with consulting tasks for the local or regional authorities in which they are advocating for minority rights and interests, integration into public life and participation in the management of local affairs. At the

2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections The 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections ( hr, Izbori za članove vijeća i predstavnike nacionalnih manjina) were held on 7 May in certain regional (counties) and local administrative units (municipalities and ...

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

and

Serbs of Croatia The Serbs of Croatia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Срби у Хрватској, Srbi u Hrvatskoj) or Croatian Serbs ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", хрватски Срби, hrvatski Srbi) constitute the largest national minority in Croa ...

all fulfilled legal requirements to each elect their own 25 members minority council of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County while

Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, and

Romani people in Croatia There have been Romani people in Croatia for more than 600 years and they are concentrated mostly in the northern regions of the country. A considerable number of Romani refugees in Croatia are from the ethnic conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina ...

were electing individual representatives. Some municipalities, towns or cities in the county elected their own local minority councils as well.

Protected areas

Papuk Papuk is the largest mountain in the Slavonia region in eastern Croatia, near the city of Požega. It extends between Bilogora to the northwest, Krndija to the east, and Ravna gora and Psunj to the southwest. The highest peak is the eponymous ...

References

External links

*
Turistička zajednica Bjelovarsko-bilogorske županije
Tourist Board {{Authority control Counties of Croatia