Bijela (Cyrillic: Бијела) is a village located in the municipality of Konjic, within the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The settlement is part of the geographic region of Herzegovina and lies in the mountainous terrain characteristic of the Dinaric Alps.
Administrative status
- Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Entity: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Canton: Herzegovina-Neretva
- Municipality: Konjic
Geography
Bijela is situated in a rural area of the Konjic municipality. The village is positioned at an approximate elevation typical of the surrounding Neretva river basin and Dinaric mountain foothills. Precise latitude and longitude coordinates are not widely published in major cartographic sources; however, the settlement appears on detailed regional maps of the Konjic area.
Demographics
Population figures for Bijela are not consistently reported in publicly available statistical compilations. The most recent national census conducted in 2013 by the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides data at the municipal level, but does not publish separate counts for every small settlement. Consequently, the specific number of inhabitants, as well as the ethnic composition of the village, remain unavailable from reliable encyclopedic sources.
Etymology
The name “Bijela” derives from the South Slavic adjective bijela (Latin script) or бијела (Cyrillic), meaning “white.” This toponym is common throughout the Balkans and often denotes a landscape feature such as a white rock formation, a clear water source, or historically white‑washed structures.
Infrastructure and economy
Detailed information on local infrastructure (e.g., roads, public services) and economic activities (e.g., agriculture, forestry) for Bijela is not documented in major reference works. As a rural settlement within a largely mountainous municipality, it can be inferred that the village’s economic base aligns with the broader patterns of small‑scale agriculture and timber exploitation typical of the Konjic region, but specific data are lacking.
Notability
Bijela does not appear in major historical, cultural, or political records distinct from the wider Konjic municipality. It is primarily recognized as a geographical locality within the administrative framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
References
- Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2013 (municipal level data).
- Official maps of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Administration and Local Self‑Government.
No further verifiable encyclopedic information is presently available for the settlement of Bijela, Konjic.