Sisak-Moslavina county - Sisačko-moslavačka županija is a Croatian county in eastern Central Croatia and southwestern Slavonia. It is named after the city of Sisak and the region Moslavina just across the river Sava. According to 2001 census it is inhabited by 185 thousand people.

This county features the ancient Roman city of Siscia -- today's Sisak. Siscia was the largest city of the whole region back then, a Pannonian capital, probably due to its position on the confluence of the Kupa and Sava rivers. The city's patron saint is its first Christian bishop, St. Kvirin, who was tortured and almost killed during Diocletian's persecution of Christians. Legend has it that they tied him to a millstone and threw him into a river, but he freed himself from the weight, escaped and continued to preach his faith.

The town may have lost importance with the fall of one empire, but it recovered it soon enough with the rise of another: Sisak became famous for crucial battles between European armies and the Ottoman Turks. In particular, the battle of 1593 when the Turkish army first ever suffered a large defeat. The ban Toma Bakač Erdedi who led the defense in this battle became famous throughout Europe.

Today, Sisak features the largest Croatian metallurgic factory (supported by the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Metallurgy also in the city) and the largest oil refinery. These are coupled with the petrochemical facilities in the nearby town of Kutina, the first recorded mention of which was in 1256 by king Bela IV. Moslavina is probably the most picturesque part of this county, with the natural park Lonjsko polje near the rivers Lonja, Ilova and Pakra.

This county also extends far to the south to the border with Bosnia, and in this southern part of the county one can find a small town of Topusko, which has another one of those spas typical for Central Croatia, although this one stands out with seniority: it dates back to the neolithic age.

The Sisak-Moslavina county borders on the Karlovac county in the west, Zagreb county in the north, Bjelovar-Bilogora county and Požega-Slavonia county in the northwest, and finally Brod-Posavina county in the east.

Sisak-Moslavina county is divided as follows:

Current Župan (prefect): Marina Lovrić (SDP)

The county assembly is composed of 49 representatives, organized as follows as of 2005:

Bjelovar-Bilogora Brod-Posavina Dubrovnik-Neretva Istria Karlovac Koprivnica-Križevci Krapina-Zagorje Lika-Senj Međimurje Osijek-Baranja Požega-Slavonia Primorje-Gorski Kotar Šibenik-Knin Sisak-Moslavina Split-Dalmatia Varaždin Virovitica-Podravina Vukovar-Syrmia Zadar Zagreb City of Zagreb

Coordinates: 45°13′15″N 16°15′05″E / 45.22083, 16.25139

Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia

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