Professional paper
Differences in Development of Regions in Croatia - With a Special Reference to the County Koprivnica-Križevci
Dragutin Feletar
; Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb – Full Professor (retired)
Abstract
According to relevant economic and demographic indicators, Croatia continued to develop unevenly by regions. Differences among particular regions have been enlarging in the last fifteen years, primarily because of a pretty intensive deruralization process. That process was significantly helped by the war (1991-1995), which put the border regions towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as those towards Serbia and Montenegro into a still more unfavourable economic position. With the concentration of the most productive population, capital and power, Zagreb becomes the dominant point of Croatia. Therefore, in spite of a desirable and planned polycentric development, the monocentrism of Zagreb and its gravitational zone (in some measure that of Rijeka, Split and Osijek, too) prevails more and more in reality. Today, Croatia has two basic development axes: 1) Western - from Međimurje across Zagreb to Rijeka and Pula, and 2) Coastal line of the Adriatic Sea - from Umag to Cavtat. All other regions of Croatia significantly lag behind in economic and demographic sense. One can predict that these regional differences will still enlarge in the coming years. In the context of these changes, the area of the County of Koprivnica-Križevci is located in the upper part of the table according to the development of the Croatian counties. According to some essential economic indicators, e. g. gross social product per inhabitant, this county is placed side by side with the most developed ones (it is in the 4th place).
Keywords
development; monocentrism; polycentrism; development axis; economy; deruralization; county
Hrčak ID:
78454
URI
Publication date:
1.11.2005.
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