Bužim

Bužim (Serbian Cyrillic: Бужим) is a town and municipality located in the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the Bosanska Krajina in the most northwestern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Geography

Bužim borders Bosanska Krupa to the east, Cazin to the south, Velika Kladuša to the west and north, and the Republic of Croatia to the northeast. Geographically most of the municipality is mountainous. The total land area of Bužim is about 129 km² (50 sq mi) with a population of 20,000. Bužim is about 180–400 meters above sea-level.

History

The area of the Bužim municipality was inhabited before the arrival of the Romans. The population of this area was engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, mining and trade. The existence of a mint in the 14th century indicates that trade was developed during those times. Bužim was the center of trade in the region even after the Ottoman conquest.

Before the war, the town of Bužim was officially part of the Bosanska Krupa municipality. In 1996 Bužim became a municipality itself. The town was defended by the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the most elite and well known brigades of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 505th Brigade, was formed and based in Bužim.

Due to so many twins being born in Bužim, there is an effort to declare it the "Town of Twins".