SUBOTICA

Hungarian Szabadka, town in the autonomous pokrajina (province) of Vojvodina in Serbia, Yugoslavia. It lies along the BelgradeBudapest railway line near the Hungarian border. It is the market centre of the Backa, a fertile agricultural district in which paprika is a specialty. The town is also an industrial centre, with a large thermal-power station. Metal consumer goods, fertilizers, and furniture are the major products. The town has several advanced vocational schools and economic and law faculties. Subotica was first mentioned in 1391, and it was included in Austria's military frontier after the defeat of the Turks in the late 17th century. In spite of its large population of Hungarian descent, it became part of Yugoslavia in 1918. Pop. (1981) 100,516.