Cloppenburg vs Zenica

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Cloppenburg (German: [ˈklɔpn̩ˌbʊɐ̯k] (listen)) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, capital of Cloppenburg District and part of Oldenburg Münsterland. It lies 38 km south-south-west of Oldenburg in the Weser-Ems region between Bremen and the Dutch border. Cloppenburg is not far from the A1, the major motorway connecting the Ruhr area to Bremen and Hamburg. Another major road is the federal highway B213 being the shortest link from the Netherlands to the A1 and thus to Bremen and Hamburg. The town is a centre for the largely agricultural region of southern Oldenburg.

It is the administrative centre of the district and there are many schools. However, there is also some industry in town: e.g. Lumberg, (connector systems) and Derby Cycle (bikes). The town had strong cultural links with St Munchins Parish in Limerick, Ireland from the 1970s to the 1990s. During this period many groups of teens/young adults from both areas visited and were hosted by families from the other area. It was a very successful exchange program fostering some lifelong friendships.

Source: Wikipedia

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Zenica ( ZEN-it-sə; Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Зеница; Bosnian: [zěnitsa] (listen)), is a city and an administrative and economic center of the Zenica-Doboj Canton in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the valley of river Bosna, about 70 km (43 mi) north of the country's capital Sarajevo. The city is known for Zenica Ironworks and the second heavy industry but also as a significant university center. According to the final results of 2013 population census in BiH, the settlement of Zenica itself counts 70,553 citizens and the administrative area 110,663.The urban part of today's city is formed in several phases, including Neolithic, Illyrian, Roman Municipium Bistua Nuova (2nd–4th century) with early Christian dual basilica. Traces of an ancient settlement have been found here as well; villa rustica, thermae, a temple and other buildings were present too. Earliest findings in the place date from the period 3,000–2,000 B.C.; they were found on the localities of Drivuša and Gradišće. Zenica's current name was first mentioned on the 20 March 1436. Medieval church has been unearthed in Zenica, as well as Franciscan Monastery of St. Mary. Time of the independence of the Medieval Bosnia is directly connected to Zenica (Gradješa's plate and abdication act; Kulin ban's time; Vranduk, a castle of the Bosnian kings; Janjići and 'hižas' [homes] of the Bosnian Church members; stećci, stone tombstone monuments etc.

). During the Ottoman rule (1463–1878), Zenica became a Muslim town (kasaba); at the very end of the 17th century, Zenica had 2,000 citizens, mostly Muslims; Orthodox and Catholic Christians get mentioned again from the end of the 18th century, and Jews in the 19th century. Zenica has been mostly built in the Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslavian periods. The Number of citizens has been rising rapidly during the 20th century, and from the Bosnian War until 2013 city lost a quarter of its population. Municipality of Zenica became the City of Zenica in 2014. The city is geographically located in the heart of Bosnia. The area of the settled place is 43.01 km2 (16.61 sq mi) and of the city, 558.5 km2 (215.6 sq mi). The relief is valley-basin and the elevation 310–350 m (1,017–1,148 ft). Rivers Bosna, Lašva, Babina and Kočeva flow through the city itself. A moderate continental climate prevails. The city has 13 urban local settlements and the City consists of total 81 spread rural settlements. The city has nine national monuments. The football club Čelik is a landmark of Zenica, as is one of the tallest buildings on the Balkans – Lamela. Some of the most famous Zeničans are Semir Osmanagić, Anabela Basalo, Danis Tanović, Amar Jašarspahić Gile, Mladen Krstajić, Dejan Lovren, Mervana Jugić-Salkić and Amel Tuka.

Source: Wikipedia