Sarajevo Canton
Sarajevo Canton | Zastava Sarajevskog kantona |
| | | (flag) | (Coat of arms) |
|
 | Location of the Sarajevo Canton |
|
| Main city | Sarajevo |
| Head of canton | Denis Zvizdić |
| Municipalities | Centar, Hadžići, Ilidža, Ilijaš, Novi Grad, Novo Sarajevo, Stari Grad, Trnovo, Vogošća |
| Area | 1,276.9 km² |
Population
- Total
- Density |
402,166
314.95/km² |
|
The
Sarajevo Canton is a
canton of the
Federation in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. The capital is
Sarajevo.
The Canton is basically the metro area of the city it is named after that is inside the
Federation. It contains 98% of Sarajevo's population, but a much smaller percentage of the official land area.
The history of Sarajevo Canton dates back to
Neolithic times, when the
Butmir culture made its mountains and hills their home. In ancient times, the Canton was occupied by the
Illyrians. The local tribe, the Daesitates, controlled most of the area. They were a warlike bunch and the last Illyrian tribe to resist Roman rule, which finally came in
9 a.d. Under Roman rule, many roads were constructed in the region, as well as a city on top of modern day
Ilidža. During the middle ages, the area of Sarajevo Canton was a key part of the Bosnian Kingdom. The city of Vrhbosna existed somewhere in the region and was one of the most important cities at the time.
True development of the region came after the
Ottoman conquest when local
Muslim noble
Isa-Beg Isaković established the roots of the modern city of
Sarajevo, between
1461 and
1463. The region grew along with the city, which quickly, after Istanbul, became the most important in the Balkans. Later rule by
Austria-Hungary modernized and westernized the region. Under
Yugoslavia, the Yugoslavian government further developed the area, which more than tripled in size. Much of this progress was offset however by the
Yugoslav Wars in the early
1990s.
The canton was a result of this warfare, created by the Bosniak-Croat Washington Accords in
1994, and its boundaries defined by the
Dayton Accords in
1995.
For a more detailed look at the history of Sarajevo Canton, see
History of SarajevoLike all
Cantons of Bosnia, the head of Sarajevo Canton is called the Premier. The current premier is Danis Zvizdić. Like many other heads of executive branches of government in the world, the Premier has a cabinet which helps him go about his duties. The Sarajevo Canton also has Ministries, Services, and Agencies to help in the running of the region.
The Canton is split into 9
municipalities. They are all based on the major settlements in their region, except for Sarajevo, which is so large it consists of four separate municipalities and has its own separate city government. There are usually no real city governments in Bosnia as some would imagine, but major cities are in municipalities of the same name (i.e. Ilidža is part of Ilidža Municipality) whose governments are the de facto city government as their jurisdiction covers the city and all major suburbs.
*Agencies of Sarajevo Canton
**Agency for the Development of the Canton
**Agency for Good Reserves
**Agency for Information and Statistics of the Canton
**Agency for the Planning of Canton Growth
**Professional Fire-extinguishing Brigade
The Sarajevo Canton has a typical Bosnian geography. It is located close to the geometric center of the country, and contains numerous mountains, including
Bjelašnica,
Igman,
Jahorina,
Trebević, and
Treskavica. The cities of the Canton are built predominantly on the hills at the foot of these mountains, and the fields in between them. The most significant of these is the Sarajevo field, a small depression upon which the bulk of the city is built upon. The
Miljacka river passes through the Canton.
Vrelo Bosne, the source of the
Bosna River, is found in Sarajevo Canton.
The economy of Sarajevo Canton is slowly growing better, although it has been severely weakened by the
Siege of Sarajevo and is still drastically weaker than it used to be. The employment rate in
Bosnia and Herzegovina is 45.5% officially; however, grey economy may reduce actual unemployment to between 25 and 30%, while in sarajevo the official unemployment rate is around 20% of the labour force.
Major industries in the region include
tourism, food processing, and
manufacturing. Several major Bosnian companies are based in the Canton, and the area holds the country footholds of numerous foreign corporations, such as
Coca Cola.
The Sarajevo Canton contains Sarajevo and its metro areas. Since the city is the largest in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is also one of the most populated
Cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to government statistics from
2002, the overal population of Sarajevo Canton is 701,118.
The
population density of Sarajevo Canton is some 314 people per
km². 17.3% of the Canton's population are youth up to 14 years of age, 69.4% are between 15 and 64 years of age, and some 13.3% are over 65 years of age.
Ethnically speaking, 79.6% of the Canton are
Bosniaks, 11.2% are
Serbs and another 6.7% are
Croats. The most ethnically dominant municipality is
Stari Grad, whose residents are over 98% Bosniak.
Of the nine municipalities, the biggest population belongs to
Novi Grad, with some 296,588 residents. The smallest population was in
Trnovo, which has a mere 839 residents.
 |
Map showing the municipalities within Sarajevo Canton |
Sarajevo Canton consists of 9
municipalities:
#
Centar *#
Hadžići#
Ilidža#
Ilijaš#
Novi Grad *#
Novo Sarajevo *#
Stari Grad *#
Trnovo#
Vogošća* Municipalities 1, 5, 6, and 7 are considered part of the city of Sarajevo.
*
Ilidža*
Sarajevo*
Vogošća*
Official Web Site
