Original scientific paper
The Population of Drenovci (1870-1880): Pre-Transition Period
Tamara Alebić
Irena Ipšić
Božena Vranješ-Šoljan
Abstract
The demographic picture of Drenovci in the Slavonian Vojna krajina (Militärgrenze) in the period 1870-1880 departs significantly from the demographic landscape of the Adriatic coast, and even more from that of the Adriatic islands. While the Adriatic region was experiencing the first signs of demographic transition, Slavonian Vojna krajina as well as the rest of Slavonia saw no changes of the kind. Here pre-transitional features were most pronounced in the natural population decline (an annual average over 10‰ in contrast to an increase in the Adriatic belt), low life expectancy (1% of deaths over the age of 80 in comparison to more than 10% on the Dalmatian islands), low age at marriage (both bride and groom were by average ten years younger at marriage than the Dalmatian islanders), and high rate of remarriages (40%). Conception pattern reveals a seasonal effect, in that the spring conception peak lagged behind the maximum evidenced in southern Croatia. ‘Gaps’ in concept ion are likely to be attributed to Lent (February) and harvest (October). The marriage pattern corresponds in the main to that of northern Croatia, with an autumn (November) and winter (January-February) maximums, the latter prevailing. The specific features of Drenovci manifest in an above-average migration rate (which not only exceeded the natural decline but contributed to an above-average population increase relevant to both Vojna Krajina and Croatia on the whole), in a relatively low natality and mortality rate, which have not been fully accounted (likely the product of the sanitary changes and birth control, but also methodological reasons – the quality and characteristics of the data sample), and in a relatively low infant mortality (lower than in most of the parishes under study).
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
39110
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2009.
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