Knjaževac
Encyclopedia
Knjaževac is a town and municipality situated in the eastern part of Serbia
bordering the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Timočka Krajina
region. It is found between the latitudes of 43°20' and 43°45' north and between the longitudes 22°11' and 22°41' east. The town is situated between three mountains. The municipality has a population of 30,902 inhabitants.
and Thracians
dwelled in the area. Timacum Maius was the Roman name for the town. In 1833, the town, formerly known as Gurgusovac was liberated from the Turks. In 1859 the name was changed from Gurgusovac to Knjaževac. In 1944, a train tunnel was built in the town which also is a symbol in the town's coat of arms
.
The highest point in the territory of the municipality is Midžor
on Stara Planina (2169 m), which is also the second highest peak in the Republic of Serbia. The lowest point is 176 metres high and is situated in the Knjaževac valley. There are 86 inhabited places in the municipality of which 85 are villages. The town itself is situated at the confluence of the Trgoviški Timok and the Svrljiški Timok which become the Beli Timok. It flows on towards Zaječar
, merges with the Crni Timok and becomes simply, Timok
. It is this river that gives name to the Timočka Krajina region.
Knjaževac is connected with other towns by road and railroad traffic.
Knjaževac is situated in eastern Serbia and is an integral part of Timočka Krajina region as its southmost towns.
The population of the municipality include 35,977 (96.79%) Serbs
, 452 (1.22%) Roma.
. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 21.3 °C (70 °F), whereas the coldest month is January with average temperature of -0.8 °C. Average annual rainfall is 590.8 mm/m2. There are 306 sunny days and 30 days of snow in a year.
Babin Zub offers opportunities for tourism and sports events. Its picnic areas are set in areas of natural beauty (like Banjica, Baranica etc.) are a real place for rest and recreation. The 14th-century Church of the Holy Mother of God
lies in the nearby village of Donja Kamenica
.
with:
Belogradchik
, Bulgaria
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
bordering the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Timočka Krajina
Timočka Krajina
Timočka Krajina is a geographical region located in Serbia. It is situated in eastern Serbia around the Timok River. The population of Timočka Krajina is 284,112 .-Name:...
region. It is found between the latitudes of 43°20' and 43°45' north and between the longitudes 22°11' and 22°41' east. The town is situated between three mountains. The municipality has a population of 30,902 inhabitants.
History
DaciansDacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
and Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
dwelled in the area. Timacum Maius was the Roman name for the town. In 1833, the town, formerly known as Gurgusovac was liberated from the Turks. In 1859 the name was changed from Gurgusovac to Knjaževac. In 1944, a train tunnel was built in the town which also is a symbol in the town's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
.
Geography
The municipality extends over an area of 1202 km2 and is the fourth largest in the Republic of Serbia. Its countryside is mostly hilly and mountainous.The highest point in the territory of the municipality is Midžor
Midzor
Midžor is a peak in the Balkan Mountains, situated on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. At , it is the highest peak of the Western Balkan Mountains, as well as of Central SerbiaThe highest peak of Serbia is officially Đeravica in the Prokletije mountain range at , but is located in Kosovo....
on Stara Planina (2169 m), which is also the second highest peak in the Republic of Serbia. The lowest point is 176 metres high and is situated in the Knjaževac valley. There are 86 inhabited places in the municipality of which 85 are villages. The town itself is situated at the confluence of the Trgoviški Timok and the Svrljiški Timok which become the Beli Timok. It flows on towards Zaječar
Zajecar
Zaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
, merges with the Crni Timok and becomes simply, Timok
Timok River
The Timok is a river in eastern Serbia and for the last 15 km of its run a border between eastern Serbia and western Bulgaria.It derives the names in all these from the name it had in antiquity, Latin: Timacus....
. It is this river that gives name to the Timočka Krajina region.
Knjaževac is connected with other towns by road and railroad traffic.
Knjaževac is situated in eastern Serbia and is an integral part of Timočka Krajina region as its southmost towns.
Population
The population of the municipality of Knjaževac is 30,902, while the population of the town is 18,089 (2011 census). The average population density is 25.7 inhabitants per square kilometer making it a sparsely populated municipality.The population of the municipality include 35,977 (96.79%) Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, 452 (1.22%) Roma.
Climate
Knjaževac and its surroundings have a temperate and continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
. The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 21.3 °C (70 °F), whereas the coldest month is January with average temperature of -0.8 °C. Average annual rainfall is 590.8 mm/m2. There are 306 sunny days and 30 days of snow in a year.
Tourism
Knjaževac, with its ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
Babin Zub offers opportunities for tourism and sports events. Its picnic areas are set in areas of natural beauty (like Banjica, Baranica etc.) are a real place for rest and recreation. The 14th-century Church of the Holy Mother of God
Church of the Holy Mother of God, Donja Kamenica
The Church of the Holy Mother of God is a medieval Eastern Orthodox church in the village of Donja Kamenica in Knjaževac municipality, Zaječar District, eastern Serbia...
lies in the nearby village of Donja Kamenica
Donja Kamenica
Donja Kamenica is a village in the municipality of Knjaževac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 360 people.-References:...
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Knjaževac is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Belogradchik
Belogradchik
Belogradchik is a town in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of the homonymous Belogradchik Municipality. The town, whose name literally means "small white town," is situated in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains just east of the Serbian border and about 50 km...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...