Kninska Krajina
Encyclopedia
Kninska Krajina is a geographical region in Croatia
. It is located around the town of Knin
in northern Dalmatia
.
in the southwest, Lika
in the northwest, Drniška krajina (in Zagora
) in the south, Cetinska krajina in the southwest, and (Završje) Bosnia and Herzegovina
in the east.
, who arrived during the wave of Slav migrations. During the early Croatian medieval kingdom, the area was one of the seats of Croatian king. The city of Knin
, was a seat of Croatian king, as well as the original area of some privileged Croat tribes, that had right to choose the Croat king. In 15th century Turks
occupied the area. Much of the native population fled as the area was heavily abandoned and war-devastated as the Ottoman army advanced. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the Austrian empire managed to thwart the advances. The area slowly repopulated, now inhabited mostly by Serbs
, who emigrated from the Ottoman Empire. In 1990, the self-proclaimed Serbian autonomous region known as SAO Kninska Krajina
was formed and was named after this geographical region. It was subsequently became called the Republic of Serbian Krajina
as it attempted to break off from the newly-independent Croatia in 1991, ethnically cleansing the area of non-Serbs and setting up their own local government. In 1995, the Croatian army retook the region in Operation Storm
, and the majority of the Serb population fled or was displaced. Today, the region is sparsely populated due to few economic opportunities.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It is located around the town of Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
in northern Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
.
Geography
Kninska Krajina is situated between BukovicaBukovica
Bukovica is a geographical region in Croatia. It is situated in northern Dalmatia, between Lika in the north, Kninska Krajina in the east, and Ravni Kotari in the south-west. Prior to the war, it encompassed the western half of the Knin municipality, the eastern half of the Benkovac municipality...
in the southwest, Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
in the northwest, Drniška krajina (in Zagora
Zagora (Croatia)
Zagora , sometimes also called Dalmatian Zagora , is the southern inland region of Croatia. The name Zagora means "behind hills", which is a reference to the fact that it is the part of Dalmatia that is not coastal....
) in the south, Cetinska krajina in the southwest, and (Završje) Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in the east.
History
Since 7th century Kninska krajina was inhabited mainly by CroatsCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, who arrived during the wave of Slav migrations. During the early Croatian medieval kingdom, the area was one of the seats of Croatian king. The city of Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
, was a seat of Croatian king, as well as the original area of some privileged Croat tribes, that had right to choose the Croat king. In 15th century Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
occupied the area. Much of the native population fled as the area was heavily abandoned and war-devastated as the Ottoman army advanced. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the Austrian empire managed to thwart the advances. The area slowly repopulated, now inhabited mostly by Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, who emigrated from the Ottoman Empire. In 1990, the self-proclaimed Serbian autonomous region known as SAO Kninska Krajina
SAO Kninska Krajina
Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Kninska Krajina was a Serb self-proclaimed autonomous region in SR Croatia. It was formed in 1990 and was subsequently transformed into SAO Krajina and later included into the Republic of Serbian Krajina. The center of the SAO was the city of Knin.-History:After...
was formed and was named after this geographical region. It was subsequently became called the Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
as it attempted to break off from the newly-independent Croatia in 1991, ethnically cleansing the area of non-Serbs and setting up their own local government. In 1995, the Croatian army retook the region in Operation Storm
Operation Storm
Operation Storm is the code name given to a large-scale military operation carried out by Croatian Armed Forces, in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to gain back control of parts of Croatia which had been claimed by separatist ethnic Serbs, since early...
, and the majority of the Serb population fled or was displaced. Today, the region is sparsely populated due to few economic opportunities.