The South Bačka District (Serbian: Јужнобачки округ, romanized: Južnobački okrug, pronounced[jûʒnobâːtʃkiːôkruːɡ]; Hungarian: Dél-bácskai körzet; Slovak: Juhobáčsky okres) is one of seven administrative districts of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Geographically it lies in the southern part of Bačka and northern part of Syrmia. According to the 2022 census results, it has a population of 607,178 inhabitants. The administrative center of the district is the city of Novi Sad, which is also the capital and the largest city of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
During Habsburg administration (18th century), the area was divided between the Bodrog County, Batsch County and the Military Frontier. The two counties were joined into single Batsch-Bodrog County in the 18th century. Since the abolishment of the Theiß-Marosch section of the Military Frontier in 1751, part of that territory was also included into Batsch-Bodrog County. The only part of the area that remained within Military Frontier was Šajkaška region. From 1751 to 1848, northeastern part of the area belonged to the autonomous District of Potisje.
In the 1850s, the area was mostly part of the Novi Sad District, with some northern parts in the Sombor District. After 1860, the area was again included into Batsch-Bodrog County (officially Bács-Bodrog County since 1867). In 1873, the Military Frontier in Šajkaška region was abolished and that area was also included into Bács-Bodrog County.
Since 1944, the area was part of autonomous YugoslavVojvodina (which was part of new socialist Yugoslav Serbia since 1945). The present-day districts of Serbia (including South Bačka District) were defined by the Government of Serbia's Enactment of 29 January 1992.
There are 9 municipal areas with Serbian ethnic majority: City of Novi Sad (79%), Sremski Karlovci (78%), Titel (87%), Žabalj (85%), Beočin (70%), Srbobran (66%), Bačka Palanka (79%), Temerin (68%) and Vrbas (55%).
One municipality in the district has a Slovak majority: Bački Petrovac or Báčsky Petrovec in Slovak (65%), and 2 are mixed: Bač, with relative Serb majority (47%) and Bečej or Óbecse in Hungarian, with relative Hungarian majority (46%).
The first Serbian primary school was founded in Bečej and Zmajevo in 1703, while the first grammar school was established in Sremski Karlovci in 1791.
Novi Sad is home to the oldest cultural and scientific institution of the Serbian people - the Matica Srpska, which was founded in 1826 in Budapest, and transferred to Novi Sad in 1864. The Serbian National Theatre was founded in Novi Sad in 1861.
Economy
Within the district the following industries prevail: chemical, oil, machines, tools and electrical porcelain, textile, food, and construction industry.[citation needed]
Administration
By the Serbian government's 2006 Regulation of the administrative districts[4] the names of all districts were changed from okrug (district) to upravni okrug (administrative district). District is governed by the prefect (načelnik) who is appointed by the central government. Prefects of the South Bačka District were:
19?? - 1997: Jovo Ubibarip
1997 - 12 April 2001: Obrad Milošević
12 April 2001 - 28 June 2002: Arsen Kurjački (b. 1958)
28 June 2002 - 29 April 2004: Branko Bjelajac
29 April 2004 - 3 November 2005: Darko Mandić
3 November 2005 - 6 July 2007: Svetlana Selaković (b. 1957)