# Gacko

Gacko (Serbian Cyrillic: Гацко) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the region of East Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,784 inhabitants, while the municipality has 8,990 inhabitants.

## Geography

The municipality covers an area of 736 km$^2$ (284 sq mi), making it one of the largest municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The town is near the state border with Montenegro.

## History
### Middle Ages

In the 14th century the region was governed by the powerful Vojinović family.
In 1359, veliki čelnik Dimitrije controlled the region.

### Ottoman period

The rebels were defeated at the field of Gacko. This was ultimately due to the lack of foreign support.

### Modern history

Austro-Hungarian authorities took it over in 1878, a decision which was made at the Berlin Congress. In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina sparking the Bosnian Crisis, which eventually led to World War I.
After the war, Gacko joined the State of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes by the end of 1918. These were the first moments of Yugoslavia's existence.
The Croatian fascist Ustaše movement committed the Gacko massacre on 4 June 1941. In response, on 6 June 1941 the rebels from Gacko under the command of Orthodox priest Radojica Perišić started the uprising against the genocidal Independent State of Croatia known as the June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina. The communist historiography intentionally ignored the pre-22 June rebels in Eastern Herzegovina and Sanski Most, because they occurred in the period of collaboration between the communists and fascists, therefore contradicting the communist narrative about rebels being led by communists. On the other hand, the first Partisan battalion established in Gacko at the end of 1941 was named "6th June" in honor of the first date of the uprising. During the period after the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gacko municipality proclaimed 6 June as their holiday in honor of the beginning of the uprising and held public ceremonies on 6 June named the Day of Gacko.

## Settlements

Aside from the town of Gacko, the municipality includes the following settlements:
* Avtovac
* Bahori
* Bašići
* Berušica
* Brajićevići
* Branilovići
* Cernica
* Čemerno
* Danići
* Dobrelji
* Domrke
* Donja Bodežišta
* Dramešina
* Dražljevo
* Drugovići
* Dubljevići
* Fojnica
* Gareva
* Gornja Bodežišta
* Gračanica
* Gradina
* Hodinići
* Igri
* Izgori
* Jabuka
* Jasenik
* Jugovići
* Kazanci
* Ključ
* Kokorina
* Kravarevo
* Kula
* Lipnik
* Lončari
* Luka
* Lukovice
* Ljeskov Dub
* Medanići
* Međuljići
* Mekavci
* Melečići
* Miholjače
* Mjedenik
* Mrđenovići
* Muhovići
* Nadinići
* Novi Dulići
* Platice
* Poda
* Pridvorica
* Pržine
* Ravni
* Rudo Polje
* Samobor
* Slivlja
* Soderi
* Srđevići
* Stambelići
* Stari Dulići
* Stepen
* Stolac
* Šipovica
* Šumići
* Ulinje
* Višnjevo
* Vratkovići
* Vrba
* Zagradci
* Zurovići
* Žanjevica

## Demographics
### Population

Population of settlements – Gacko municipality :
| | Settlement | 1879. | 1885. | 1895. | 1910. | 1921. | 1931. | 1948. | 1953. | 1961. | 1971. | 1981. | 1991. | 2013. |
| | Total | 9,295 | 10,582 | 12,675 | 15,107 | 13,667 | 15,235 | 14,424 | 14,628 | 13,296 | 12,033 | 10,279 | 10,788 | 8,990 |
| 1 | Avtovac | | | | | | | | | | | | 594 | 261 |
| 2 | Dobrelji | | | | | | | | | | | | 143 | 257 |
| 3 | Gacko | | | | | | | 1,527 | 5,911 | 1,368 | 1,604 | 2,602 | 4,584 | 5,784 |
| 4 | Lipnik | | | | | | | | | | | | 253 | 214 |
| 5 | Miholjače | | | | | | | | | | | | 334 | 604 |

### Ethnic composition

Ethnic composition – Gacko town :
| | 2013. | 1991. | 1981. | 1971. |
| Total | 5,784 (100,0%) | 4,584 (100,0%) | 2,602 (100,0%) | 1,604 (100,0%) |
| Bosniaks | | 2,253 (49,15%) | 1,235 (47,46%) | 776 (48,38%) |
| Serbs | | 2,144 (46,77%) | 1,100 (42,28%) | 776 (48,38%) |
| Others | | 81 (1,767%) | 10 (0,384%) | 6 (0,374%) |
| Yugoslavs | | 78 (1,702%) | 207 (7,955%) | 15 (0,935%) |
| Croats | | 28 (0,611%) | 17 (0,653%) | 10 (0,623%) |
| Montenegrins | | | 31 (1,191%) | 20 (1,247%) |
| Macedonians | | | 1 (0,038%) | |
| Albanians | | | 1 (0,038%) | |
| Slovenes | | | | 1 (0,062%) |
Ethnic composition – Gacko municipality :
| | 2013. | 1991. | 1981. | 1971. |
| Total | 8,990 (100,0%) | 10,788 (100,0%) | 10,279 (100,0%) | 12,033 (100,0%) |
| Serbs | 8,556 (95,17%) | 6,661 (61,74%) | 6,215 (60,46%) | 7,634 (63,44%) |
| Bosniaks | 369 (4,105%) | 3,858 (35,76%) | 3,424 (33,31%) | 4,184 (34,77%) |
| Others | 50 (0,556%) | 156 (1,446%) | 22 (0,214%) | 33 (0,274%) |
| Croats | 15 (0,167%) | 29 (0,269%) | 21 (0,204%) | 15 (0,125%) |
| Yugoslavs | | 84 (0,779%) | 380 (3,697%) | 20 (0,166%) |
| Montenegrins | | | 215 (2,092%) | 142 (1,180%) |
| Macedonians | | | 1 (0,010%) | 3 (0,025%) |
| Albanians | | | 1 (0,010%) | 1 (0,008%) |
| Slovenes | | | | 1 (0,008%) |

## Economy

The Gacko coal mine and thermoelectric powerplant is located in the municipality, and is also the largest employer in the area.
The following table gives a preview of the total number of registered people employed in professional fields per their core activity (as of 2018):
| Professional field | Total |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 28 |
| Mining and quarrying | 682 |
| Manufacturing | 31 |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 1,246 |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 129 |
| Construction | 230 |
| Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 155 |
| Transportation and storage | 78 |
| Accommodation and food services | 75 |
| Information and communication | 16 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 21 |
| Real estate activities | - |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 15 |
| Administrative and support service activities | 2 |
| Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 183 |
| Education | 185 |
| Human health and social work activities | 79 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 39 |
| Other service activities | 36 |
| Total | 3,230 |

## Sports

The local football club, FK Mladost Gacko, plays in the First League of the Republika Srpska.
Volleyball teams, both men's and women's, are among the most successful in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the women's volleyball team being vice champions multiple times, also winning the Cup of Republika Srpska once.

## Notable people

* Admir Ćatović, footballer
* Nemanja Supić, footballer
* Vukašin Višnjevac, football coach
* Vule Avdalović, basketball player
* Nemanja Gordić, basketball player
* Sava Vladislavić, diplomat
* Bogdan Zimonjić, priest and vojvoda (military commander)