The municipality of Bajina Bašta is located in Western Serbia, south-west of Belgrade (168 km), on the right bank of the Drina river, which also represents the border with the Republic of Serbia, at 43°58′ north latitude and 19°34′ east longitude. The Municipality of Bajina Bašta occupies a total area of 673 km2, according to 2011 Census data. A total of 26,022 inhabitants live, with an average population density of 38.64 inhabitants per km2, placing the Bajina Basta municipality in a predominantly rural environment. The area in the central Podrinje was called the Rača region in the past, and over time it became an important center of tourism, electricity industry and forestry in Serbia. Today, Bajina Bašta is known as the capital of the Cyrillic alphabet, the town of the Drina Regatta, the municipality where Tara National Park is located and the heart of the beautiful Podrinje region.
The center of municipality is the town of Bajina Bašta, located below the slopes of Mount Tara at an altitude of 257 m. The average annual amount of precipitation is 700-800 mm. The climate is moderately continental with increased humidity following the construction of artificial lakes Zaovine and Perućac. The municipality’s headquarters is connected via the pass Debelo brdo (1090 m) to Valjevo (70km), the Drina River Valley with Ljubovija (48 km) and Sabac (172 km), and via the Kadinjaca pass (880 m) with the town of Uzice (36 km) which is the headquarters of the Zlatibor Administrative District to which bajina Bašta municipality belongs.
Bajina Bašta municipality consists of 36 settlements (Bajina Bašta city and 35 village settlements), with an average area of 18.7 km2. The municipality is divided into 35 cadastral municipalities and 30 local communities. Nine local offices operate in the municipality. Of the 30 local communities, the Lug settlement is divided into two local communities, 21 local communities are tied to one inhabited place each, while there are seven local communities covering two inhabited places each.
According to figures from the 2011 census, the Municipality of Bajina Bašta had 26,022 inhabitants in 8,972 households, spread in 36 populated areas. The administrative centre of the municipality is a populated town of Bajina Bašta, which has an urban character and was in it in 2011. by census there were 9,133 inhabitants, representing 35% of the population of the municipality. The remaining part of the municipality with 35 inhabited places has a rural character. The average population density is 37 inhabitants/km2.
ECONOMIC SITUATION
According to statistics, Bajina Bašta municipality is classified as underdeveloped municipalities in Serbia. The average net earnings per municipality employee paid in 2015 were 16.6% higher than in December 2014. As we can see in the last 3 years, net income has declined, both in the republic and on the territory of bajina Bašta municipality. This data suggests that the municipality must be more involved in encouraging local economic and economic activities.
In terms of the structure of the working active population (2011), the municipality of Bajina Bašta is the most represented engagement in the field of agriculture and processing industry, followed by construction, trade and repair of motor vehicles, hotels and restaurants and energy with less participation.
In the field of food and beverage production and processing, the highest turnover and production has Dairy “Spasojevic” and BB “Kleka” as well as IN system. The company “Rolomatik” employs about 100 people in the metal sector, “Spasojevic” dairy about 60 in the field of agricultural production, which is an encouragement for the development of agriculture in the area. Last year, the company expanded capacity from 15000 litres to 30,000 litres of milk per day and represents quality in this area in Serbia.
MS Confectionery currently employs more than 80 people in the textil industry. This company shows steady growth and development rates. In the current picture there is a noticeable interest in investing in the wood processing industry-opening of pellets and briquette companies of increasingly popular energy.
BAJINA BAŠTA IN PICTURES
