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Uzice region covers an area of 6,172 km2, which is 7% of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, with 321,000 inhabitants (according to the census in 2001), which is 4.3% of the population of the Republic of Serbia.
As for the geographic location, the Region is situated in the south- western part of Serbia, with the mountains of Maljen and Povlen bordering on the north, the river Uvac from the south, the mountain peaks of Ovcar and Kablar from the east and the Drina river from the west. It is located at the meeting point of three republic borders: the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska.
As for its characteristics and the soil configuration, Uzice region is ranked as a hilly-mountainous area in which forests and forest land make 43% of the territory, while the agricultural land makes 51% of the total productive area.
The Region consists of the following ten municipalities: Arilje, Bajina Bašta, Ivanjica, Kosjerić, Nova Varoš, Požega, Priboj, Prijepolje, Užice and Čajetina with about 380 inhabited places.
The railway line Belgrade – Bar goes through the Region. Out of 10 municipalities of Uzice region, the railway goes through six of them: Kosjerić, Požega, Užice, Čajetina, Priboj and Prijepolje. It has a great significance from the point of economic and cultural development of the areas which it goes through, making them closer to northern Serbia and neighbouring countries: Hungary, Romania, connecting the tourist destinations of this Region such as Mt.Tara, Mt.Zlatibor, Mt Zlatar and others with the Montenegrin sea coast.
The territory of Uzice region is very rich in ores of metals and non- metals and other natural wealth which are very significant for further economic and overall socio-economic development of the Region. The whole territory of Uzice region is rich in deposits of decorative stones (Požega, Prijepolje, Kosjerić, Priboj, Sirogojno etc.). The rich reserves of black and dark lime stone as well as cement lime stone of good quality are located near Kosjeric. Zlatibor mountain range and Mokra Gora basin are abundant with reserves of iron ore and nickel of medium quality, a little of copper ore, lead-zinc ores, chromium ore, manganese ore which are recorded in the vicinity of Prijepolje, Zlatibor plateau, Priboj Spa, Kosjerić and other places. Some aluminium ore -bauxite quantities were recorded at Mt.Tara and antimony near Ivanjica. The deposits of magnesium are especially important, and it is estimated that there are most of it at Mts. Zlatibor and Tara.
Apart from the above natural resources, the Region also has a significant forest potential. As for the forest territory, Uzice region is ranked as the top one in Serbia and above the European standards (0.70 ha of forests per capita). The forests of this Region are rich in wild fruits (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, mushrooms, and others), medicinal herbs, and at the same time, they are habitats of small and large game, among which a brown bear represents a real jewel.
The water flows of the rivers: Drina, Uvac, Lim and Western Morava represents the high water power potential which has not been used to the full yet.
Apart from the natural resources in the Region, there are numerous sights, historical monuments, archaeological sights and natural reserves, old towns and other creations of national heritage and builders from our near and ancient past. Mileseva monastery near Prijepolje is one of the most important monuments of Serbian culture in which there is a well known fresco called White Angel. The monastery had a school and a printing plant in XVI century and it represented one of the centres of Serbian literacy. The church of St. Ahilije in Arilje which was built by king Dragutin in 1296, is also a precious monument of our historic heritage. The best known historic monument in the municipality of Bajina Bašta is Rača monastery, which is located 6 km southwards from Bajina Bašta, built in XII century. Uvac Monastery near Priboj was a busy intellectual centre in medieval Serbia. At the beginning of XVII century, it was completely demolished and its four year restoring was finished in 1998. Also, in other municipalities of this Region there are a lot of churches and monasteries from the Middle Age which represent evidence of the developed economic and intellectual life of this area.
The mountains of Zlatibor, Tara, Zlatar, Golija and others are located in the Region. Mt. Zlatibor at a wavy highland of the altitude 1000 to 1100 m, and with its stimulating climate, has all the conditions to become the larges centre of mountain tourism. It is assumed that it obtained its name after the golden yellow colour of one type of pine tree. At the slopes of Mt. Zlatibor, in the village called Sirogojno, there is a unique museum in the open air which displays the life of inhabitants of this area at the beginning of XIX century. Above the canyon of the Drina river there is Mt. Tara steep upright with an impressive water spring called Perućac. Pančić’s spruce, of a great flora value and rarity which has been preserved in Europe only in the canyon of the Drina river and neighbouring mountains in Bosnia and Serbia, grows at Mt. Tara only. Mt Tara is abundant with different game (bears, roe-deer, wild she-goats, foxes, eagles etc.) and it represents the largest park and botanical garden in free nature. Today, Mt Tara is well known as a big resort, resting place, place where painters, hunters, mountaineers gather and it is a place for different types of entertainment and recreation.
The economic and cultural centre of Uzice region is Uzice, in which there are cultural institutions such as the National museum, National library and Historic archive which have a lot historic evidence whose value exceeds the significance of narrow local frames.
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