Bileća

Bileća (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.

History
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. The town became part of the Bosnian state for the first time in 1373, after the defeat of Nikola Altomanović, 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.

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.

Settlements
Aside from the town of Bileća, the municipality includes the following settlements:


 * Baljci
 * Bijela Rudina
 * Bijeljani
 * Bodenik
 * Bogdašići
 * Brestice
 * Čepelica
 * Deleuša
 * Divin
 * Dlakoše
 * Dola
 * Donja Meka Gruda
 * Donji Davidovići
 * Đeče
 * Fatnica
 * Golobrđe
 * Gornja Meka Gruda
 * Gornji Davidovići
 * Granica
 * Hodžići
 * Kačanj
 * Kalac
 * Korita
 * Krivača
 * Krstače
 * Kukričje
 * Kuti
 * Lađevići
 * Milavići
 * Mirilovići
 * Miruše
 * Mrežica
 * Narat
 * Njeganovići
 * Oblo Brdo
 * Orah
 * Orahovice
 * Pađeni
 * Panik
 * Plana
 * Podgorje
 * Podosoje
 * Preraca
 * Prijevor
 * Prisoje
 * Rioca
 * Selišta
 * Simijova
 * Skrobotno
 * Šobadine
 * Todorići
 * Torič
 * Trnovica
 * Vlahinja
 * Vranjska
 * Vrbica
 * Zasada
 * Zaušje
 * Zvijerina
 * Žudojevići

Ethnic composition
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%.

Economy
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in professional fields per their core activity (as of 2018):

Sports
The local football club FK Hercegovac has spent one season in the country's second tier — First League of the Republika Srpska.

Notable people

 * Safet Isović, singer
 * Beba Selimović, singer
 * Fadil Hadžić, movie director and writer
 * Dušan Vukotić, Oscar for the best animated short in 1961 for Surogat
 * Karlo Mijić, painter
 * Jevto Dedijer, writer
 * Nenad Mišanović, basketball player
 * Prokopije Čokorilo, priest
 * Ervin Eleskovic, Swedish tennis player
 * Tijana Bošković, Serbian volleyball player, World and European champion, silver medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics