Lika-Senj County
{{Short description|County in Croatia}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Lika-Senj County
| native_name = {{native name|hr|Ličko-senjska županija|italics=off}}
| native_name_lang = hr
| settlement_type = County
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Croatia
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage|position=centera
|photo1a =Gospic panorama s novog mosta.JPG
|photo1b =Nehaj Senj Croatia South 090727.JPG
|photo2a =Senj riva zima 14022012 02.jpg
|photo2b =Nikola Tesla Smiljan 06.jpg
|photo2c =WaterDetail.jpg
|photo3a =Kroatien - Insel Pag - panoramio.jpg
|photo3b =Braunbär, Bärenrefugium von Kuterevo, Kroatien.JPG
|photo4a =Brinje 16Croatia1.jpg
|photo4b =Ostaci crkve sv.Karla Boromejskog - Karlobag.jpg
|size = 270
|spacing = 1
|color = #FFFFFF
|border = 1
}}
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| image_flag = Flag of Lika-Senj County.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_shield = Lika-Senj County coat of arms.svg
| shield_alt =
| image_map = Licko-senjska zupanija in Croatia.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Lika-Senj County within Croatia
| seat_type = County seat
| seat = Gospić
| leader_title = Župan (Prefect)
| leader_name = Ernest Petry
| leader_party = HDZ
| area_total_km2 = 5353
| area_footnotes = {{Croatia Yearbook 2015|page=62}}
| population_as_of = 2022
| population_total = 42,469
| population_density_km2 = auto
| coordinates =
| iso_code = HR-09
| blank_name_sec1 = HDI (2022)
| blank_info_sec1 = 0.842{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2024-10-10|archive-date=2018-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923120638/https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|url-status=live}}
{{color|#090|very high}} · 15th
| website = {{url|http://www.licko-senjska.hr/}}
| footnotes =
| area_code_type = Area code
| area_code = 053
}}
Lika-Senj County ({{IPA|hr|lǐːka sɛ̂ːɲ|langhr}}, {{langx|hr|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.
The county is the least populated (42.469 in 2022) and among the least prosperous ones{{atw|date=December 2023}}, 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
The county has a total area of 5353 km2.
Administrative division
Lika-Senj County is administratively subdivided into 12 units of local government:
Demographics
File:Lika-Senj County Population Pyramid Census 2011 ENG.png of Lika-Senj County per 2011 Census.]]
{{Historical populations
|title = Historical populations of Lika-Senj County
|shading = off
| align = none
| cols = 2
|1857 |155467
|1869 |165692
|1880 |155382
|1890 |170084
|1900 |186871
|1910 |182392
|1921 |177055
|1931 |172735
|1948 |130855
|1953 |125677
|1961 |118329
|1971 |106433
|1981 |90836
|1991 |85135
|2001 |53677
|2011 |50927
|2021 |42893
|footnote=
|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.{{Cite web|title=PROCJENA STANOVNIŠTVA REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE U 2019./POPULATION ESTIMATE OF REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2019|url=https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/publication/2020/07-01-03_01_2020.htm|access-date=2020-10-14|website=www.dzs.hr|archive-date=2020-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921190646/https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/publication/2020/07-01-03_01_2020.htm|url-status=live}}
{{Croatian population data graph |popisi=HRV |upisano=2022-06-04 |područje=Lika-Senj County |p1857=155467 |p1869=165692 |p1880=155382 |p1890=170084 |p1900=186871 |p1910=182392 |p1921=177055 |p1931=172735 |p1948=130855 |p1953=125677 |p1961=118329 |p1971=106433 |p1981=90836 |p1991=85135 |p2001=53677 |p2011=50927 |p2021=42893}}
=Ethnic composition=
Ethnic Croats form the majority with 84.15% of the population, followed by Serbs at 13.65%.{{Croatian Census 2011|E|09}} 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
The current Prefect of Lika-Senj County is Ernest Petry (HDZ).{{Cite web |url=https://www.istra-istria.hr/index.php?id=3 |title=Istarska županija: Župan i zamjenici župana |access-date=2021-07-22 |archive-date=2020-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814231044/http://www.istra-istria.hr/index.php?id=3 |url-status=dead }}
The county assembly is composed of 27 representatives from the following political parties:
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" |
| Political party
! Seats won ! Government |
|---|
| LiPO
|{{Composition bar|9|27|hex=#010062}} |{{no2|Opposition}} |
| Croatian Democratic Union
|{{Composition bar|6|27|{{party color|Croatian Democratic Union}}}} |{{yes2|Government}} |
| Croatian Party of Rights
|{{Composition bar|5|27|hex={{party color|Croatian Party of Rights}}}} |{{yes2|Government}} |
| Croatian Peasant Party
|{{Composition bar|2|27|hex={{party color|Croatian Peasant Party}}}} |{{yes2|Government}} |
| Croatian Party of Pensioners
|{{Composition bar|1|27|hex={{party color|Croatian Party of Pensioners}}}} |{{yes2|Government}} |
| Independent Democratic Serb Party
|{{Composition bar|1|27|hex={{party color|Independent Democratic Serb Party}}}} |{{no2|Opposition}} |
| Croatian Bunjevac Party
|{{Composition bar|1|27|hex=#5aa860}} |{{yes2|Government}} |
| Homeland Movement
|{{Composition bar|1|27|hex={{party color|Homeland Movement (Croatia)}}}} |{{no2|Opposition}} |
| Social Democratic Party of Croatia
|{{Composition bar|1|27|hex=red}} |{{no2|Opposition}} |
=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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/manjinski-izbori-prve-nedjelje-u-svibnju-krecu-i-edukacije-20230313 |title=Manjinski izbori prve nedjelje u svibnju, kreću i edukacije |date=13 March 2023 |author= |publisher=T-portal |access-date=10 June 2023 |archive-date=13 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313062824/https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/manjinski-izbori-prve-nedjelje-u-svibnju-krecu-i-edukacije-20230313 |url-status=live }} 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.{{cite web | url=https://www.izbori.hr/site/UserDocsImages/2023/Manjinski%20izbori%202023/Rezultati/Z9_LICKO_SENJSKA_ZUPANIJA.pdf | title=Informacija o konačnim rezultatima izbora članova vijeća i izbora predstavnika nacionalnih manjina 2023. IX. LIČKO-SENJSKA ŽUPANIJA | date=2023 | author= | publisher=Državno izborno povjerenstvo Republike Hrvatske | page=3 | language=hr | access-date=13 June 2023 | archive-date=13 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613102055/https://www.izbori.hr/site/UserDocsImages/2023/Manjinski%20izbori%202023/Rezultati/Z9_LICKO_SENJSKA_ZUPANIJA.pdf | url-status=dead }} Some municipalities and towns in the county elected their own local minority councils as well.
See also
- Lika-Krbava County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
- Morlachia, an historical region in Europe largely located in the modern Lika-Senj County
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Lika-Senj County}}
- {{Official website}} {{in lang|hr}}
{{Subdivisions of Lika-Senj County}}
{{Counties of Croatia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|44.707|N|15.174|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}