Original scientific paper
The Central Stage of Demographic Transition: The Population of Babino Polje on the Island of Mljet (1870-1880)
Neda Mihović
Kristina Puljizević
Božena Vranješ-Šoljan
Abstract
The demographic picture of the parish of Babino Polje correlates closely with that of the Dubrovnik region, exhibiting all the specific features of an island community. Babino Polje demonstrates a host of atypical characteristics which are the product of the economic conditions and geographical isolation. All demographic indicators show that in the period 1870-1880, Babino Polje was already affected by transition. The population increased from the beginning of the nineteenth century, the natural growth was evident, natality rates (initially lower) and mortality rates (initially higher) tended to decline, life expectancy was higher, a decline in infant mortality was also evident, mean age at marriage being fairly high. As an atypical island region, the specificities of Babino Polje were: sharp accent on the first half of the year (winter, spring) in the prevalence of conception succeeded by a summer ‘halt’, high proportion of consanguineous marriages (involving even first cousins), high proportion of extramarital (11.21%) and prenuptial (31.37%) conceptions, implying that the parishers of Babino Polje may have practised ‘test marriage’.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
39127
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2009.
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