Šamac

Across the river is Slavonski Šamac in Croatia.

• Official Name — Šamac • Native Name — Шамац • Type — Town and municipality • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Type1 — Entity • Subdivision Name1 — Republika Srpska • Subdivision Type2 — Geographical region • Subdivision Name2 — Posavina • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Đorđe Milićević • Leader Party — SDS • Unit Pref — Metric • Area Blank1 Title — Town • Area Blank2 Title — Municipality • Area Blank2 Km2 — 177.54 • Population As Of — 2013 census • Population Blank1 Title — Town • Population Blank1 — 5,390 • Population Density Blank1 Km2 — auto • Population Blank2 Title — Municipality • Population Blank2 — 17,273 • Population Density Blank2 Km2 — auto • Area Code — 54 • Website — www.opstinasamac.org • Time Zone — CET • Utc Offset — +1 • Time Zone Dst — CEST • Utc Offset Dst — +2 • Illustration — Šamac municipality by population proportional to the settlement with the highest and lowest population

The modern town was founded by Bosnian Muslim refugees expelled from the Sanjak of Smederevo in 1862, after the Principality of Serbia gained autonomy from the Ottoman Empire and during the ethnic conflicts surrounding the Čukur Fountain incident. These refugees came mainly from Užice and Sokol. At the time, Šamac was initially called Gornja Azizija, meaning "Upper Azizija", after Sultan Abdulaziz. It was part of the Vilayet of Bosnia before the area was occupied by Austria-Hungary in 1878 and later annexed in 1908. After World War I, the town became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1929 to 1939, it was part of the Drina Banovina, and from 1939 until 1941 it was part of the Banovina of Croatia. During World War II, Šamac, like the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was occupied by the Nazi-controlled Independent State of Croatia. After 1945, the town was reintegrated within the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tito's Yugoslavia. In the early stages of the Bosnian War, the town was occupied by Bosnian Serb forces, who established a provisional municipal government. Most Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats were ethnically cleansed between April and November 1992. During the war, a semi-permanent front line was established against Croatian and Bosniak forces towards neighbouring Orašje. In 2003, three Bosnian Serb town leaders at the time of the Yugoslav Wars were sentenced by the ICTY for crimes against humanity. The town lies in an important strategic position in Republika Srpska, near Brčko. As with most other places under Serb control, Republika Srpska authorities removed the "Bosnian" adjective from the town's official name and changed it to "Šamac". Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats continued to refer to it by its historical name, "Bosanski Šamac" (Босански Шамац), causing tension among the inhabitants. A court order had the official name changed to simply Šamac, removing ethnic divisions in its previous names.

Aside from the town of Šamac, the municipality includes the following settlements: • Batkuša • Brvnik • Crkvina • Donja Slatina • Donji Hasić • Gajevi • Gornja Slatina • Gornji Hasić • Grebnice • Kornica • Kruškovo Polje • Lugovi • Novo Selo • Obudovac • Pisari • Srednja Slatina • Škarić • Tišina • Zasavica

Population of settlements – Šamac municipality No. Settlement 1948 1953 1961 1971 1981 1991 2013 Total 37,512 44,269 31,374 32,320 32,960 17,273 1 Batkuša 924 625 2 Brvnik 609 253 3 Crkvina 1,704 1,223 4 Donja Slatina 623 471 5 Donji Hasić 1,029 207 6 Gajevi 626 438 7 Gornja Slatina 1,361 903 8 Gornji Hasić 1,048 427 9 Grebnice 443 10 Kornica 830 302 11 Kruškovo Polje 706 588 12 Lugovi 422 13 Novo Selo 1,095 419 14 Obudovac 3,199 2,421 15 Pisari 608 436 16 Šamac 4,877 5,605 6,239 5,390 17 Škarić 298 273 18 Srednja Slatina 1,277 519 19 Tišina 2,032 890 20 Zasavica 558 339

• Illustration — Main square • Illustration — A monument to Serb casualties in the Bosnian War • Illustration — A Serbian Orthodox church in Obudovac The following table gives a preview of the total number of registered employed people by core activity, as of 2016: • Professional field — Total • Agriculture, forestry and fishing — 84 • Mining and quarrying — 40 • Manufacturing — 426 • Distribution of power, gas, steam and air-conditioning — 31 • Distribution of water and water waste management — 19 • Construction — 5 • Wholesale and retail, repair — 417 • Transportation and storage — 182 • Hotels and restaurants — 117 • Information and communication — 6 • Finance and insurance — 20 • Real estate activities • Professional, scientific and technical activities — 57 • Administrative and support services — 7 • Public administration and defence — 176 • Education — 248 • Healthcare and social work — 122 • Art, entertainment and recreation — 8 • Other service activities — 7 • Total — 1,972

The local football club, FK Borac Šamac, plays in the third tier, the Second League of the Republika Srpska.

• Illustration — Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić • Illustration — Alija Izetbegović • Milica Babić-Jovanović (1909–1968), costume designer at the Serbian National Theatre • Ljubo Miloš (1919–1948), Croatian World War II official and concentration camp commander; executed for war crimes • Alija Izetbegović (1925–2003), first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina • Sulejman Tihić (1951–2014), Bosniak member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina • Zoran Đinđić (1952–2003), former Prime Minister of Serbia • Srebrenko Repčić (born 1954), former footballer • Predrag Nikolić (born 1960), chess grandmaster • Stevo Nikolić (born 1984), footballer • Mario Mandžukić (born 1986), former footballer