AUTONOMOUS PROVINCE OF VOJVODINA
The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (in Serbian, Autonomna Pokrajina Vojvodine) is the northern province of the Republic of Serbia, with its capital in Novi Sad, covering an area of 21,506 km². The name “Vojvodina” originates from the Serbian expression “Vojvodina.” According to the latest census results from 2022, Vojvodina, still considered multi-ethnic but increasingly losing its multicultural character, is inhabited by 1,740,230 people. Among them, 68.8% are Serbian, and 10.47% are Hungarian, making Hungarians the largest national minority in Vojvodina. In addition to these groups, significant populations of Slovaks, Croats, Rusyns, Bunjevci, Romanians, Roma, Montenegrins, and various other smaller national communities reside in the region. Consequently, Vojvodina has six official languages: Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak, Croatian, Romanian, and Rusyn. Vojvodina’s terrain is predominantly flat, punctuated by two isolated mountain ranges, the Fruška Gora and the Vršac Mountains (in Serbian, Vršačke planine). The region is divided into three major geographical units—Bačka, Banat, and Syrmia—by its two main rivers, the Danube and the Tisza. Administratively, it is structured into 7 districts and 45 municipalities. In Hungarian parlance, the region often referred to, somewhat inaccurately, as „Délvidék” (southern region), was first declared an autonomous province in 1946. The powers associated with autonomy were subsequently amended several times (generally expanded) until they were abolished in 1989. The province regained its autonomy in 2001 but with narrower powers compared to before. The most important legal act in Vojvodina is the Statute, which came into force on January 1, 2010. According to the Statute of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Vojvodina is “an autonomous territorial community of the Republic of Serbia, in which citizens exercise their right to provincial autonomy in accordance with the Constitution and law.” The province can also enact its own laws, enter into international agreements independently, and manage its own assets.
Novi Sad: Novi Sad is a city and municipality in Serbia, serving as the capital of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. With a population of 260,438 (and 368,967 including the metropolitan area), it is the largest city in Vojvodina and the second-largest city in Serbia. The provincial capital spans along the stretch of the Danube River between river kilometers 1252 and 1262, on both banks of the river (mostly in Bačka and a smaller part in Srem). The population of this multi-ethnic town is predominantly Serbian, but there are also Hungarians, Croats, Slovaks, Swabians, and Rusyns living here.
Vojvodina: Serbian Vojvodina, also known in Serbian as Srpska Vojvodina, emerged as a self-proclaimed autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Hungary during the 1848/49 revolution and war of independence under the Habsburg Empire. It was founded by the Serbs living in the region. Following the conclusion of the revolution and later the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the territory remained part of the Kingdom of Hungary until the end of World War I, when the Serbs living there declared their unification with their motherland, Serbia, which was one of the founders of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. From 1929 onwards, the entity adopted the name Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During World War II, a part of Vojvodina, Northern Bačka, was occupied by the Hungarian army, and the territory was formally annexed to Hungary. However, after the war, it was reintegrated into the Yugoslav state, which existed as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from the end of the war until its dissolution in 1992. Within this federation of six republics, Vojvodina gained autonomy again after World War II, alongside Kosovo, which was another autonomous province within the federation and Serbia.
census results from 2022: Originally planned for 2021, the population census was delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the results, Vojvodina has a population of 1,740,230, consisting of 1,190,785 Serbs, 182,321 Hungarians, 40,938 Roma, 39,807 Slovaks, 32,684 Croats, 19,595 Romanians, 12,438 Yugoslavs, 12,424 Montenegrins, 11,207 Rusyns, and 10,949 Bunjevci. In addition to these, more than ten smaller ethnic groups are represented in the diverse population of the region, which is increasingly moving towards homogenization. As a result, the dominant nation increasingly shapes the ethnic composition, while the proportion of minorities continues to decline.
Délvidék (southern region): The Southern Territories, historically, referred to the southernmost regions of historical Hungary, encompassing present-day Vojvodina, along with certain parts of Croatia (Slavonia, Western Syrmia, and Baranja).
autonomous province: Vojvodina first gained autonomy following the end of World War II. The autonomy rights, which signified self-governing powers, were modified several times before Vojvodina (alongside Kosovo) received broad autonomy under the provisions of the 1974 constitution. However, this was ultimately abolished in October 1988 through a coup led by the late Serbian nationalist dictator Slobodan Milošević and his supporters. The abolition was officially reinforced by constitutional amendments in 1989 and the new constitution of 1990. Only in 2001, after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the conclusion of the Yugoslav Wars, and the fall of Slobodan Milošević, did Vojvodina regain its autonomy, albeit in a significantly more limited form and within narrower confines than those guaranteed by the 1974 constitution.
7 districts: The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is divided into the following 7 regions (corresponding to NUTS 3 regions): South Bačka District, South Banat District, North Bačka District, North Banat District, Central Banat District, West Bačka District, Srem District.
45 municipalities: In Vojvodina and Serbia, a municipality is a common administrative unit consisting of several smaller and sometimes one or two larger settlements. Among these administrative units, only Novi Sad and Subotica are legally designated as cities. The center of a municipality is typically its largest settlement, from which the municipality itself takes its name.