BileÃÂa () is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 7,476 inhabitants, while the municipality has 10,807 inhabitants.
The first traces of civilization in BileÃÂa date from the Neolithic period, although archaeological sites are insufficiently explored.
During the Middle Ages, BileÃÂa was located on the border with the à ¾upa of Vrm and the nearby Vlach necropolis, and was often mentioned as an important crossroad location for caravans on the route from Dubrovnik to Nikà ¡iàand KljuÃÂ, near Gacko. The town became part of the Bosnian state for the first time in 1373, after the defeat of Nikola AltomanoviÃÂ, but the first mention of the town under its present name was from 25 January 1387, while it was also mentioned as Bilechia in 1438. A document dated from 8 September 1388 mentions that the army of the duke Vlatko Vukoviàdefeated the Turkish army at the Battle of BileÃÂa.
The period from the 13th to the 16th century was marked by the building of a large number of steÃÂci. There were 1724 steÃÂak monoliths recorded in BileÃÂa area during the 1970s, with later research suggesting a higher number. Grebenice-BunÃÂiÃÂi site of steÃÂak monuments near Baljci is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
BileÃÂa was held by the Turks from 1466, although it was a rebellious area that was difficult to control. During Herzegovina Uprising one of the crucial battles occurred in July 1876 about 6km east of BileÃÂa. Led by Prince Nikola, joint forces of Montenegrin and Herzegovian battalions defeated the Turks in the Battle of VuÃÂji Do, forcing them to withdraw towards Trebinje.
The Congress of Berlin in 1878 included BileÃÂa in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which brought economic development to the region. The first primary school in BileÃÂa was opened in 1880.
Aside from the town of BileÃÂa, the municipality includes the following settlements:
According to the 1910 census, the absolute majority in the BileÃÂa municipality were Orthodox Christians (82.27%). According to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1931 population census, the majority was held by Orthodox Christians at 81.27%.
<br />
The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in professional fields per their core activity (as of 2018):
The local football club FK Hercegovac has spent one season in the country's second tier â First League of the Republika Srpska.