Sandžak
Sandžak is a historical geo-political region located in the southwestern part of Serbia and the eastern part of Montenegro. The name Sandžak derives from the Sanjak of Novi Pazar, a former Ottoman administrative district founded in 1865.
Sandžak
| |
|---|---|
Map of Sandžak | |
| Countries | Serbia Montenegro |
| Largest city | Novi Pazar |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8,686 km2 (3,354 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2022) | 379,970 |
| • | Serbian Sandžak (233,091) Montenegrin Sandžak (146,879) |
| ISO 3166 code | SRB MNE |
Various empires and kingdoms have ruled over the region. In the 12th century, Sandžak was part of the medieval Serbian region of Raška. During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Balkans, the region became an important administrative district, with Novi Pazar as its administrative center. Sandžak was under Austro-Hungarian occupation between 1878 and 1909 until the Ottoman Empire regained control of the region in 1909. In 1912, it was divided between the Kingdom of Montenegro and the Kingdom of Serbia.
Novi Pazar serves as Sandžak's economic and cultural center and is the region's most populous city. Sandžak has a diverse and complex ethnic and religious composition, with significant Muslim, Orthodox Christian, and Catholic populations.