Očauš is a mountain in central

Bosnia 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 ...

, the majority in the municipalities of

Kotor Varoš Kotor Varoš ( sr-cyrl, Котор Варош) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the municipality has a population of 19,710 inhabitants, while the town of Kotor Varoš has a population o ...

and

Teslić Teslić ( sr-cyrl, Теслић) is a town in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the central part of Republika Srpska, on the banks of the Usora (river), Usora River. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,518 inhabita ...

, at an altitude of 1,402 meters (Mihailovac peak).Mučibabić B., Ur. (1998): Geografski atlas Bosne i Hercegovine. Geodetski zavod BiH, Sarajevo, . Očauš extends in the southeast - northwest, between the river basins of

Vrbanja river The Vrbanja ( sr-Cyrl, Врбања) is a river in Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina; with Ugar (river), Ugar, the largest right tributary of the Vrbas (river), Vrbas. Its basin covers an area of approximately 703.5 km2. The Vrbanja has ...

and

Ukrina Ukrina ( cyrl, Укрина) is a river in the Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, right tributary of the river Sava. Its mouth is 3 km north from settlement Koraće and 10 km southwest of Brod. Vojnogeografski institut, Ed. (1955 ...

. It is rich in forest goods and pastures. On this mountain the scattered villages and hamlets, including Upper Očauš, Lower Očauš, Mihajlovačka kosa, Tavani, Ðurđevac, Kilavac, Lepenica, Dolovi, Ceranska kosa, Počivala, Glavička kosa and Mosor. Očauš is rich in water resources: water wells, streams and rivers, and most are: Očaušnica, Pecana, Kamenica, Stankovac, Vukulja, Kojvana, Stubo, Pavina Voda, Vrela, Jakuša, and Bukaljka. German immigration to

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

began in the early part of the 19th century and continued to increase when German businessmen immigrated and established themselves with their families on the island. However, it was the economic and political situation in Europe during the early 19th century plus the fact that the Spanish Crown re-issued the Royal Decree of Graces (Real Cédula de Gracias) which now allowed Europeans who were not of Spanish origin to immigrate to the island that contributed the most to the immigration of hundreds of German families to Puerto Rico in search of a better life. Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain to the United States under the terms of the

1898 Treaty of Paris The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898, was signed by Spain and the United States on December 10, 1898, and marked the end of the Spanish–American Wa ...

, which ended the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, and the U.S. established military bases there. Many soldiers of German-American background stationed in the island upon encountering Puerto Ricans of German ancestry quickly made social contact with them. Not surprisingly, many of them stayed on the island and married into local families that had been established for decades since their own arrival from Germany. With the passage of the Jones Act of 1917 Puerto Ricans could be

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. As a result, Puerto Ricans fought in Germany during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and have served in U.S. military installations in said country since then. Many of these soldiers married German women who eventually moved to the island with their families. Puerto Ricans of German descent have distinguished themselves in different fields, among them the fields of science, business and the military.

References

Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina {{BosniaHerzegovina-geo-stub

See also

References