A HISTORIC REVIEW OF BOSNIA'S DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE PRESENTED

ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - The manager of the Croatian National Institute for Statistics, Jakov Gelo, was a guest at a regular Friday press briefing at the Presidential Palace. The briefing was hosted by President Tudjman's Chief-of-Staff, Jozo Curic. Gelo spoke about the changes in the demographic structure of 30 Bosnian urban centres between 1910 and 1991, when the last census was held. He said that the Sarajevo-based Institute for Statistics had never stopped working since the onset of the Serb aggression. But the Croatian Institute had been engaged to work out a demographic presentation of Bosnia's population. During the eighties, the total population in Bosnia increased 2.3 times, and the population in 30 largest urban centres increased 6.3 times. The ethnic structure of Bosnian cities changed as they grew. Between 1910 and 1991, the number of city-dwelling Croats increased 2. 4 times; the number of urban Moslems increased 6.2 times and the number of city-dwelling Serbs increased 9.1 times. Gelo said the percentage of Croats in these 30 urban centres was much higher in 1910 than in 1991. Thus in 1910, the Croats were in the majority in seven urban centres, and in 1991, they were in the majority only in Vares (central Bosnia). In 1910, the Serbs were in the majority only in Bileca and Drvar; in 1991, they were in the majority in eight urban centres. Twenty-eight urban centres had a Moslem majority in both 1910 and 1991. A relative increase in the percentage of Serbs since 1910 was recorded in 24 urban centres. Gelo stressed that the percentage of Croats in the thirty urban centres grew more slowly than the population rate. He announced that next month the Insitute would publish a book containing the demographic data for every municipality in Bosnia between 1910 and 1991. (hina) mm as 031842 MET mar 95