Bjelovar-Bilogora County

Bjelovar-Bilogora County is a county in central Croatia. The central city, Bjelovar, was first mentioned in 1413 and became more important when a new fort was built in 1756 to protect against Ottoman invasions. It was declared a free royal town in 1874.

The county’s name also comes from the hill of Bilogora, which runs along its northern edge. Other towns in the county include Daruvar, Garešnica, Čazma, and Grubišno Polje.

Bjelovar-Bilogora County shares borders with Koprivnica-Križevci County to the north, Virovitica-Podravina County to the northeast, Požega-Slavonia County to the southeast, Sisak-Moslavina County to the southwest, and Zagreb County to the west. Unlike most other Croatian counties, it does not share a border with another country, along with the City of Zagreb and Požega-Slavonia County.

Administrative division

Bjelovar-Bilogora County is split into 5 towns and 18 smaller areas called municipalities.

Towns
Town	Population (2021 census)
Bjelovar	36,316
Čazma	6,930
Daruvar	10,105
Garešnica	8,624
Grubišno Polje	5,367

Municipalities
Municipality	Population (2021 census)
Berek	1,106
Dežanovac	1,978
Đulovac	2,772
Hercegovac	1,910
Ivanska	2,256
Kapela	2,367
Končanica	1,805
Nova Rača	2,756
Rovišće	4,144
Severin	702
Sirač	1,796
Šandrovac	1,411
Štefanje	1,688
Velika Pisanica	1,313
Velika Trnovitica	1,091
Veliki Grđevac	2,316
Veliko Trojstvo	2,379
Zrinski Topolovac	747

Demographics

As of the 2021 census, the county had 101,879 residents. The population density was 39 people per km².

As of the 2011 census, the county had 119,764 residents. The population density was 45 people per km².

Population pyramid of Bjelovar-Bilogora County per 2011 Census.

Ethnic Croats form the majority with 84.8% of the population, followed by Serbs at 6.3% and Czechs at 5.2%.

population	84893	95981	101420	130901	150825	163039	162453	173597	166485	170651	167599	157811	149551	144042	133084	119764	101879
	1857	1869	1880	1890	1900	1910	1921	1931	1948	1953	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001	2011	2021

Politics

Minority councils and representatives

Minority councils and representatives help local authorities support the rights and interests of different groups. In the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections, the Czechs, Hungarians, and Serbs of Croatia each elected a council with 25 members for Bjelovar-Bilogora County. The Albanians, Germans, and Romani people in Croatia elected individual representatives. Some towns and cities in the county also have their own minority councils.

Even though the Government of the Republic of Croatia does not require it, Bjelovar-Bilogora County guarantees that Albanian, Czech, Hungarian, and Serbian languages can be used alongside Croatian in official matters.

Protected areas

Bjelovar-Bilogora County has special places set aside to protect nature and wildlife. One of these areas is called Papuk, which is important for preserving local plants and animals.