Nova Gradiška is a city in Brod Posavina County, and consists of four villages. It covers an area of about 50 square kilometers, and the average annual temperature is 11.2 degrees. According to the census in 2001, the city had a population of 15.833 inhabitants, most of whom were women. Of the total number of women, about 4000 of them are under the age of 19 years. This city is known as the youngest city in Croatia which was founded in the 18th century, namely in 1748. Fatherland War devastated the area of Nova Gradiška. The population is mainly engaged in the metal, textile, wood and food industry, but it is still very undeveloped. The area has a continental climate, the winters are very hard and the summers humid. The average temperature in July is about 21 degrees, and in winter about one degree. In the early 20th century it comes to the development of Nova Gradiska, which as the first city in Slavonia gets the cobbled road, it comes to expansion of sidewalks, parks and streets, a...nd thanks to its fertile soil and abundance of forest it had the opportunity for a more rapid development of the industry. Church of Sv. Theresa should be mentioned because it is one of the oldest buildings in Slavonia. Its tower, located also in the coat of arms of the city, is a symbol of faith and culture. Nova Gradiska was also called Friedrichsdorf, after Fridrich Smith, the first colonel of the regiment in the city. Here was born the winner of the second season of the show Croatian Idol, Kim Verson, and also Ivan Krajacic lived in these areas. Poets Gregor Vitez and Miro Gavran, who also lived in those areas should be mentioned. Nova Gradiska contains two elementary schools and three middle schools that offer the option of continuing of education in the nearby town of Osijek. One can say that this is a sports town, because it contains a lot of clubs like handball team, women's soccer club and karate and taekwondo club.