| Settlement Type: | Town and municipality |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Entity |
| Subdivision Type2: | Geographical region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Herzegovina |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Native Name: | Билећа |
| Official Name: | Bileća |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Town |
| Area Blank2 Title: | Municipality |
| Area Blank2 Km2: | 632.33 |
| Population As Of: | 2013 census |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Town |
| Population Blank1: | 8220 |
| Population Density Blank1 Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Municipality |
| Population Blank2: | 10807 |
| Population Density Blank2 Km2: | auto |
| Parts Type: | Settlements |
| Parts: | 61 (2013.) |
| Coordinates: | 42.8667°N 44°W |
| Area Code: | 59 |
| Leader Title: | Municipal mayor |
| Leader Name: | Veselin Vujović |
| Leader Party: | SDS |
| Image Map1: | Bileća-naselja.PNG |
Bileća (Serbian: Билећа) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants.
The first traces of civilization in Bileća date from the Neolithic period, although archaeological sites are insufficiently explored.
During the Middle Ages, Bileća was located on the border with the župa of Vrm and the nearby Vlach necropolis, and was often mentioned as an important crossroad location for caravans on the route from Dubrovnik to Nikšić and Ključ, near Gacko.[1] [2] The town became part of the Bosnian state for the first time in 1373, after the defeat of Nikola Altomanović,[3] but the first mention of the town under its present name was from 25 January 1387, while it was also mentioned as Bilechia in 1438. A document dated from 8 September 1388 mentions that the army of the duke Vlatko Vuković defeated the Turkish army at the Battle of Bileća. The period from the 13th to the 16th century was marked by the building of a large number of stećci. There were 1724 stećak monoliths recorded in Bileća area during the 1970s, with later research suggesting a higher number.[4]
Bileća was held by the Turks from 1466, although it was a rebellious area that was difficult to control. Nearby lies the town of Vučji Do, where the Turks were defeated in the Battle of Vučji Do in 1876. The Congress of Berlin in 1878 included Bileća in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which brought economic development to the region. The first primary school in Bileća was opened in 1880.
Aside from the town of Bileća, the municipality includes the following settlements:
| Population of settlements – Bileća municipality | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settlement | 1948. | 1953. | 1961. | 1971. | 1981. | 1991. | 2013. | ||
| Total | 13,531 | 14.026 | 14,125 | 13,444 | 13,199 | 13,284 | 10,807 | ||
| 1 | Baljci | 417 | 293 | ||||||
| 2 | Bileća | 1,270 | 1,563 | 2,491 | 4,033 | 5,763 | 7,568 | 7,476 | |
| 3 | Podosoje | 971 | 1,055 | ||||||
According to the 1910 census, the absolute majority in the Bileća municipality were Orthodox Christians (82.27%). According to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1931 population census, the majority was held by Orthodox Christians at 81.27%.
| Ethnic composition – Bileća town | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013. | 1991. | 1981. | 1971. | ||||
| Total | 7,616 (100,0%) | 7,568 (100,0%) | 5,763 (100,0%) | 4,033 (100,0%) | |||
| Serbs | 7,500 (98,5%) | 5,619 (74,25%) | 3,882 (67,36%) | 2,810 (69,68%) | |||
| Bosniaks | 7 (0,1%) | 1,290 (17,05%) | 841 (14,59%) | 828 (20,53%) | |||
| Others | 90 (1,2%) | 411 (5,431%) | 26 (0,451%) | 36 (0,893%) | |||
| Yugoslavs | 209 (2,762%) | 651 (11,30%) | 64 (1,587%) | ||||
| Croats | 19 (0,2%) | 39 (0,515%) | 42 (0,729%) | 82 (2,033%) | |||
| Montenegrins | 286 (4,963%) | 190 (4,711%) | |||||
| Macedonians | 23 (0,399%) | 14 (0,347%) | |||||
| Albanians | 7 (0,121%) | 1 (0,025%) | |||||
| Slovenes | 5 (0,087%) | 8 (0,198%) | |||||
| Ethnic composition – Bileća municipality | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013. | 1991. | 1981. | 1971. | ||||
| Total | 10,807 (100,0%) | 13,284 (100,0%) | 13,199 (100,0%) | 13,444 (100,0%) | |||
| Serbs | 10,646 (98,51%) | 10,628 (80,01%) | 10,190 (77,20%) | 10,880 (80,93%) | |||
| Others | 114 (1,055%) | 448 (3,372%) | 34 (0,258%) | 50 (0,372%) | |||
| Bosniaks | 26 (0,241%) | 1,947 (14,66%) | 1,803 (13,66%) | 2,079 (15,46%) | |||
| Croats | 21 (0,194%) | 39 (0,294%) | 44 (0,333%) | 82 (0,610%) | |||
| Yugoslavs | 222 (1,671%) | 773 (5,857%) | 69 (0,513%) | ||||
| Montenegrins | 317 (2,402%) | 261 (1,941%) | |||||
| Macedonians | 24 (0,182%) | 14 (0,104%) | |||||
| Albanians | 8 (0,061%) | 1 (0,007%) | |||||
| Slovenes | 6 (0,045%) | 8 (0,060%) | |||||
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in professional fields per their core activity (as of 2018):[5]
| Professional field | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 2 | |
| Mining and quarrying | 1 | |
| Manufacturing | 377 | |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 78 | |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 107 | |
| Construction | 195 | |
| Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 267 | |
| Transportation and storage | 86 | |
| Accommodation and food services | 81 | |
| Information and communication | 25 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 18 | |
| Real estate activities | align="right" | - |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 22 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 4 | |
| Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 225 | |
| Education | 193 | |
| Human health and social work activities | 80 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 42 | |
| Other service activities | 31 | |
| Total | 1,834 |
The local football club FK Hercegovac has spent one season in the country's second tier — First League of the Republika Srpska.