Bjelovar-Bilogora County

Bjelovar-Bilogora County (pronounced [bjêloʋaːr-bîloɡora]; Croatian: Bjelovarsko-bilogorska županija [bjêloʋaːrsko-bîloɡorskaː ʒupǎnija]) is a county in central Croatia.

Bjelovar-Bilogora County Bjelovarsko-bilogorska županija (Croatian)
County
Flag Coat of arms
Bjelovar-Bilogora County within Croatia
Country	Croatia
County seat	Bjelovar
Government
• Župan (Prefect)	Marko Marušić (HDZ)
• Assembly	41 members • SDP, Ind. Damir Bajs, HNS, HSU, SU, BUZ, HDSS, ORaH, NSH, HSS BR, Ind. (22) • HDZ, HSS, HSLS (17) • MOST (2)
Area [1]
• Total	2,640 km2 (1,020 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Total	101,879
• Density	39/km2 (100/sq mi)
Area code	043
ISO 3166 code	HR-07
HDI (2022)	0.835[3] very high · 17th
Website	www.bbz.hr

The central city of Bjelovar was first mentioned in 1413, and it only gained importance when a new fort was built in 1756 to defend against the Ottoman invasions. The town was pronounced a free royal town in 1874.

The other part of the county name is for the hill of Bilogora that stretches along the northern edge of the county.

Other towns in the county are Daruvar, Garešnica, Čazma, and Grubišno Polje.

The Bjelovar-Bilogora County borders on the Koprivnica-Križevci County in the north, Virovitica-Podravina County in the northeast, Požega-Slavonia County in the southeast, Sisak-Moslavina County in the southwest, and Zagreb County in the west.

Alongside the City of Zagreb and Požega-Slavonia County, it is the only Croatian county that does not border another nation.

Administrative division

Bjelovar-Bilogora County is further divided into 5 towns (grad, pl. gradovi) and 18 municipalities (općina, pl. općine).

Towns

Town	Population (2021 census)[4]
Bjelovar	36,316
Čazma	6,930
Daruvar	10,105
Garešnica	8,624
Grubišno Polje	5,367

Municipalities

Municipality	Population (2021 census)[4]
Berek	1,106
Dežanovac	1,978
Đulovac	2,772
Hercegovac	1,910
Ivanska	2,256
Kapela	2,367
Končanica	1,805
Nova Rača	2,756
Rovišće	4,144
Severin	702
Sirač	1,796
Šandrovac	1,411
Štefanje	1,688
Velika Pisanica	1,313
Velika Trnovitica	1,091
Veliki Grđevac	2,316
Veliko Trojstvo	2,379
Zrinski Topolovac	747

Demographics

Population pyramid of Bjelovar-Bilogora County per 2011 Census.

Historical populations of Bjelovar-Bilogora County

Year Pop. ±% 1857 84,893 —     1869 95,981 +13.1% 1880 101,420 +5.7% 1890 130,901 +29.1% 1900 150,825 +15.2% 1910 163,039 +8.1% 1921 162,453 −0.4% 1931 173,597 +6.9% 1948 166,485 −4.1%	Year Pop. ±% 1953 170,651 +2.5% 1961 167,599 −1.8% 1971 157,811 −5.8% 1981 149,551 −5.2% 1991 144,042 −3.7% 2001 133,084 −7.6% 2011 119,764 −10.0% 2021 101,879 −14.9%
Source: Naselja i stanovništvo Republike Hrvatske 1857–2001, Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Zagreb, 2005

As of the 2021 census, the county had 101,879 residents. The population density was 39 people per km².^[2]

As of the 2011 census, the county had 119,764 residents. The population density was 45 people per km².^[5]

Bjelovar-Bilogora County: Population trends 1857–2021

v

population	84893	95981	101420	130901	150825	163039	162453	173597	166485	170651	167599	157811	149551	144042	133084	119764	101879
	1857	1869	1880	1890	1900	1910	1921	1931	1948	1953	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	2011	2021

Sources:Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

Ethnic Croats form the majority with 84.8% of the population, followed by Serbs at 6.3% and Czechs at 5.2%.^[6]

Politics

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.^[7] At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Czechs, Hungarians and Serbs of Croatia all fulfilled legal requirements to each elect their own 25 members minority council of the Bjelovar-Bilogora County while Albanians, Germans, and Romani people in Croatia were electing individual representatives.^[8] Some municipalities, towns or cities in the county elected their own local minority councils as well.^[8]

Although though the Government of the Republic of Croatia does not guarantee official bilinguialism, the statute of Bjelovar-Bilogora County itself guarantees it for the minority languages Albanian, Czech, Hungarian and Serbian.^[9]: 3

Protected areas

• Papuk

See also

• Bjelovar-Križevci County
• List of people from Bjelovar-Bilogora County