Surčin


Surčin is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. As of 2011 census, it has a population of 43,819 inhabitants.
It is the youngest municipality of Belgrade, as it split from the municipality of Zemun in 2003. Its most important feature is the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, located just a few kilometers west of the town.

History

The area of the town has been settled since prehistoric times, and archaeological findings from ancient eras are common. So far, it is established that previous settlements existed in the Stone Age, Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Roman era.
From 1991 to 2002, the population of the municipality grew from 35,591 to 38,695. Most of that growth came from the refugees from Yugoslav Wars. Since many of the refugees were integrated into the Serbian citizenship after 2002, it is to be expected that the official population has grown significantly.
Surčin was the seat of its own municipality until 1965 when it was annexed to the municipality of Zemun. A movement for splitting from Zemun has been very vocal since the 1990s and though it did not fulfill some of the conditions required by the Belgrade City statute for creation of a new municipality, Belgrade City assembly voted to detach Surčin from Zemun officially on November 24, 2003. The newly-formed municipality remained under the administration of the municipality of Zemun until the next municipal elections and finally got its own administration on November 3, 2004. However, municipal administration and the overall political situation in Surčin has been highly unstable ever since.

Geography

Surčin is located in the eastern Syrmia region, 20 kilometers west of downtown Belgrade. It borders the municipalities of Zemun and Novi Beograd. The western border of the municipality is the administrative border of the province of Vojvodina, while the Sava river forms the border to the municipalities of Čukarica and Obrenovac.
The area of the municipality is flat and marshy as the entire southern section belongs to the floodplain of the Sava. Numerous smaller streams flow through the municipality, most notably the Galovica and Jarčina. Other distinct geographical features are the ponds of Fenek and Živača, a large woody area of Bojčin and Progarska ada, one of the largest islands in the Sava.
Surčin lies just south of the Belgrade–Zagreb highway, on the Belgrade beltway which is expected to allow heavy traffic from the Belgrade's urban core to move directly to the city's southern outskirts. The Syrmian section of the beltway is already built and operational. A local Belgrade freight railway runs parallel to the beltway.
Crni Lug is a low, forested floodplain along the bend of the Sava river, between Progar and Boljevci. It is a patch of an oak forest. Crni Lug is located from downtown Belgrade and south of the Nikola Tesla Airport. Part of the region is organized as a hunting ground with a total area of, of which is fenced. The venue is known for the organized group wild boar hunting. Apart from wild boar, European deer and roe deer are also being bred in the facility. There are two other hunting grounds in the municipality, Dobanovački Zabran, operated by the military, and Donji Srem.

Settlements

Urban :
Rural :
According to the 2011 census results, the municipality of Surčin has a population of 43,819 inhabitants. Though in the past the municipality had no urban connection with Belgrade on the east, that is, Novi Beograd's westernmost neighborhood of Ledine connected it to the city, an urban zone has developed along that road, turning Belgrade and Surčin into one continuous built-up area. Similar developments surround Surčin which, with the growth of population, grows into a single urban area with Dobanovci, Jakovo and Bečmen.

Ethnic groups

The municipality of Surčin has Serb ethnic majority, followed by Romani, Slovaks, Croats and other ethnic groups. The ethnic composition of the municipality:
Ethnic groupPopulation
2011
Serbs37,866
Romani1,415
Slovaks1,254
Croats373
Muslims102
Macedonians95
Yugoslavs93
Montenegrins89
Others2,532
Total43,819

Administration

Former presidents of the municipality of Surčin are:
The majority of the population works in agriculture. Extensive farms for pig breeding are located in Surčin itself while in the smaller settlements the production is mostly for the Belgrade market, growing fruits and early vegetables.
The most important facility is the Belgrade Nikola Tesla airport, opened on April 28, 1962, replacing the old one in Bežanija. The new and modern airport put the small village on the map. The aeronautics museum is also located in the airport complex.
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity :
ActivityTotal
Agriculture, forestry and fishing386
Mining and quarrying13
Manufacturing2,942
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply6
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities78
Construction691
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles4,506
Transportation and storage4,879
Accommodation and food services539
Information and communication84
Financial and insurance activities61
Real estate activities8
Professional, scientific and technical activities310
Administrative and support service activities291
Public administration and defense; compulsory social security331
Education445
Human health and social work activities331
Arts, entertainment and recreation109
Other service activities123
Individual agricultural workers95
Total16,228