Novi Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The town was first mentioned in 1280 under the Latin name Castrum Novum which translated means 'new fort'. In 1483, the Battle of Una was fought near the city. It belonged to the counts of Blagaj, a cadet branch of the Babonić family, and in the early sixteenth century came under power of Nikola Zrinski. Croatian ban Adam Bačan conquered Novi in 1693. Evliya Çelebi on his journey through Bosnia mentions that Croatian nobles built Novi Grad. In 1895, during Austro Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the town was officially given the name Bosanski Novi. At the same time, the city included around 3,300 people with 550 households. Wooden bridges existed across the Una and Sana rivers which the citizens had to guard against floods in the autumn and spring. For that reason, a current day symbol of the town was built in 1906—the Una quay. In 1872, Novi Grad was the first municipality to have a train station on the new Bosnian railway, which afforded it significant cultural and economic advantages over other Krajina municipalities. The first hospital was established around the same time. From 1929 to 1941, Bosanski Novi was part of the Vrbas Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1992 through 1995, the town was ethnically cleansed of its Bosniak and Croat inhabitants, thereby rendering it almost completely Serb populated. In order to distance the town from its Bosnian history and its cultural roots and in tune with the war politics, the local Serb government renamed the town to Novi Grad, a change criticized by Croat and Bosniak residents. Consequently, the majority of people from Bosanski Novi were misplaced and live all over Europe, the American continent, Australia and elsewhere around the globe. After the Bosnian War, Kostajnica was split from the municipality.

Population of settlements – Novi Grad municipality1948.1953.1961.1971.1981.1991.2013. Total41,21642,142 41,66527,1151Ahmetovci2Blagaj Japra1,2798073Blagaj Rijeka9804884Blatna4433675Cerovica6Crna Rijeka7Čađavica Donja4083388Čađavica Gornja2972409Čađavica Srednja26219210Ćele11Devetaci12Dobrljin1,14185813Donje Vodičevo80161514Donji Agići93563715Donji Rakani31533816Gornje Vodičevo36827817Gornji Agići54024418Gornji Rakani25424919Grabašnica20Hozići95861021Johovica22Jošava23Kršlje63243424Kuljani25Lješljani26Mala Krupska Rujiška43138427Mala Novska Rujiška57341228Mala Žuljevica29Maslovare50028430Matavazi56346631Mazić32Novi Grad4,0704,8847,0239,84912,18613,58811,06333Petkovac22720534Poljavnice1,1371,26635Prusci36Radomirovac55741937Rakovac38Rašće39Ravnice63958140Rudice45259041Sokolište61141042Suhača1,08750643Svodna1,2701,03844Trgovište37727445Vedovica46Velika Rujiška47Velika Žuljevica41022448Vitasovci385399

Ethnic composition – Novi Grad town2013.1991.1981.1971. Total11,063 (100,0%)13,588 (100,0%)12,186 (100,0%)9,849 (100,0%)Bosniaks6,831 (50,27%)5,211 (42,76%)5,520 (56,05%)Serbs5,121 (37,69%)3,900 (32,00%)3,610 (36,65%)Yugoslavs1,117 (8,220%)2,647 (21,72%)308 (3,127%)Others332 (2,443%)42 (0,345%)74 (0,751%)Croats187 (1,376%)217 (1,781%)287 (2,914%)Albanians77 (0,632%)20 (0,203%)Roma66 (0,542%)Montenegrins16 (0,131%)18 (0,183%)Slovenes8 (0,066%)11 (0,112%)Macedonians1 (0,008%)Hungarians1 (0,008%)1 (0,010%)
Ethnic composition2013.1991.1981.1971. Total27,115 (100,0%)41,665 (100,0%)42,142 (100,0%)41,216 (100,0%)Serbs20,116 (74,19%)25,101 (60,24%)25,098 (59,56%)28,328 (68,73%)Bosniaks6,439 (23,75%)14,040 (33,70%)11,745 (27,87%)11,625 (28,21%)Others379 (1,398%)564 (1,354%)116 (0,275%)173 (0,420%)Croats181 (0,668%)403 (0,967%)458 (1,087%)640 (1,553%)Yugoslavs1 557 (3,737%)4 525 (10,74%)366 (0,888%)Albanians85 (0,202%)26 (0,063%)Roma72 (0,171%)Montenegrins24 (0,057%)32 (0,078%)Slovenes10 (0,024%)19 (0,046%)Hungarians6 (0,014%)5 (0,012%)Macedonians3 (0,007%)2 (0,005%)

There are several active sports organizations in the town, including football, handball and basketball clubs. The local football club is FK Sloboda Novi Grad.