Banja Luka (, ) or
Banjaluka is the second largest city in
Bosnia and Herzegovina after the capital
Sarajevo and is the largest city of the
Republika Srpska entity. Traditionally, it has been the center of the
Bosanska Krajina region, located in the northwestern part of the country. It is home of the
University of Banja Luka, as well as numerous state and entity institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city lies on the River
Vrbas and is well known in the countries of the
former Yugoslavia for being full of tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens, and parks. According to the 2013 census the Settlement of Banja Luka has 150,997 inhabitants, while the City of Banja Luka, which represents Banja Luka's wider area (municipality), has 199,191 inhabitants.