Let us present you Kikinda Municipality This is the place inhabited by people of good will, numerous nationalities, near Romania and Hungary, outstanding hunting paradise on the banks of the river Tisa, attractive tourist destination with plenty of healthy food, modern industry and high possibilities for high profitable investments.

Identity card of the municipality With little over 67.000 inhabitants, Kikinda Municipality is among the biggest municipalities in Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia. It covers the area of about 120.000 hectars and includes the town of Kikinda and villages of Mokrin, Nakovo, Banatsko Veliko Selo, Novi Kozarci, Rusko Selo, Banatska Topola, Basaid, Idjos and Sajan. The east side the municipal territory borders Romania, the south east side Srpska Crnja Municipality, the south side Zrenjanin Municipality, in the south west side it borders the territory of Novi Becej Municipality, the west the Tisa River and the north Coka Municipality Due to its unique geographic position, population of the municipality consists of various nationalities: Serbs (51.212), Hungarians (8.607),

Yugoslavs (1.607), Gypsies (1.156), Croats (240), Montenegrins (219) and Macedonians (158). Kikinda is an administration centre of North Banat and Tisa region including the municipalities of Coka, Novi Knezevac, Ada, Senta and Kanjiza.

The town on the crossroads Specific characteristic of Kikinda is reflected in its geographic position. Territory of the municipality is located in the north part of Banat, 7.5 kilometers from Romanian and 60 kilometers from Hungarian frontier. Road and railroad network provide good connections to other parts of Vojvodina and Serbia. It is only 100 km away from Novi Sad and 135 km away from Belgrade. Railroad Seged – Kikinda - Timisoara stands as a priority project in strategic plan of this European Region. Construction of Banat main road via Horgos, Kikinda, Zrenjanin, Pancevo, Kovin and Smederevo will place Kikinda Municipality on one of the busiest European traffic lines towards Near East. In case the transport on the Danube – Tisa - Danuabe canal is revived, international economic cooperation will turn to be much more important.

Canal system Danube – Tisa – Danube runs through Kikinda Municipality for 22 kilometers. It enables economic transportation of goods but it is also important for irrigation in agriculture; it is an attractive zone for fishing and leisure. This water way connects Kikinda to all important industrial centers of Vojvodina and Serbia as well as to neighboring countries.

Name 600 years old First settlements date back about 5000 B.C. the testimony of which is numerous mounds, necropolises and archeological sites. Traces of old cultures date back from Younger Stone and Bronze Age, Celtic civilization, Dacian, Sarmatian ones…with digs of ceramics and tools made of bones and stone. Banat was under rule of Huns (mighty Attila – The Scourge of God), Gepids, Avars, Turkish-Mongolian nomads, Franks and Bulgarians. Together with Avars (mid VI century) largish Slavic groups come to this territory, whereas in 896 Hungarians came from the lower Danube and made this area their permanent residence. Written historic sources first mention Great Kikinda in 1423 as the estate of Hungarian King Sigismund, and again in 1441 as the present of Hungarian King to Serbian despot Djuradj Brankovic.

Healthy food

Modern industry

Kikinda has vast area of the most fertile land. It is a traditional producer of healthy food, medicinal plants, widely known quality Mokrin cheese, meat products according to traditional Banat prescriptions.

As industrially developed area, Kikinda has an important place in economic development of Vojvodina and Republic of Serbia. Industry is the area of high priority, and is based on available raw materials, production capacities and quality work power.

Agricultural production is organized through thirty companies and agricultural cooperatives. Rich and high quality yield is achieved thanks to most up-to-date irrigation systems and intensive green house production. Dominant industrial and agricultural cultures are: maize, wheat, barley, sunflower, sugar beat and tobacco. Conditions for livestock farming are ideal, especially for pig farming and milk production. Regarding agriculture, Kikinda Municipality offers excellent investment possibilities with high profitability rate.

Thermal sources and oil The territory of Kikinda is extremely rich in energy resources: crude oil and natural gas, geo-thermal springs but also high quality clay. The largest clay mine in Europe is in the territory of this municipality.

Most important industrial branches are: metal processing, chemical and food processing.  Metal industry “Livnica”  Industry of building material “Toza Markovic”  Chemical industries MSK, Hemik  Food and processing industries “Banini”, “Kikindski mlin”, “Prima”, “PIK”, “Agroseme” Industrial zone in Kikinda will open possibilities for intensive development of small and medium enterprises, mainly for direct foreign investments in construction of new factories that would run their businesses with certain administration incentives.

Landfill

Water supply

Kikinda is the first ecological municipality in Serbia to finalize its striving regarding the activities of waste management, i.e. collecting, transport and dumping solid waste according to the highest standards of European Union.

Issue of healthy drinking water is one of the most acute in Kikinda and requires urgent solution. Current Municipal Government is determined to resolve this matter until the end of 2007 in the best way. There are two options:

Regional sanitary landfill covers the territory of North Banat region with about 200.000 inhabitants. Besides Kikinda Municipality, as the holder of this project, following municipalities are also included: Zitiste, Nova Crnja, Ada, Novi Becej, while the municipalities of Novi Knezevac, Coka and possibly Zrenjanin are interested to join the project. Besides dumping waste, the landfill would also enable selection and recycling of waste.

a) Building water factory b) Processing water from the Tisa river or from Kikinda sources Through the contacts with renowned Institute of German town Karlsruhe and KFW Group optimal models for resolving the problem of good drinking water are considered.

Culture in focus Kikinda is center of culture and art in North Banat district. There are many archeological finds, testimony about the developed civilization and culture in the North Banat territory, from prehistoric times till today. Kikinda has one of the oldest libraries in Serbia which celebrated 260th anniversary in 2005. The first theatre play was performed in 1796.

Kikinda has one of the only two horse driven mills remaining in Europe today from XVIII century. Suvaca Mill is part of European and world cultural heritage. The other one is located in neighboring Hungary. Every year in July a world unique International Symposium of terracotta sculpture TERRA takes place in Kikinda. It was first organized in 1982 and so far about 150 sculptures from 30 countries from all continents have participated in Symposium. Over 1000 large scale sculptures will be located in Museum of terracotta, the construction of which starts this year. According to the project, Academies of fine arts of Timisoara (Romania) and Seged (Hungary) will take part. Kikinda is supposed to become an educational center and teaching basis for graduate studies of sculpturing. As the confirmation of international regional cooperation in culture in the triangle Kikinda – Timisoara – Seged, Kikinda will apply with this project for funds from EU.

Hunting paradise Hunting grounds of Kikinda are one of the richest in Vojvodina, and it is an ideal ground for passionate hunters and fishermen. Hunting grounds are rich in small game (quail, turtledove, duck, pheasant and hare…) where special attraction goes to roe and roe buck hunting.

Hunting area covers 70.000 hectars and is the only one in Banat with 5 established hunts: Varoski Rit (Kikinda), Livade (Basaid), Stare Bare (Idjos), Visoka Greda (Mokrin) and Gelija (Banatsko Veliko Selo). Along the Danube – Tisa – Danube canal and on the stagnant waters conditions are good for sport fishing and rich catch of carps, pikes, perches and breams. If you wish to visit us, quality accommodation, good cuisine and always attractive offer of four star hotel “Narvik”, national house “Lovac” and “Bela Vila” are available. Sport hall, playgrounds for small sports, tennis courts, complex of indoor and outdoor swimming pools, football stadium - these offer excellent conditions for preparation of sportsmen. Special place in the tourist offer of Kikinda and the whole region goes to manifestation PUMPKIN DAYS – contest of the heaviest, longest and most unusual pumpkin fruits. Due to interesting programs presented during the pumpkin days, this manifestation has become widely approved. These are the days when cultural, artistic, folklore, ethno, gastronomic and scientific contents happen in the town. The manifestation is visited by as many as 15.000 guests from the country and abroad.

Kikinda is a member of World Association of Pumpkin Fans and is its representative for Eastern Europe.

International cooperation Kikinda Municipality has entered into twin relationship with the towns of Narvik (Norway), Nazareth Illit (Israel), Silistra (Bulgaria), Zilina (Slovakia) and Jimbolia (Romania), and thereby confirmed its attachment to international cooperation and international integration. Useful experience is exchanged in the area of municipal administration service quality raising, education, culture, sport and tourism.

Possibilities for investments Strategy of Kikinda development includes a number of administration facilitations and incentives making the territory attractive for local and foreign investments.  Industry: Project of industrial zone  Agriculture: optimal conditions for production of healthy food, high profitability

 Bio-regenerative medicine – diagnostic centre to provide services in psycho therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture and fito therapy. Water from bio-thermal springs of Kikinda would be exploited.  Anti stress centre combined with tourism, medicine, cosmetics, sport (golf, mini golf, bio thermal waters, horse stables, farm houses…)

Old pond – Staro Jezero Kikinda has a natural wealth of immeasurable value – Staro Jezero. It is a water complex of 5.1 hectars, only 500 meters from the town centre. After decades of complete neglect, two years ago revitalization started of this area that many people of Kikinda are emotionally attached to. It is an attractive and healthy place for resting, recreation and leisure. All projects regarding revitalization include respect for natural specific character, natural and cultural heritage of the area but also enabling sport and leisure activities, gastronomic, manifestation, entertainment and other activities.

Petr Modlitba

Kikinda Mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii)

Contacts

Kikinda mammoth is a unique paleonthological find dug out in the clay mine of AD “Toza Markovic” in September 1996. Preservation of skeleton (93%) makes this mammoth unique in the world. Besides Kikinda mammoth, there is only another found in another climatic area, in the Ural, glacier zone. Mammutus trogontherii, elephant of the steppe, is 4 meters high, 7 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. It has impressive tusks, longer than 3,5 meters. It is still sitting in AD “Toza Markovic” depot. Possibilities of proper conservation, restoration and permanent protection are under consideration. Currently, implementation of “Kikinda Mammoth” project is in process involving scanning and making replica in natural size, complete with computerized 3D animation.

Kikinda Municipality

Holder of this 270.000 Euro worth project is Kikinda Municipality, financed by European Agency for Reconstruction funds to the level of 90%. The project will be completed by the end of 2006. The latest analyses lead to the conclusion that the fossil remains, i.e. mammoth skeleton, are about 500.000 years old.

Trg Srpskih Dobrovljaca 12 23300 Kikinda Tel.: 0230-21-000 Fax: 0230-410-174 Email: [email protected] www.kikinda.org.yu