Metković
Town
Grad Metković
Town of Metković
Metković Old Town
Metković Old Town
Coat of arms of Metković
Coat of arms
Metković is located in Croatia
Metković
Metković
Location of Metković in Croatia
Coordinates: 43°03′N 17°39′E / 43.05°N 17.65°E / 43.05; 17.65
Country Croatia
County Dubrovnik–Neretva
Government
 • MayorDalibor Milan (HDZ)
 • City Council
17 members
Area
[1]
 • Town51.2 km2 (19.8 sq mi)
 • Urban
23.2 km2 (9.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Town15,235
 • Density300/km2 (770/sq mi)
 • Urban
13,971
 • Urban density600/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Websitegrad-metkovic.hr

Metković (Croatian pronunciation: [mêtkovitɕ]) is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, its population was 15,235 with 13,971 living in the city proper.[2]

The total population of the city municipality was 16,788 inhabitants in 2011 census, in the following settlements:[3]

  • Dubravica, population 90
  • Glušci, population 76
  • Metković, population 15,329
  • Prud, population 497
  • Vid, population 796

In the census of 2011, 96.8% of the population self-identified as Croats.[4]

Town of Metković: Population trends 1857–2021
population
1476
1694
1931
2230
2571
3014
3271
3941
4658
5301
6358
8810
11097
13370
15384
16788
15235
18571869188018901900191019211931194819531961197119811991200120112021
Sources: Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

History

The city was first mentioned in a 1422 court document as a small farming town. It remained this way until the nineteenth century. During this period the city found renewed investment from the country's Austrian rulers. With the arrival of the area's first post office and school, as well as the increase of trade with the Ottoman Empire, the city began to flourish. It was ruled by Ottoman Empire as part of Sanjak of Herzegovina between 1494 and 1685, then by Republic of Venice till 1797 and finally by French Empire before the Austrian Habsburgs took over. In 1875 and 1910 Emperor Francis Joseph I visited the city.

Metković is located near the ancient Roman settlement of Narona (today Vid). Narona was established as a Roman trading post, after Rome's successful war[5] (Illyrian Wars) with the neighboring Illyrian tribe Daors (ruins of their main city are located near Stolac), and successfully grew until the 3rd century AD. After that it went on a steady decline especially after a large 4th-century AD earthquake. Upon the arrival of Slavonic tribes in the mid-6th century AD, the city of Narona was abandoned with most parts being covered under silt that was carried by the river Neretva. Only minor excavations were done, most of them being concentrated on the location of Vid. One of the city's landmarks is its Church of St. Elijah, the city's patron saint.[6]

Education

Metković has the following education facilities:

For tertiary education students need to move to another city, the most common destinations are: Dubrovnik (business, management, accounting, music), Split (sciences, management, accounting), Zagreb (music, arts, sciences, applied sciences, engineering, architecture, education, humanities, management, accounting, business), Zadar (humanities, education, early childhood education) and Mostar.

Sports (most notably)

Notable people

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