Kraj
Encyclopedia
A kraj is the highest-level administrative unit in the Czech Republic
and Slovak Republic. For lack of other English expressions, the Slavic
term is often translated as "province
", "region
", or "territory", although it actually approximately means "(part of) country", or "(part of) countryside". A kraj is subdivided into okres
y ("counties
").
The first kraje were created in the Kingdom of Bohemia
during the reign of Charles IV
in the 14th century and they lasted till 1862/68. Kraje were reintroduced in 1949 in Czechoslovakia
and still exist today (except for the early 1990s) in the its successor states despite many rearrangements.
In Russia
nine of the 83 federal subjects are called krai
s (края, kraya), coequal to oblast
s. The toponym Krajina
refers to several historical regions in Slavic countries.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovak Republic. For lack of other English expressions, the Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
term is often translated as "province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
", "region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
", or "territory", although it actually approximately means "(part of) country", or "(part of) countryside". A kraj is subdivided into okres
Okres
Okres refers to administrative entities in the Czech Republic and Slovakia...
y ("counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
").
The first kraje were created in the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
during the reign of Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
in the 14th century and they lasted till 1862/68. Kraje were reintroduced in 1949 in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and still exist today (except for the early 1990s) in the its successor states despite many rearrangements.
In Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
nine of the 83 federal subjects are called krai
Krai
Krai or kray was a type of an administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, and is one of the types of the federal subjects of modern Russia ....
s (края, kraya), coequal to oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
s. The toponym Krajina
Krajina
-Etymology:In old-Croatian, this earliest geographical term appeared at least from 10th century within the Glagolitic inscriptions in Chakavian dialect, e.g. in Baška tablet about 1105, and also in some subsequent Glagolitic texts as krayna in the original medieval meaning of inlands or mainlands...
refers to several historical regions in Slavic countries.
See also
- Regions of the Czech RepublicRegions of the Czech RepublicAccording to Czech Law no. 129/2000 , which replaced paragraph 1/1993 of the Czech Constitution on Vyšší územně správních celcích , the Czech Republic has consisted of thirteen regions and one capital city with regional status since 1 January 2000...
- Regions of SlovakiaRegions of SlovakiaSince 1949 , Slovakia has been divided into a number of kraje . Their number, borders and functions have been changed several times. There are currently eight regions of Slovakia and they correspond to the EU's NUTS 3 level of local administrative units. Each kraj consists of okresy...
- Federal subjects of RussiaFederal subjects of RussiaRussia is a federation which, since March 1, 2008, consists of 83 federal subjects . In 1993, when the Constitution was adopted, there were 89 federal subjects listed...
- KrajinaKrajina-Etymology:In old-Croatian, this earliest geographical term appeared at least from 10th century within the Glagolitic inscriptions in Chakavian dialect, e.g. in Baška tablet about 1105, and also in some subsequent Glagolitic texts as krayna in the original medieval meaning of inlands or mainlands...
- Semasiological map for *krajь