NOVI SAD, Vojvodina, Serbia

Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia, located in the northern part of the country, in the Pannonian Plain. The region is divided by the Danube and Tisa rivers. Vojvodina has a population of almost 2 million and a total surface area of 21,500 km2. Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannonian Plain. The main part of the city lies on the left bank of the Danube in the region of Bačka, while the smaller settlements of Petrovaradin and Sremska Kamenica lie on the right bank, in the region of Srem. According to the 2011 census, Novi Sad has a population of 231,798 while its urban area (including the adjacent settlements of Petrovaradin and Sremska Kamenica) comprises 277,522 inhabitants. The total land area of the city is 699 km2, while its urban area spans 129.7 km2. Novi Sad was founded in 1694 when Serb merchants formed a colony across the Danube from the Petrovaradin Fortress and in the following centuries it transformed into an important trading and manufacturing centre as well as a centre of Serbian culture.