The Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is a form of territorial autonomy in the Republic of Serbia and The State Union Serbia and Montenegro. It is situated in the northern part of Serbia, which is the southern part of Pannonian Plain, where the lower sections of three large rivers - Danube, Sava and Tisa converge. Vojvodina covers an area of 21,506 square kilometers, approximately one quarter of Serbia. Its largest city and administrative, economic, and cultural center of the province is Novi Sad.
Novi Sad was founded three centuries ago on the left riverbank of the river Danube, on aluvial terrace and in a trace of ancient transpanonian road, in the place that was most suitable place for crossing a river from Backa to Srem. Novi Sad is situated between 19° 51´ East latitude and 45° 20´ North longitude. The City of Novi Sad, one of the biggest economic and cultural centers in Serbia has two municipalities: Novi Sad and Petrovaradin. Both of them, with suburbs and nearby vilages have more than 300.000 citizens.
City community of Novi Sad covers an area of 706 square kilometers, out of which Novi Sad with Petrovaradin and Sremska Kamenica covers 129 square kilometers, and area covers 106,2 square kilometers. City centers of districts are Novi Sad with 233.292 inhabitants, and Petrovaradin with 13,307 inhabitants.

ECONOMY
Vojvodina is the most developed part of the Unity of Serbia and Crna Gora, particulary in terms of agriculture and food-procesing industries, metalworking and chemical industry, building materials, textile and other industries. Agriculture accounts for 30 % and industry for 36 % in the GNP of Vojvodina.

 

AGRICULTUREcorn
Arable land in Vojvodina covers 1.7 million hectares (84% of the total area) of high quality soil, 52% of which is blacke arth.
- An important development potential lies in the 930 kilometer long canal network of the irrigation system Danube-Tisa-Danube, out of which 591 km is navigable. The system (currently expanded) irrigates half a million hectares and facilitates double cropping.
- About 70% of arable land in Vojvodina is sown with grain crops, 20% accounts for industrial plants and the rest is used for vegetable and field crops.
- An annual average yield per hectare for various crops is the following: maize 6.0 t, wheat 4.8 t, sunflower 2.2 t, soybean 1.9 t, and sugar beet 4.0 t; the other high yielding crops are green pepper, tobacco, hemp, hops, etc.
- Grapes and other fruits are extensively grown as well.
- Various seed varieties and hybrids have been developed by the Novi Sad Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops and have acquired world reputation.
- Cattle-breeding: annual production is 200,000 tons of meat, 300 million liters of milk and 600 million eggs.
- Processing industry uses primary agricultural products and turns out sugar, confectionery, edible oil, meat and dairy products, fruits and vegetable products, pasta, beer, alcoholic and soft drinks.
- Vojvodina has 50 mills, 6 pasta plants, 33 slaughterhouses, 18 dairy plants, 21 fruits and vegetable processing plants, 11 sugar refineries, 6 oil plants, 5 confectionery plants, etc.

INDUSTRYindustry
Headquoterds of Oil Industry of Serbia is in Novi Sad.
- Heavy industry manufactures machines for metalworking, agriculture machines , electric energy and telecommunication cables, electric rotation machines, (shipyards in Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Apatin and Sremska Mitrovica), dental equipment (Jugodent Novi Sad), railroad cars, etc.
- Petrochemical industry is well developed in Vojvodina (oil refineries in Novi Sad and Pančevo), fertilizer and chemical plants (Azotara Pančevo, Zorka Subotica), methanol and ascetic acid plant (MSK Kikinda), ethylene and propylene plant (Petrohemija Pančevo), rubber processing (FSK Elemir) pharmaceutical plant (Hemofarm Vršac, Jugoremedija Zrenjanin, Niva Novi Sad).
-Industry of building materials manufactures quality products such as bricks, roof covers and ceramic tiles (Toza Marković Kikinda, Potisje Kanjiža, Polet Novi Bečej) glass (Industrija ravnog stakla Pančevo), electric porcelain (Elektroporcelan Novi Sad), grinding, polishing and thermo-insulating materials (Termika Zrenjanin, IBA Ada).
- Textile industry is best known for its floor coverings.
- The only paper and pulp industry in the country is located in Vojvodina (Matroz Sremska Mitrovica).

EDUCATION
There is a broad network of pre-school institutions, elementary and secondary schools, high schools and faculties. In addition to elementary education system in Serbian language, the members of minority communities have the opportunity to be educated in their mother tongues.
- Out of the total of 342 elementary schools with 196 department schools, 118 offer education in Hungarian, 19 in Slovak, 32 in Rumanian and 3 in Ruthenian.
-There are 113 secondary schools, 29 of them offer education in Hungarian, 2 in Slovak, 2 in Rumanian and 1 in Ruthenian language.
- The University of Novi Sad includes 13 faculties. Some of them - Teacher Training, Faculty of Philosophy, Economics and Civil Engineering - organize education in minority languages.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH
Science and Research in Vojvodina is carried out at the Novi Sad Section of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, two scientific institutes and faculties within the University. In various fields of science in research work are engaged about three thousand experts.

(source: www.vojvodina.sr.gov.yu )

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