pzc No.5 p 8-12 that this are has transit function in com- Socio-demographic Structure munication between West Europe and Adriatic Sea. The north part of Republic of Srpska of the Border Area in the lies on the west – east axis, while the east part stretches along the north – Northwest Part of Republic of south axis. The border is disproportion- ally long compared to dimension of the area. The Republic of Srpska borders Srpska on FR Yugoslavia and Republic of Croa- tia (internationally recognized borders) and on Federation of Bosnia and Her- Marijanac, Z.*, Đurđev, B.**, Marinković, D.* zegovina (border between two entities, recognized in Dayton). The total length of the border of Republic of Srpska is Abstract The paper deals with socio-de- he territory of Republic of Srpska 2177 km (1081 km borders on the entity), mographic problems and structures in has an unusual shape. It includes which is longer than the whole border the border zone of the northwest part of T north and east part of Bosnia and of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1537 km). Republic of Srpska as the effects of eth- Herzegovina. According to Dayton The degree in which the border is jag- nic, religious and civil war (1992-1995). agreement, the area of Republic of Srp- ged, i.e. the ratio between actual and Main points are: Recent demographic ska is 25053.11 km2, i.e. 49% of the minimal length, is 3.6, which is a rare process which follows the decline of birth total area of Bosnia and Herzegovina. example in the world. Strategic depth of rate and the increase of emigration; Mi- Curved and elongated shape, with many the territory is very small, while some grations during and after the war; Per- narrow parts, makes it difficult to main- towns (e.g. Novi Grad, Kozarska Dubi- spective and future of population living tain smooth communication and eco- ca) are located on the very border of in border zone of the northwest part of nomic integration between south and state territory. Republic of Srpska. west parts of Republic of Srpska. How- According to the research of Bureau ever, despite all difficulties, Republic for Statistics of Republic of Srpska, of Srpska has territorial integrity and done in 2000, Republic of Srpska has Key words demographic problems, popula- it functions as an integral administra- 1,469,182 inhabitants, i.e. 58.6 inhabitant/ tion, Republic of Srpska, structures, de- tive unit. It should also be pointed out km2, which ranks it among densely pop- mographic perspective Kozarska Srpska Dubica Kostajnica Novi Grad Krupa Srpski Sanski Most Srpski Ključ Petrovac Srpski Jezero Drvar Mrkonjić Grad Šipovo Kupres Map 1 Location of twelve municipalities in the northwest part of Republic of Srpska * Zdravko Marijanac, Draško Marinković, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Banja Luka ** Branislav S. Đurđev, University in Novi Sad, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Geography, Tourismology and Hotel Management, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Yugoslavia 8 pzc Marinković, D. Marinković, B. urev, Z. Marijanac, Table 1 Area, population number and population density of twelve municipalities in the northwest part of Republic of Srpska, in 1996 and 2000 2 Ordinal Population number Population number per km Number of Municipality Area in km2 number 1996 2000 1996 2000 settlements 1. Kozarska Dubica 499,00 33.289 34.110 66,7 68,3 61 2. Srpska Kostajnica 86,17 7.467 7.672 86,6 89,0 12 3. Novi Grad 467,83 28.502 30.197 60,9 64,5 48 4. Krupa na Uni 93,13 1.615 1.852 17,3 19,8 13 5. Srpski Sanski Most 203,60 2.463 3.081 12,1 15,1 24 6. Srpski Ključ 507,44 7.881 8.669 15,5 17,1 29 7. Petrovac 144,87 15 64 0,1 0,4 3 8. Srpski Drvar 74,25 3 31 0,04 0,4 5 9. Mrkonjić Grad 662,29 16.088 18.898 24,3 28,5 41 10. Šipovo 534,1 7.973 9.850 14,9 18,4 44 11. Srpski Kupres 45,45 5 188 0,1 4,1 5 12. Jezero 64,75 533 1.078 8,2 16,6 12 Total 3.382,88 105.834 115.690 27,8 28,5 297 in % of Republic of Srpska 13,5 % 7,6 % 7,9 % - - 11,3 % Republika Srpska 25.053,11 1.391.593 1.469.182 55,1 58,6 2622 Source 9 &10 ulated areas. However, the average pop- govina. Territory of these twelve mu- and 2000, the natality rate was lower ulation density does not give us the real nicipalities covers the area of 3,382.88 than the average for the whole Repub- picture of the area. This is because the km2, which is 13.5% of the area of Re- lic. We should pay attention to the mor- inner parts of the area, especially cities public of Srpska. According to the 2000 tality rate which is also increasing: be- and towns, are much more populated census, this territory has 115,690 in- tween 1996 and 2000, the total number than the border zones. To explain this habitants, i.e. 7.9% of the total popula- of deaths was raised for almost 1/3. Mor- fact, there are a great number of both tion of Republic of Srpska. The average tality rate was reduced in three munici- natural and social reasons, of which de- population density is 28.5 inhab./km2, palities: Novi Grad, Krupa na Uni and mographic factor seem to be the most which makes a half of the Republic av- Srpski Kupres. Comparing to situation important one. Thus, the following part erage. The territory includes 297 settle- in whole Republic, the mortality rate in of the paper deals with some demo- ments, i.e. 11.3% of the total number these municipalities is above the average. graphic problems and processes within of settlements in Republic of Srpska. It is intriguing that 24.9% of deaths in border zone of the northwest part of Re- The overview of population number 2000 were filed as “unknown” or “other”, public of Srpska (Map 1). (in 1996 and 2000), population density, regarding the cause of death. This per- number of settlements and municipal centage in the Republic is 20.4%. How- Population area is given in Table 1. ever, most frequent causes of deaths The municipality of Mrkonjić Grad are diseases of the circulatory system, Border zone of the northwest part of Re- has the largest area (662.29 km2), while diseases of the respiratory system and public of Srpska includes the following Srpski Kupres has the smallest one neoplasms which caused 66.3% of all municipalities: Kozarska Dubica, Srp- (45.45 km2). The largest population num- deaths in 2000; in Republic this percent- ska Kostajnica, Novi Grad (those three ber is in Kozarska Dubica (34,110 inhab- age was 69.9% (Graph 1). bordering on Croatia), Krupa na Uni, itants) and the smallest one in Srpski In table 3, which shows ethno-demo- Srpski Sanski Most, Srpski Ključ, Srp- Drvar (31 inhab.). The highest popula- graphic structure, we can see that Serbs ski Petrovac, Srpski Drvar, Mrkonjić tion density is found in Srpska Kostajni- are the majority in eight, out of ten, mu- Grad, Šipovo, Srpski Kupres and Jezero ca (89.0 inhab./km2), and the lowest one nicipalities, which existed on this terri- (bordering on Federation of Bosnia and in Petrovac and Srpski Drvar (0.4 inhab./ tory in the former SR Bosnia and Herze- Herzegovina). Municipalities of Srp- km2). govina. With regard to total number of ska Kostajnica and Jezero were formed Comparing the data from 1996 with population on this territory, Serbs make after the agreement in Dayton, while those from 2000, we can see that there is up 54.5%, Muslims 38.4%, Croats 3.7% the rest of them existed in former SR a slight increase in population number and others 3.4% of population. In the for- Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, larg- on this territory (Table 2). However, this mer municipality Titov Drvar, the Serbs er part of some of these municipalities is not the result of natural population in- make up 97.3% of population, in Sipovo (Krupa na Uni, Srpski Sanski Most, Srp- crease, but rather of a gradual process 79.2%, in Mrkonjić Grad 77.3%, in Bosan- ski Ključ, Srpski Petrovac, Srpski Drvar in which refugees return to their homes. ski Petrovac 75.3%, in Bosanska Dubica and Srpski Kupres) belongs to Federa- The rate of natural increase was nega- 69.1%, in Bosanski Novi 60.4%, etc. The tion of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The tive both in 1996 and 2000. In 1996, pos- table shows that Serbs are majority in border length is 312 km (66 km with itive natural increase was recorded in most settlements. Croatia and 246 km with Federation of two municipalities and, in 2000, in four With regards to land ownership, B. and H.), which is 14.3% of the border of them. This territory used to have Serbs own much more land than other length of Republic of Srpska or 20.3% higher natality rate than other parts of nations in nine out of ten municipali- of border length of Bosnia and Herze- the present Republic of Srpska. In 1996 ties. We should also point out that Cro- 9 pzc Table 2 Natural aspect of population changes in twelve municipalities in the northwest part of Republic of Srpska, for 1996 and 2000 Population Live births Deaths Natural increase Population Live births Deaths Natural increase Ordinal Municipality number in number in number 1996 number ‰ number ‰ number ‰ 2000 number ‰ number ‰ number ‰ 1.