Brčko District

الموسوعة الحرة

Brčko District (Serbo-Croatian: Brčko distrikt / Брчко дистрикт), officially the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Serbo-Croatian: Brčko distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine / Брчко дистрикт Босне и Херцеговине), is a self-governing administrative unit in north-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Officially a condominium of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, it was formed in 1999 to reflect the multi-ethnic nature of Brčko and the surrounding areas and their special status within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. In reality, it functions as a local self-government area, much like the other municipalities in the country.[6] The seat of the district is the city of Brčko.

History

Map of the District
Dayton boundary lines before the formation of the Brčko District

The Brčko District was established after an arbitration process undertaken by the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1][2][7] According to the Dayton Peace Accords, however, the process could only arbitrate the disputed portion of the Inter-Entity Boundary Line (IEBL).[8] The Brčko District was formed of the entire territory of the former Brčko municipality, of which 48% (including Brčko city) was in the newly formed Republika Srpska, while 52% was in the old Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Brčko was the only element in the Dayton Peace Agreement that was not finalized at the time. The arbitration agreement was later finalized in March 1999,[1] resulting in a "district" that was to be administrated by an American Brčko International Supervisor. Since 2006, Principal Deputy High Representative has taken over the Brcko supervisor role.

In the 1990s, the Arizona Market was created at the intersection of the IFOR north-south "Arizona" road and the east–west Posavina Corridor roads, bordering today's district, and became a commercial success.[9]

The first Brčko International Supervisor arrived in April 1997. Up to that time, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) had a modest office headed by Randolph Hampton. During the interim time before the District of Brčko could be represented post-arbitration agreement, local elections were held, and humanitarian relief was provided with cooperation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and ECHO. The District became known as a center for different state-building programs run by foreign governments, particularly the United States.

In 2006, under the Supervisory Order, all "Entity legislation in Brčko District and the IEBL" was abolished. The ruling made by the Brčko Supervisor Susan Johnson abolished all Entity Laws in the District, as well as the Entity Border Line. The ruling made the Laws of the District paramount within the District, and the Laws of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, both Federation and Serb Republic, including the laws of the former Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina ceased to have legal effect there.[10]

Following a Peace Implementation Council (PIC) meeting on 23 May 2012, it was decided to suspend, not terminate, the mandate of the Brčko International Supervisor. The Brčko Arbitral Tribunal, together with the suspended Brčko Supervision, continues to exist.[3] Also in 2012, the legislature of Bosnia and Herzegovina passed a law that required citizens to declare which entity (Federation or Republika Srpska) they belonged to before they could vote in national elections. This was problematic in Brčko District as many people did not wish to belong to either.[11]

The government of Republika Srpska resumed operation in the district in 2012.[12] Despite actions of the government of Republika Srpska, change of the autonomous status of Brčko District would require a change in the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an event unlikely to occur.[13]

Settlements

Demographics

Brčko District comprises 1% of the land area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is home to 2.37% of the country's total population.

Population

Population of settlements – Brčko District
Settlement2013.1991.1981.1971.1961.1953.1948.
Total83,51687,62782,76874,77162,95265,07849,969
1Bijela1,9232,539
2Boće1,2701,253
3Boderište661965
4Brčko39,89341,40631,43725,33717,949
5Brezik601413
6Brezovo Polje1,2921,393
7Brezovo Polje Selo251335
8Brka2,2342,044
9Brod1,2861,042
10Bukovac104364
11Bukvik Donji97212
12Bukvik Gornji121378
13Buzekara268430
14Cerik233280
15Čađavac7274
16Čande321377
17Čoseta732507
18Donji Rahić366647
19Donji Zovik494481
20Dubrave1,4631,338
21Dubravice Donje315396
22Dubravice Gornje161319
23Gajevi103196
24Gorice6541,097
25Gornji Rahić3,4032,167
26Gornji Zovik1,4081,569
27Grbavica1,527557
28Gredice1,109303
29Islamovac64105
30Krbeta175244
31Krepšić6961,156
32Laništa450656
33Lukavac52225
34Maoča3,0302,886
35Marković Polje370470
36Ograđenovac815734
37Omerbegovača1,074895
38Palanka1,4391,394
39Popovo Polje155248
40Potočari1,063893
41Rašljani1,0781,155
42Ražljevo233341
43Repino Brdo247246
44Sandići430420
45Skakava Donja2,0372,272
46Skakava Gornja1,3521,737
47Slijepčevići298371
48Stanovi238353
49Šatorovići1,4721,238
50Štrepci712861
51Trnjaci245313
52Ulice8921,266
53Ulovići752912
54Vitanovići Donji396419
55Vitanovići Gornji159286
56Vučilovac254700
57Vujičić45284
58Vukšić Donji352644
59Vukšić Gornji579821

Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of Brčko District:[14]

Ethnic

group

1961 census1971 census1981 census1991 census[14]2013 census[14]
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
Bosniaks16,48426.19%30,18140.36%32,43439.19%38,61744.07%35,38142.36%
Serbs17,89728.43%17,70923.68%16,70720.19%18,12820.69%28,88434.58%
Croats21,99434.94%24,92533.34%23,97528.97%22,25225.39%17,25220.66%
Yugoslavs5,9049.38%1,0861.45%8,34210.08%5,7316.54%
Others6731.07%8701.16%1,3101.58%2,8993.31%1,9992.39%
Total62,95274,77182,76887,62783,516
1961 census
1971 census
1981 census
1991 census
2013 census

Politics

Assembly of Brčko District

There are 31 seats in the Assembly of the Brčko District. The seats are divided as follows as of 2024:[15]

Council[16]Mayor[17]elected by Council
PartyPopular vote%SeatsMayorVotes%
Party of Democratic Action5,73516.165
SNSD—SPS5,62615.855
SP—DNS—PUP3,3269.373
United Srpska3,1868.983
Croatian Democratic Union2,8347.982
Party of Democratic Progress2,2196.252
Union for a Better Future2,1786.142
People and Justice2,1125.952
Social Democratic Party1,9295.431
Our Party1,9255.421
Serb Democratic Party1,6874.751
Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina1,3293.741
Croatian Democratic Union 19901,0883.071
Minority candidate Alija Denjagić(273)-1
Minority candidate Radoslav Subotić(149)-1
Total37,17331

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 123"Final Award - Arbitral Tribunal For Dispute Over Inter-Entity Boundary In Brcko Area". Brcko Arbitral Tribunal. Office of the High Representative. 5 March 1999. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  2. 12"Supervisory Order On the Establishment of the Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina". International Supervisor for Brčko. Office of the High Representative. 8 March 2000. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  3. 12"Press Conference Following the Meeting of the Steering Board of the Peace implementation Council on 23/5/2012". 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013.
  4. ↑"Demografija u Brčko distriktu BiH 2020 - 2024. godina"(PDF). Agencija za statistiku Bosne i Hercegovine. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  5. ↑"Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ↑"Is Brcko District a condominium, an entity or a municipality?". Office of the High Representative. OHR Brcko. 12 May 2003. Retrieved 3 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ↑"Decision on the establishment of the Brcko District of BiH". High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Office of the High Representative. 8 March 2000. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  8. ↑Dayton Agreement, Annex 2, Article VArchived April 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑Barton, Brooke; Herrero, Gustavo; Quelch, John A.; Rangan, V. Kashturi, eds. (2007). Business Solutions for the Global Poor: Creating Social and Economic Value. Wiley. pp. 55–59. ISBN 9780787988548.
  10. ↑"Supervisory Order Abolishes Entity Legislation, Ends Legal Significance of IEBL in Brčko District". 4 August 2006. Archived from the original on 13 August 2006.
  11. ↑"Financial Assistance by Entity Key in the Brcko District". Sarajevo Times. 4 August 2022. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022.
  12. ↑"New Building of the Government of Republika Srpska in Brcko Sparks Controversy". Sarajevo Times. 23 February 2026. Archived from the original on 23 February 2026.
  13. ↑"Brcko District of BiH – An Example of Tolerance at the Center of political Tensions". Sarajevo Times. 10 March 2025. Archived from the original on 23 February 2026.
  14. 123"Popis 2013 u BiH – Brčko District". statistika.ba.
  15. ↑"GRAFIČKI PRIKAZ SALE SKUPŠTINE BRČKO DISTRIKTA BIH"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  16. ↑"LOKALNI IZBORI 2012 | PRELIMINARNI, NEZVANIČNI I NEKOMPLETNI / NEPOTPUNI REZULTATI". izbori.ba. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  17. ↑"Major of Brčko". Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2023.

  • Statute of the Brcko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina