Plitvička Jezera

Plitvička Jezera ( or just Plitvice ; Plitvice Lakes, in English) is a municipality (općina) in central Croatia, in the eastern part of the Lika-Senj county, that lies in and near the eponymous Plitvice Lakes National Park, bisected by the D1 main road (Zagreb–Split). Its total area is 539.08 km2 The main town and seat of the municipality is Korenica. Smaller towns and villages are Bjelopolje, Jezerce, and Ličko Petrovo Selo.

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, its total population was 4,668. The ethnic composition of Plitvička Jezera was 67.3% Croat and 30.5% Serb. In the 2011 census, the population dropped to 4,373, of which 70.11% were Croats and 27.08% were Serbs. The settlements in the municipality are:


 * Bjelopolje, population 114
 * Čanak, population 53
 * Čujića Krčevina, population 8
 * Donji Babin Potok, population
 * Donji Vaganac, population 61
 * Drakulić Rijeka, population 9
 * Gornji Babin Potok, population
 * Gornji Vaganac, population 125
 * Gradina Korenička, population 82
 * Homoljac, population 21
 * Jasikovac, population 28
 * Jezerce, population 246
 * Kalebovac, population 35
 * Kapela Korenička, population 13
 * Kompolje Koreničko, population 130
 * Končarev Kraj, population 1
 * Korana, population 25
 * Korenica, population 1 776
 * Kozjan, population 0
 * Krbavica, population 44
 * Ličko Petrovo Selo, population 110
 * Mihaljevac, population 44
 * Novo Selo Koreničko, population 12
 * Oravac, population 23
 * Plitvica Selo, population 44
 * Plitvička Jezera, population 315
 * Plitvički Ljeskovac, population 20
 * Poljanak, population 98
 * Ponor Korenički, population 3
 * Prijeboj, population 12
 * Rastovača, population 98
 * Rešetar, population 43
 * Rudanovac, population 123
 * Sertić Poljana, population 12
 * Smoljanac, population 245
 * Šeganovac, population 10
 * Trnavac, population 10
 * Tuk Bjelopoljski, population 15
 * Vranovača, population 194
 * Vrelo Koreničko, population 123
 * Vrpile, population 15
 * Zaklopača, population 5
 * Željava, population 38



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. At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Serbs of Croatia fulfilled legal requirements to elect 10 members minority council of the Municipality of Plitvička Jezera.

History
During the Croatian War of Independence and the Krajina uprising, many areas were mined to stop enemy advances. The area around the Korana Bridge has recently been de-mined, but there are still other areas suspected to be mine contaminated as per reports from the local NGO Croatian Mine Action Centre.

Many local ethnic Serbs left the municipality during the war. Between 1,500 and 2,000 have returned. According to Human Rights Watch, many of the ethnic Serbian returnees were experiencing higher unemployment rates and being "excluded from work in municipal or town-run services and institutions, including the National Park".

Economy
Plitvice Lakes National Park is a major tourist destination and the area's main source of income, together with arable lands, grazing lands and woods. Due to the Plitvice Lakes National Park's unique geological evolution and beauty, it was entered in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979. Plitvička Jezera is an underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the First Category Area of Special State Concern by the Government of Croatia.

Notable natives and residents

 * Rade Končar (1911–1942) - antifascist, communist and People's Hero of Yugoslavia
 * Bogdan Dragović