Banja Luka

Banja Luka, city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, capital of Banja Luka District, on the Vrbas River, in the Bosanska Krajina region. Its name, which means 'baths of Saint Luke', refers to the thermal springs surrounding the city. Banja Luka is a rail terminus and road junction whose output includes textiles, tobacco, beer, and dairy produce. A hydroelectric plant and a coal mine are nearby, and the city's Roman ruins are a popular tourist attraction. The city also houses a university.

Although Banja Luka dates from Roman times, its importance increased only after the 15th century; it was the temporary capital of Bosnia from 1588 to 1638 and the scene of many Austro-Turkish battles. The city suffered severe devastation during the Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian War between 1991 and 1995. Population 142,644 (1991).