Lika-Senj County (Croatian pronunciation: [lǐːka sɛ̂ːɲ], Croatian: Ličko-senjska županija) is a county in Croatia that includes most of the Lika region and some northern coastline of the Adriatic near the town of Senj, including the northern part of the Pag island. Its center is Gospić.

Lika-Senj County
Ličko-senjska županija
Flag of Lika-Senj County
Coat of arms of Lika-Senj County
Lika-Senj County within Croatia
Lika-Senj County within Croatia
CountryCroatia
County seatGospić
Government
 • ŽupanErnest Petry (HDZ)
Area
 • Total5,353 km2 (2,067 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total42,893
 • Density8.0/km2 (21/sq mi)
Area code053
ISO 3166 codeHR-09
HDI (2019)0.815[3]
very high · 14th
Websitewww.licko-senjska.hr

The county is the least populated (44.625 in mid-2019) and among the least prosperous ones[according to whom?], though it is the largest county in the country by area and includes the Plitvice Lakes National Park and Sjeverni (North) Velebit National Park, some of Croatia's major tourist attractions.

Geography edit

The county has a total area of 5353 km2.

Administrative division edit

Lika-Senj County is administratively subdivided into 12 units of local government:

Demographics edit

 
Population pyramid of Lika-Senj County per 2011 Census.
Historical populations of Lika-Senj County
YearPop.±%
1857 155,467—    
1869 165,692+6.6%
1880 155,382−6.2%
1890 170,084+9.5%
1900 186,871+9.9%
1910 182,392−2.4%
1921 177,055−2.9%
1931 172,735−2.4%
1948 130,855−24.2%
YearPop.±%
1953 125,677−4.0%
1961 118,329−5.8%
1971 106,433−10.1%
1981 90,836−14.7%
1991 85,135−6.3%
2001 53,677−37.0%
2011 50,927−5.1%
2021 42,893−15.8%
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2001, Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, 2005

Since the early 20th century the county's population has been shrinking. As of the 2021 census, the county had 42.893 residents. As of 2011 census, the county had 50,927 residents. The population density is 9.5/km2.

Croatian State Bureau of Statistics estimated population of the county to stand at 45,493 in 2017, 45,184 in 2018, and 44,625 in 2019.[4]

Lika-Senj County: Population trends 1857–2021
population
155467
165692
155382
170084
186871
182392
177055
172735
130855
125677
118329
106433
90836
85135
53677
50927
42893
18571869188018901900191019211931194819531961197119811991200120112021

Ethnic composition edit

Ethnic Croats form the majority with 84.15% of the population, followed by Serbs at 13.65%.[5] Serbs form majority in municipalities of Vrhovine, Donji Lapac, and Udbina.

In 1991, before the outbreak of the Croatian War of Independence and the Breakup of Yugoslavia, Croats comprised 59.7% of the population, while Serbs comprised 37%. The area of the county used to have a significant Serb population, mostly located in the eastern part of the county, where they formed a majority. The entire former Lika-Krbava County, loosely overlapping with the area of the modern Lika-Senj county, in censuses of 1900 and 1910 even registered Serb majority (51.2% and 50.8%, respectively).

County government edit

The current Prefect of Lika-Senj County is Ernest Petry (HDZ).[6]

The county assembly is composed of 27 representatives from the following political parties:

Political party Seats won Government
LiPO
9 / 27
Opposition
Croatian Democratic Union
6 / 27
Government
Croatian Party of Rights
5 / 27
Government
Croatian Peasant Party
2 / 27
Government
Croatian Party of Pensioners
1 / 27
Government
Independent Democratic Serb Party
1 / 27
Opposition
Croatian Bunjevac Party
1 / 27
Government
Homeland Movement
1 / 27
Opposition
Social Democratic Party of Croatia
1 / 27
Opposition

Minority councils and representatives edit

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.[7] At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Serbs of Croatia fulfilled legal requirements to elect 25 members minority council of the Lika-Senj County while Albanians and Bosniaks of Croatia fulfilled requirements to elect individual representative but with both representatives remaining unelected due to the absence of candidatures.[8] Some municipalities and towns in the county elected their own local minority councils as well.[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Ostroški, Ljiljana, ed. (December 2015). Statistički ljetopis Republike Hrvatske 2015 [Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia 2015] (PDF). Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia (in Croatian and English). Vol. 47. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. p. 62. ISSN 1333-3305. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: County of Lika-Senj". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  4. ^ "PROCJENA STANOVNIŠTVA REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE U 2019./POPULATION ESTIMATE OF REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2019". www.dzs.hr. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
  5. ^ "Population by Ethnicity, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census: County of Lika-Senj". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  6. ^ "Istarska županija: Župan i zamjenici župana". Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  7. ^ "Manjinski izbori prve nedjelje u svibnju, kreću i edukacije". T-portal. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Informacija o konačnim rezultatima izbora članova vijeća i izbora predstavnika nacionalnih manjina 2023. IX. LIČKO-SENJSKA ŽUPANIJA" (PDF) (in Croatian). Državno izborno povjerenstvo Republike Hrvatske. 2023. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.

External links edit

44°42′25″N 15°10′26″E / 44.707°N 15.174°E / 44.707; 15.174