Defileul Dunării, locally known also as Clisura Dunării is a geographical region in Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

. It is located in southern Banat

Banat

The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...

, along the northern bank of the river Danube

Danube

The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

. Clisura Dunării is situated between river Nera

Nera River (Danube)

The Nera is a 124 km long river in Romania and Serbia, left tributary of the Danube.- Romania :The Nera rises in the Semenic mountains, the easternmost part of the Banat region, south of the city of Reşiţa, in the Caraş-Severin County of Romania...

 in the west, and Cazanele Dunării and Gura Văii

Drobeta-Turnu Severin

Drobeta-Turnu Severin is a city in Mehedinţi County, Oltenia, Romania, on the left bank of the Danube, below the Iron Gates.The city administers three villages: Dudaşu Schelei, Gura Văii, and Schela Cladovei...

 in the east.

The area includes the municipality

Municipalities of Romania

A municipiu is a level of administrative subdivision in Romania, roughly equivalent to city in some English-speaking countries. This status is given to towns that are quite large and urbanized...

 of Orşova

Orsova

Orșova is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat historical region. It is situated just above the Iron Gates, on the spot where the Cerna River meets the Danube.- History :The first documented...

 and the town of Moldova Nouă

Moldova Noua

Moldova Nouă is a town in southwestern Romania in Caraş-Severin County , in an area known as Clisura Dunării. It is located on the shores of the river Danube. In 2002, Moldova Nouă had a population of 13,917...

, as well as several communes (Socol

Socol

Socol is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania . In 2002, the population of the commune numbered 2,301 people and its population was ethnically mixed. It is composed of five villages: Baziaş, Câmpia, Pârneaura, Socol and Zlatiţa.Sokol means "hawk" in Serbian...

, Pojejena

Pojejena

Pojejena is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania. Тhe commune is located in the geographical area known as Clisura Dunării . In 2002, its population numbered 3,300 people, of whom the majority are ethnic Serbs...

, Coronini

Coronini

Coronini is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, western Romania, with a population of 1,878. Part of the region of Banat, it includes Coronini and Sfânta Elena villages. Situated on the Danube and the border with Serbia, part of the mountainous area known as Clisura Dunării, Coronini holds several...

, Gârnic

Gârnic

Gârnic is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 1,533 people. It is composed of two villages, Gârnic and Padina Matei.-References:...

, Sicheviţa

Sichevita

Sicheviţa is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 2732 people. It is composed of nineteen villages: Brestelnic, Cameniţa, Cârşie, Cracu Almăj, Cruşoviţa, Curmătura, Frăsiniş, Gornea, Liborajdea, Lucacevăţ, Martinovăţ, Ogaşu Podului, Sicheviţa, Streneac, Valea...

, Berzasca

Berzasca

Berzasca is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, in the Banat region of western Romania with a population of 3,123 people. It is composed of five villages: Berzasca, Bigăr , Cozla, Drencova and Liubcova. At the 2002 census, 70.5% of the commune's inhabitants were Romanians, 14.2% Czechs, 10.8% Serbs...

, Sviniţa

Svinita

Sviniţa is a commune in Mehedinţi County, Romania, located on the Danube . It is composed of a single village, Sviniţa. In 2002, its population numbered 1,132 people and was mostly composed of Serbs...

, Dubova

Dubova, Mehedinti

Dubova is a commune located in Mehedinţi County, Romania. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat. The commune is composed of three villages: Baia Nouă , Dubova and Eibenthal...

, Eşelniţa

Eselnita

Eşelniţa is a commune located in Mehedinţi County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Eşelniţa. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat....

, Iloviţa

Ilovita

Iloviţa is a commune located in Mehedinţi County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bahna, Iloviţa and Moiseşti....

, and Brezniţa-Ocol

Breznita-Ocol

Brezniţa-Ocol is a commune located in Mehedinţi County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Brezniţa-Ocol, Jidoştiţa, Magheru and Şuşiţa .-References:...

).

The population of the region is composed of Romanians

Romanians

The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....

, Czechs

Czechs of Romania

The Czechs are an ethnic minority in Romania, numbering 3,938 people according to the 2002 census. The majority of Romanian Czechs live in the south-west of the country, with around 60% of them living in Caraş-Severin County, where they make up 0.7% of the population.As an officially recognised...

 and Serbs

Serbs in Romania

The Romanian Serbs are an ethnic minority in Romania. According to the 2002 census, there were 22,518 Serbs in Romania or 0.1% of the population...

. Most of the localities have a Romanian majority, while Socol

Socol

Socol is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania . In 2002, the population of the commune numbered 2,301 people and its population was ethnically mixed. It is composed of five villages: Baziaş, Câmpia, Pârneaura, Socol and Zlatiţa.Sokol means "hawk" in Serbian...

, Pojejena

Pojejena

Pojejena is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, Romania. Тhe commune is located in the geographical area known as Clisura Dunării . In 2002, its population numbered 3,300 people, of whom the majority are ethnic Serbs...

, and Sviniţa

Svinita

Sviniţa is a commune in Mehedinţi County, Romania, located on the Danube . It is composed of a single village, Sviniţa. In 2002, its population numbered 1,132 people and was mostly composed of Serbs...

 are majority Serb. The Czech presence is especially in and around Gârnic.

After frequent boundary mofifications between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires, the region belonged for some 200 years to the Banatian Military Frontier

Banat Krajina

The Banatian Military Frontier or Banat Krajina was a section of the Habsburg Monarchy's Military Frontier located in the Banat region. Today, territory of former Banatian Military Frontier is split between Serbia and Romania.-Geography:...

 of the Habsburg Monarchy

Habsburg Monarchy

The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...

, and was divided into "Vlach

Vlachs

Vlach is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. English variations on the name include: Walla, Wlachs, Wallachs, Vlahs, Olahs or Ulahs...

" (Romanian) and Serbian sections.

See also

• Iron Gates Natural Park
• Tourism and general information