5. REGIONAL CENTERS
AS FACTORS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
In terms of physical organization of regional Chambers of Economy and
some other services like payment operations etc., Bosnia and Herzegovina
had the following 7 regions before the war: Sarajevo, Banjaluka, Bihac,
Doboj, Mostar, Tuzla and Zenica.
In 1991, according to the data obtained from the State Bureau of Statistics,
number of inhabitants and population density per km2 per regions were as
follows:
| City |
No. of Inhabitants |
Population density
per 1 km2 |
| Sarajevo |
527,049 |
251.6 |
| Banjaluka |
195,692 |
157.9 |
| Bihac |
70,732 |
102.8 |
| Doboj |
102,549 |
147.1 |
| Mostar |
126,628 |
103.2 |
| Tuzla |
131,618 |
434.4 |
| Zenica |
145,517 |
288.2 |
It is noteworthy that the above cities were also important economic centers.
Major industrial branches, located in these cities were the following:
-
Sarajevo: production of equipment, engines for heavy vehicles, automobiles,
metalworking, construction, foodstuff, tobacco, textile, footwear, chemical
and printing industries, publishing, and beverage production.
-
Banjaluka: metalworking, electricity, timber and wood, pulp-paper, foodstuff,
leather and footwear, printing ,and beverage production.
-
Bihac: production of equipment, metal, textile, foodstuff, timber and wood,
printing, and beverage production.
-
Doboj: production of compressors, foodstuff, construction, timber and wood,
and printing.
-
Mostar: production of equipment, aircrafts and aluminum, metal industry,
hydro-power plants, textile, foodstuff, tobacco, timber and wood, printing,
construction, and beverage production.
-
Zenica: ferrous metallurgy, metal industry, coal production, construction,
foodstuff, printing, and beverage production.
-
Tuzla: coal mines, electric power generation, production of salt, industrial
equipment, building materials, leather and footwear, chemical, foodstuff,
printing, and beverage production.
All the facilities in Tuzla and Zenica have been preserved, while the most
damaged ones are in Sarajevo (production of equipment, vehicles, metalworking,
timber and wood and printing industry facilities), Mostar (production of
equipment, metalworking, textile, timber and wood, foodstuff and printing
industry facilities) and Bihac (metal, chemical, timber and wood and printing
industry facilities).
The above mentioned regional centers also accommodate higher-education
institutions (Universities: Banjaluka, Mostar, Sarajevo and Tuzla), as
well as scientific research and development institutions (Sarajevo in particular).
The cities of Sarajevo, Bihac, Mostar, Tuzla and Zenica are within the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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