Posušje

According to the 2013 census, the population of Posušje town was 6,267.[3]

From the older (Paleolithic) and middle (Mesolithic) periods of Stone Age, the period of primitive man hunter and wild berries collector, in the area of Posušje municipality were not found traces of human beings.

In the early period (Neolithic) stone age in southern Europe the way of human life significantly changed became a farmer and cattleman, built a permanent settlement, and was making ceramics. From this period, from his older sub-period, in the municipality Posušje, there are remains a human beings from sites Vučje Njive (Wolves fields), Iličinova Lazina, Prataruša and Žukovia cave in Vir. In the younger Neolithic in this region has dominated Hvar-lisičić culture. Its remainings in the area of the municipality Posušje were found in localities: Brig next Bagaruša, Mostina (Batin), Sridnji Brig (Gradac), Central (Gradac and Vrijovički brig (Gradac). In Copper age (2400–1800 BC ), there was prevailing "stringy ceramics" so-Herzegovina, belonging to such sites: Nečajno and Trostruka gradina (triple fort) between Posušje and Grude.

Dissolution of the Neolithic groups and the beginning of the new groups, the metal age in this region is, caused primarily by great migration of Indo-Europeans that took place in the last centuries of 3rd and beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. This great migration, like the other before and later, also happened in steps, and her third and last step, completed the occupation of the area between the Sava and the Adriatic Sea. From then on the immigrant culture and indigenous people mix, new types of settlements, ruins, and very closed communities are being created. As a typical example of such a Bronze Age culture, is set aside, in this region, the dominant "Cetina culture" mostly in central Dalmatia, and in some segments quite similar to her "Posušje culture", mainly by widespread Herzegovina, central and northern part of Dalmatia.

Iron Age (8th century BC – 9 years AD) is the genesis completion time and the time of Illyrian tribes and communities forming, their touches via trade with Apennine Peninsula, the Greeks, and a number of bloody wars with the Romans. Municipality Posušje certainly belonged to the Illyrian tribe Dalmatae. Dalmatae were very warlike and livestock people, and in a series of wars during the 2nd and 1st century BC, gave the huge resistance to the great Roman state. Neither large Gaius Julius Caesar did not succeed to defeat them. It succeeded, after great difficulty, and thousands of casualties, the first Roman emperor Octavian Augustus. Roman impression by Dalmatae caused them later to name the whole province, much higher than territory of Dalmatae, after them (Dalmatia).

From the Iron Age in the Posušje municipality area there is a huge number of ruins, the typical settlement of Dalmatae and over today Posušje and Vir field is considered to be an important trade route went from the commercial port Narona (Vid near Metković) to the town of Delminium (today Tomislavgrad in Duvno field), the main center of Illyric tribes. The money, "drachma Dyrahija", found in Vir, supports this theory. Prominent archaeologist Zdravko Marić claimed that the Vir is one of the most important cultural sites in the territory of Dalmatae. Another prominent archaeologist Borivoj Čović has classified the area of Posušje in the "central Illyrian territory."

Romans, after the occupation of this area, have been developing villages near the former Illyrian settlements. Settlements have been connected with its famous roads whose rare remains are today still visible in the municipality Posušje. Roman road Gradac - Tribistovo - Poklečani - Petrović has been documented as a verified safe route . On the other hand, archaeologists Ballif and Patsch claim that Vinjani were also an important road junction. A road direction from Vir, below Zavelim and towards Vinica and later towards Aržano, has been marked as a safe one.

In Roman times in the entire Posušje municipality area there were settlements, forts and cemeteries. Among the most important settlements was, most probably Gradac, where were two forts and settlement, the well-known late antique Christian basilica (4th–5th century), while in the area of Čitluk there was a Roman Villa Rustica. In the Čitluk area, near Orlov kuk, there has been also a Roman fort as well as in the Plišivica on Vinjani, while in the Vir such fort was on the site of Gradina above the Glavica. In Tribistovo have been found two Roman forts as well as in Sutina in Rakitno, while in Petrovići there were fort and basilica. In the area of Zagorje, however, there were found coins of the emperors Constantine I and Valens.

In the 7th century Croats appeared on the historical stage establishing their first principalities, mainly Tomislav, then King of the Kingdom of Croatia. The entire Posušje area at this time belonged to the Kingdom of Croatia, which among other things, is proved by the Old Croatian-style graves around the early Christian basilica in Gradac. In later periods (the early and late Middle Ages), Posušje was predominately ruled by the noble family Nelipić from Sinj, with their rule being interchanged with the House of Kotromanić. The name Posušje is first mentioned in written document are 1378, in the parliaments description invited by Margareta, widow of the nobleman Ivan Nelipić who was owner of Posušje. Another mentioning of Posušje dates in 1403 in a document related to the commercial relations of Republic of Dubrovnik and Kingdom of Bosnia. It is important to note that in the third mentioning of Posušje was in the 1408, in the Charter of the Bosnian King Stjepan Ostoja where Posušje was called „župa“ (county, parish). Soon after, King Ostoja gave Radivojević Posušje. Later period are blamed to the weak kings of Bosnia and the powerful Croatian-Hungarian king Sigismund of Luxembourg. Feudal anarchy, torn apart by the Croatian regions, and the Ottomans rather easily at 1463 have conquered Bosnia. Herzegovina was conquered by the Ottoman Empire completely in 1482 with the battle of Herceg-Novi, but the year of Posušjes downfall is attributed to the Krbava battle in 1493. The last Posušje settlement and the last Herzegovina settlement conquered by Turks was Vir. The defenders of Vir had a chain of defence forts above Vir and managed to resist up to 1513.

The first mentioning of Herzegovina sanjak dates from one news from the end of February 1470. With Ottoman conquests the area of this sanjak has been spreading. This sanjak has been of Rumelia Eyalet until the 1580 when it was merged into the newly formed Pashalik of Bosnia and remained inside of it until 1833. Sanjaks were divided on smaller administration area called qadis and nahiyas. All the land in the area of Posušje has become the property of sultan who has been sharing it among his subordinated noblemen. The name Čitluk village dates from this period. Posušje area in the subsequent liberation wars in the 17th century, has become the border area between the Ottoman Empire and Venice, and as such had suffered much.

In 1878, after Herzegovinian rebellion against Turks in which people from Posušje have participated, the army of Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina. The army of Austria-Hungary was mostly composed of Croats and the Croatian generals Josip Filipović and Stjepan Jovanović led the invasion. Austria-Hungary established a protectorate and later in 1908 it annexed the country. Authorities of A-U were trying to improve the economy and literacy in the country. In the 1886/1887 it opened elementary school Rakitno in Poklečani. In 1903/04, a school in Vir started to work. Later, schools have also been opened in city of Posušje, Gradac and other places. Special legacy for education of the local people goes to fra Didak Buntić.

In 1918 Posušje has been included into the newly composed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1939, based on the Cvetković–Maček Agreement, Banovina of Croatia was formed, including the Posušje area. During NDH, 1941–1945, the area of the current municipality was divided between Great county of Hum and Great county of Pliva-Rama.