Zavidovići


Zavidovići is a town and municipality located in Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located between Doboj and Zenica on the confluence of rivers Bosna, Krivaja and Gostović. It sits in a valley surrounded by many mountains of which the largest is Klek. As of 2013, it has a population of 40,272 inhabitants.

History

Area of Zavidovići was home to two neolithic cultures: Butmir and Kakanj. Significant Kakanj culture site is located in Tuk.
Zavidovići was developed by the Austrians during the 19th century Austro-Hungarian reign in Bosnia, mostly because of the "wood industry". After World War II, Krivaja, the company that was founded in 1884 and named after the Krivaja river, expanded. The company focused on furniture manufacturing, which it began to export to the United States under the name "Krivaja Beechbrook". Due to the Bosnian war in the 1990s, the former giant and the town are left with almost nothing.
Although once a diverse town, many of the former Serb and Croat residents left their homes during the Bosnian war. Few have returned to their properties. Now, it is a mostly Bosniak town, with few non-Bosniaks remaining.
Zavidovići's nickname is "Wood Town". Zavidovići is located in the basin of three rivers: Bosna, Krivaja and Gostović.

Demographics

The town of Zavidovići itself had 12,947 residents in 1991.

Settlements