Tuzla, city in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on a branch of the Spreca River, at the western foot of the Majevica mountain range. Nearby are stone quarries, saltworks, plum orchards, and mineral springs. A road and rail hub, Tuzla is the center of a lignite, oil, and gas region. It became a stronghold of the Muslim-dominated Bosnian government during the 1992 to 1995 civil war between the country's Muslims, Croats, and Serbs. Tuzla also became a major refugee center, swelling to more than seven times its prewar population. In December 1995 Tuzla was established as a headquarters for approximately 20,000 United States soldiers sent to Bosnia as part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) peacekeeping force; the force was deployed to enforce the Dayton peace agreement and ensure peace. Under the Dayton agreement, Tuzla is part of the territory administered by the Muslim-Croat federation. Population (1991) 121,717.
