Ljig

The recorded history of the Ljig settlement itself begins in 1911, when a railroad was built between Lajkovac and Gornji Milanovac. The area, however, has a long history. The Dići church was founded by Serbian nobleman Vlgdrag, who was buried here in 1327.{{cite book|last=Stamenković|first=Srboljub Đ.|title=Geografska enciklopedija: naselja Srbije|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AHEtAQAAIAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Geografski fakultet|page=499}} The ruins of the medieval Vavedenje Monastery include impressive sarcophagi dating from the 15th century, believed to belong to the Serbian despots Stefan Branković and Đurađ Branković. According to legend, Djuradj's wife, Jerina, was buried there as well.

An early reference to "Ljig" can be found in the 17th century records of Evliya Çelebi, which describe "LIGmehri" (the Ljig River) rising from Kara Dag in the village Baht (today's Ba) and flowing into the Kolubara River near Valjevo. No settlement in the area was known to the Austrians when they occupied Serbia from 1717 to 1739. By 1818, however, the nearby settlement Gukosi had grown to 50 homes.

A railway station was built in 1917 near the present-day center of Ljig. This lower area under the Gukoši hill includes a small settlement with a municipal court, school, inn, two stores, two textile mills, three tailors and several houses, and when still part of Gukoši had been referred to as the area "on the Ljig River."

During World War I, the Battle of Kolubara was fought nearby, making this area significant in history of Serbia and of war, and in military science. A monument memorializing the battle has been erected on Rajac Mountain.

Ljig separated from Gukoši in 1922, and by 1930 a school, health center and church were built. Prior to that time, Ljig residents had worshipped in Moravci.

The town of Ljig is the economic and cultural center of the municipality with a primary school founded in 1907, a high school, a public library with a cinema, a health center and a post office.

Aside from the town of Ljig, the following settlements are part of municipality of Ljig:

{{div col|colwidth=12em}}

• Ivanovci
• Kozelj
• Lalinci
• Veliševac
• Babajić
• Ba
• Kadina Luka
• Kalanjevci
• Jajčić
• Liplje
• Moravci
• Štavica
• Gukoš
• Milavac
• Brančić
• Poljanice
• Latković
• Slavkovica
• Paležnica
• Belanovica
• Bošnjanović
• Donji Banjani
• Dići
• Cvetanovac
• Živkovci
• Šutci

{{div col end}}

{{Historical populations

|type =

| percentages = pagr

|1948|20190 |1953|20697 |1961|19662 |1971|18549 |1981|17620 |1991|15912 |2002|14629 |2011|12754 |2022|10711

| source = {{cite web|title=2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia|url=http://pod2.stat.gov.rs/ObjavljenePublikacije/Popis2011/Knjiga20.pdf|website=stat.gov.rs|publisher=Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia|access-date=18 August 2017}}

}}

According to the 2011 census results, the municipality of Ljig has 12,754 inhabitants.

The ethnic composition of the municipality:{{cite web|title=Population by ethnicity and sex, by municipalities and cities|url=http://pod2.stat.gov.rs/ObjavljenePublikacije/Popis2011/Nacionalna%20pripadnost-Ethnicity.pdf|website=stat.gov.rs|publisher=Statistical Office of Serbia|access-date=18 August 2017}}

The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):{{cite web|title=MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA, 2019.|url=https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2019/PdfE/G201913046.pdf|website=stat.gov.rs|publisher=Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia|date=25 December 2019|access-date=28 December 2019}}

File:Ljig, Crkva Svetog Jovana, 04.jpg|Church of St. Jovan

File:Ljig, Centar mesta, 01.jpg|Ljig town center

File:Ljig, Dečja biblioteka, 01.jpg|Ljig Children Library

File:Ljig, Gradska biblioteka, 01.jpg|Ljig Library

File:Ljig, Spomenik ljiškoj borbi, 01.jpg|Monument to the battle in Ljig

File:Ljig, Srednja škola 1300 kaplara, 16.JPG|High School in Ljig

File:Predeo narocite prirodne lepote Rajac (2).jpg|Rajac paragliding

File:Predeo narocite prirodne lepote Rajac (3).jpg|Rajac annual Mowing

File:Cvetanovac 003.jpg|Cvetanovac Forrest

• List of populated places in Serbia

;Notes

1. {{note|town}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20051001081834/http://www.ear.eu.int/publications/main/news-a1a2b3bi4.htm "Plum brandy, the Internet and the world"], European Agency for Reconstruction press release on Ljig
2. {{note|census}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20101113152636/http://webrzs.stat.gov.rs/axd/Zip/eSn31.pdf 2002 Serbian National Census]

;References

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Ljig}}

• {{official website|http://www.ljig.rs}}

{{Municipalities of Serbia}}

{{Kolubara District}}

Category:Populated places in Kolubara District

Category:Šumadija

Category:Municipalities and cities of Šumadija and Western Serbia