Bosanska Krajina

Bosanska Krajina or Bosnian Frontier (Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian: "Bosanska Krajina" or Босанска Крајина, Turkish: "Bosna sınır boyu") is a geographical region in western Bosnia and Herzegovina enclosed by three rivers - Sava, Una and Vrbas. It is also a historic, economic and cultural entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The largest city, and its historical center, is Banja Luka. Other cities include Bihać, Prijedor, Bosanska Dubica, Velika Kladusa, Sanski Most, Mrkonjić Grad, and Jajce.

Bosanska Krajina, as such, has no political borders or political representation in the current structure of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian state, however it has a significant cultural and historical identity that was formed through several historic and economic events. The territory of Bosanska Krajina is currently divided between two entities of Bosnia-Herzegovina: Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The far northwest corner of Bosanska Krajina is also known as Cazinska Krajina, named after the town of Cazin.

Demographics

The population of the region numbered a little over one million before the war in Bosnia.

The approximate ethnic composition of Bosanska Krajina, per 1991 census data, is
* Serbs "43%"
* Bosniaks "40%"
* Croats "10%"
* "Yugoslavs" "5%"
* "others" (Romas (Gypsies), Ukrainians, Hungarians...) "2%"

The composition of the current population of Bosanska Krajina, especially in the city of Banja Luka, has dramatically changed because of forcible expulsions and other war crimes against non-Serbs in Bosnian war, in 1992-95.

History

When the Ottoman Empire lost the 1683-1690 War of the Holy League to the Habsburg Monarchy and her allies, and ceded Slavonia and Hungary to Austria at the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz, Bosnia's northern and western borders became the frontier between the Austrian and Ottoman empires known today as "Bosanska Krajina". The Ottomans wanted to turn the tide of warfare to their side, so, contrary to the Habsburg Military Frontier, they formed a Bosnian Frontier ("Serhat" in Turkish) which was in the Military Frontier's like, split on captaineys, each having its own fortifications and military regiments. Serbian herders have settled in the region and helped defend it from hostile incursions and maintain order. Other Serbs have served as medics and workforce for the much needed frontline with the Austrian Empire. During the military intrusions of their fellowmen from the Military Frontier, the "Uskoks", they have mostly helped them. Since then, the Serbs form the majority of the Bosnian Frontier's population. The territories enclosed by three rivers - Sava, Una and Vrbas - bore the name of the "Turkish Croatia" in the European literature of 18th and 19th century. The name "Kraina" was given by the Turks, and it was accepted by Austrian, Italian, German and Dutch cartographers. In 1860 upon insistence of the Orthodox Christian part of the population the name of Turkish Croatia were abolished in favor of the new name - "Bosanska Krajina" (Bosnian Frontier). This name appears on maps for the first time in 1869. The Bosnian Captains have, in time, transformed their titles and lands hereditary being and became very influential in the political Muslim world.

Of course the Bosnian Frontier was at the centre of the 1875 - 1878 Serbian uprising. The uprising ended after full three years bringing, resulting in the loss of 150,000 Bosnians and Herzegovinians or "13.64%" of the total 1,100,000 citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were other losses next to the Serbs.

In more recent history Bosanska Krajina is known by a very strong resistance to the Fascist regime during World War II. Anti-fascist Partisan movement in Bosanska Krajina region had one of the most ethnically mixed compositions than in any other part of former Yugoslavia during WWII. Bosanska Krajina was also place of historical agreements that have taken place in Jajce and Mrkonjić Grad in 1943, ones that established the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in its current borders, as well as the Federation of Yugoslavia.

During WWII the Ustasha Jasenovac concentration camp was established just across the river Sava from Bosanska Krajina, and many of the region's inhabitants (mainly Serbs, Gypsies and Jews but also some communist Bosnians and Croats) were killed there.

The region was also a place of concentration camps during 1992-95 Bosnian war. Some of the war prisons included Manjača and Omarska where predominantly Bosnians of Muslim faith were held .

Economics

In the immediate aftermath of WWII Bosanska Krajina was considered one of the poorest regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This poverty was a contributing factor to 1950's Cazinska Buna uprising against the communist government, the only such uprising in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina and Yugoslavia.

The later economic boom and prosperity of Bosanska Krajina was mostly due to planned urban development programs that were created specifically for this region in early and mid-1970s by Urban Institute in Banja Luka. The development was further stimulated by the simplification of the banking system that encouraged investments in resource processing industry. As a result the region has seen a boom in agricultural and industrial production.

Agrokomerc, a food manufacturing industry located in northwest region was the largest food manufacturer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and former Yugoslavia. Other industries included chemical industry Saniteks in Velika Kladuša, electronics industry Rudi Cajevec in Banja Luka, Textile industry Sana in Bosanski Novi as well as a range of wood and food processing companies that stimulated an economic boom in this region. There was also a significant ore industry developed around the Kozara Mountain.

Culture

The brutal history of Bosanska Krajina may be a reason for a specific nature of its people that pride themselves on toughness and rebelliousness towards other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and especially Sarajevo. However, their position towards Sarajevo is more like a sibling rivalry rather than one of disdain and revolt. On top of that the people who live in Bosanska Krajina share a dislike of Bosnjaks from Eastern Bosnia due to a difference in culture and class rivalries which originated due to the Turkish rule of Bosnia.

The cultural center of Bosanska Krajina is located in Banja Luka. Institutions such as Museum of Bosanska Krajina and National Theatre of Bosanska Krajina located in Banja Luka held evidence of long history and culture of this region.

Gallery

See also

* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Republika Srpska
* Kozara National Park