Original scientific paper

The historical and geographical basis for perceiving Žumberak as a region

Mladen Klemenčić

Abstract

Regions are the basic units of a
geographically complex area and are the
results of specific combinations of
transformed elements of the natural
foundation and of social factors. Of
fundamental importance in the case of
Žumberak is its historical and
geographical basis, which singles this
region out from surrounding historic
entities of Central Croatia. The specific
historical and geographical features of
Žumberak stem from the long period
during which it belonged to the Military
March, (Vojna krajina), since this was the
region of the initial Military-March
colonization. A population accustomed to
warfare and transhumante livestock
raising was colonized here. Historically
they are known as Vlachs, and in
Žumberak they are known as uskoks. The
colonization of Žumberak took place in the
sixteenth century when groups of refugees
from the Ottoman Empire arrived in three
waves: 1530, 1531 and 1538. It was in
Žumberak that the Military March began
to develop from a system of defense
measures into a territorially and
administratively clearly defined area. The
long period of the Military March left
clear traces on population density,
population change and structure, the
agrarian landscape and economic
development and communications. On the
basis of the gradual development of the
Military-March enclave in Žumberak, a
regional entity of the same name was
formed. Although modern processes in
principle erase the historical and
geographical differences among the
individual parts of Croatia, many
economic and other problems indicate that
the influence of the heritage is still difficult
to overcome. For that reason it will for a
long time yet be possible to understand
regional spatial relations only if we take
into account specific historical and
geographical aspects, for which Žumberak
is an excellent example.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

119893

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/119893

Publication date:

7.12.1990.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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