Plitvička Jezera ( or just Plitvice ; Plitvice Lakes, in English) is a municipality (općina) in central Croatia, in the eastern part of the Lika-Senj county, that lies in and near the eponymous Plitvice Lakes National Park, bisected by the D1 main road (Zagreb–Split). Its total area is 539.08 km2 The main town and seat of the municipality is Korenica. Smaller towns and villages are Bjelopolje, Jezerce, and Ličko Petrovo Selo.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, its total population was 4,668. The ethnic composition of Plitvička Jezera was 67.3% Croat and 30.5% Serb. In the 2011 census, the population dropped to 4,373, of which 70.11% were Croats and 27.08% were Serbs. The settlements in the municipality are:

Politics

Minority councils and representatives

Directly elected minority councils and representatives are tasked with consulting tasks for the local or regional authorities in which they are advocating for minority rights and interests, integration into public life and participation in the management of local affairs. At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Serbs of Croatia fulfilled legal requirements to elect 10 members minority council of the Municipality of Plitvička Jezera.

History

During the Croatian War of Independence and the Krajina uprising, many areas were mined to stop enemy advances. The area around the Korana Bridge has recently been de-mined, but there are still other areas suspected to be mine contaminated as per reports from the local NGO Croatian Mine Action Centre. Many local ethnic Serbs left the municipality during the war. Between 1,500 and 2,000 have returned. According to Human Rights Watch, many of the ethnic Serbian returnees were experiencing higher unemployment rates and being "excluded from work in municipal or town-run services and institutions, including the National Park".

Economy

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a major tourist destination and the area's main source of income, together with arable lands, grazing lands and woods. Due to the Plitvice Lakes National Park's unique geological evolution and beauty, it was entered in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979. Plitvička Jezera is an underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the First Category Area of Special State Concern by the Government of Croatia.

Notable natives and residents