Timočka Krajina
Encyclopedia
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...
is a geographical region located in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. It is situated in eastern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
around the Timok River
Timok River
The Timok is a river in eastern Serbia and for the last 15 km of its run a border between eastern Serbia and western Bulgaria.It derives the names in all these from the name it had in antiquity, Latin: Timacus....
. The population of Timočka Krajina is 284,112 (2002 census).
Name
Timok derives its name from the ancient district of Timachiom from Roman times. Its name means "the Timok frontier". The region was named due to its location around the Timok RiverTimok River
The Timok is a river in eastern Serbia and for the last 15 km of its run a border between eastern Serbia and western Bulgaria.It derives the names in all these from the name it had in antiquity, Latin: Timacus....
and near the state border (hence the name "krajina" - "frontier" in English). In Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, the region is known as Timočka Krajina (Тимочка Крајина), in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
Valea Timocului . In Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
it is known as Timoshko (Тимошко).
Ancient
Early Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
of the Kostolac-Kocofeni culture was found in Veljko, Štubik
Štubik
Štubik is a village in the municipality of Negotin, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 939 people....
, Zlotske caves
Zlotske caves
Zlotske caves are two caves in the eastern part of Serbia.-Location:Zlotske Caves are located in eastern Serbia close to the town of Zlot. There are 22 km from the caves to Bor and 240 km to Belgrade.-The caves:...
.
Dacians and Thracians inhabited the area until their assimilation into contemporary ethnic groups in the area. Romans conquered Timok in the 1st century, Emperor Justinian had following strongholds in the region:
Petres Sculcoburgo Vindimiola Braeola Arganocili Castellonovo Florentiana Romyliana Septecasae Argentares Auriliana Gembero Clemades Turribas Gribo Chalaro Tzutrato Mutzipara Stendas Scaripara Odriuzo Cipipene Trasiana Potes Amulo Setlotes Timaciolum Meridio Meriopontede Tredetetilious Braeola Motreses Vicanovo Quartiana Julioballae Pontzas Zanes |
Triballia
Triballian Plains or Tribalia or Lower Timok (Tribalija) is the souther territory of the Timočka Krajina, between YantraYantra River
The Yantra is a river in northern Bulgaria, a right tributary of the Danube. It is 285 km long and has a watershed of 7,862 km²....
river and Morava river. Its name is derived from the Paleo-Balkan tribe of Triballi
Triballi
The Triballi were an ancient tribe whose dominion was around the plains of southern modern Serbia and west Bulgaria, at the Angrus and Brongus and the Iskur River, roughly centered where Serbia and Bulgaria are joined....
who lived in the region. In the 11th century, Greek-Byzantine historian John Skylitzes
John Skylitzes
John Skylitzes, latinized as Ioannes Scylitzes was a Greek historian of the late 11th century. He was born in the beginning of 1040's and died after 1101.- Life :Very little is known about his life...
referred to the region as "ton topon ton Serbon" (eng. Serb region)
Modern
Between 1918 and 1922, two districts of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes existed in the area - Krajina District, with seat in NegotinNegotin
Negotin is a town and municipality in the Bor District of north-eastern Central Serbia. It is situated near the borders between Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. It is the judicial center of the Bor District. The population of the town is 16,716 while municipality has 36,879.-Name:The etymology of the...
, and Timok District with seat in Zaječar
Zajecar
Zaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
. In 1922, these two districts were merged into newly formed Timok Oblast with seat in Zaječar. Timok Oblast existed until 1929 when it was included into newly formed Morava Banovina
Morava Banovina
The Morava Banovina or Morava Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of parts of present-day Central Serbia and it was named for the Morava Rivers...
with seat in Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
. Today, there are two districts in the area - Bor District
Bor District
Bor District is a district of Serbia with seat in Bor. It has a population of 123,848 .-History:...
with seat in Bor
Bor, Serbia
Bor is a town and municipality located in eastern Serbia, with one of the largest copper mines in Europe and it has been a mining centre since 1904, when a French company began operations there. It is the administrative center of the Bor District of Serbia...
, and Zaječar District
Zajecar District
Zaječar District is a district of Serbia. It expands in the eastern part of Serbia. It has a population of 118,295 . The Seat of the District is in the city of Zaječar.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Boljevac...
with seat in Zaječar.
Geography
Timočka Krajina roughly corresponding to BorBor District
Bor District is a district of Serbia with seat in Bor. It has a population of 123,848 .-History:...
and Zaječar
Zajecar District
Zaječar District is a district of Serbia. It expands in the eastern part of Serbia. It has a population of 118,295 . The Seat of the District is in the city of Zaječar.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Boljevac...
districts of Serbia, and includes 7 municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and one city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
:
- ZaječarZajecarZaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
- 70,000 - BorBor, SerbiaBor is a town and municipality located in eastern Serbia, with one of the largest copper mines in Europe and it has been a mining centre since 1904, when a French company began operations there. It is the administrative center of the Bor District of Serbia...
- 55,000 - NegotinNegotinNegotin is a town and municipality in the Bor District of north-eastern Central Serbia. It is situated near the borders between Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. It is the judicial center of the Bor District. The population of the town is 16,716 while municipality has 36,879.-Name:The etymology of the...
- 43,000 - KnjaževacKnjaževacKnjaževac is a town and municipality situated in the eastern part of Serbia bordering the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Timočka Krajina region. It is found between the latitudes of 43°20' and 43°45' north and between the longitudes 22°11' and 22°41' east. The town is situated between three...
- 37,000 - SokobanjaSokobanjaSokobanja is a well-known spa town and municipality situated in eastern Serbia.-Population:In 2011 the population of the Sokobanja town is 7,972, while population of the whole municipality is 15,981...
- 19,000 - KladovoKladovoKladovo is a town and municipality in the Bor District of eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube river...
- 21,000 - BoljevacBoljevacBoljevac is a town and municipality located in the Zaječar District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the population of the town is 3,332, while population of the municipality is 12,865....
- 15,000 - MajdanpekMajdanpekMajdanpek is a town and municipality in Bor District of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Majdanpek has a population of 18,179 people, while the town of Majdanpek has a population of 7,367....
- 23,000
The main city in the region is Zaječar
Zajecar
Zaječar is a city and municipality in the eastern part of Serbia. According to the 2011 census the town has a population of 36,830, and its coordinates are 43.91° North, 22.30° East...
.
Zaječar is the largest city in this region, and therefore the cultural, urban, and economic center of it. It consists of four municipality: Stari grad (old parts of the city: Vlačić, Kraljevica, Karađordjev venac, Šljivarsko brdo, Lubničko brdo, Oskoruša
Oskoruša
Oskoruša is a hill close to the city of Smederevska Palanka, Serbia. The top of the hill is above sea level.-Description:From the top of the hill it is possible to see the city of Vršac to the north; the mountain range Kopaonik to the south at a distance of ; the area close to the river Drina to...
, Pazaršte, Zvezdan, Podliv, Veliki izvor), Kotlujevac (Ključ 1,2,3,4, Živinarnik, Selište, Vlaško brdo, Beli breg), Grljan (south suburban parts and Višnjar) and Salaš(north suburban parts).The largest part of Zaječar is Koltlujevac with the population of over 25,000.
Ethnic groups in Timočka Krajina (2002 census)
- SerbsSerbsThe 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...
= 243,148 (86%) - Romanians(Vlachs) = 23,604 (8%)
- Roma = 2,723 (1%)
Language
Inhabitants of Krajina traditionally speak a Torlakian dialectTorlakian dialect
Torlakian or Torlak is a name given to the group of South Slavic dialects of southeastern Serbia , northeastern Macedonia , western Bulgaria , which is intermediate between Serbian, Bulgarian and Macedonian.Some linguists classify it as an Old-Shtokavian dialect of Serbian or a fourth dialect of...
, however standard Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
shtokavian
Shtokavian dialect
Shtokavian or Štokavian is the prestige dialect of the Serbo-Croatian language, and the basis of its Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, and Montenegrin standards...
is used in formal communication. The Romanians(Vlachs) speak the Romanian language.
Religion
The Serb population is Serbian OrthodoxSerbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
and the Romanian(Vlach) population is partially Romanian Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
.
Economy
The region is rich in copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
s, especially in the Bor and Majdanpek areas.
See also
- Geographical regions in SerbiaGeographical regions in SerbiaThe regions of Serbia include geographical and, to the lesser extent, traditional and historical areas. Geographical regions have no official status, though some of them are used as a basis for the second-level administrative divisions of Serbia, okrugs...
- Bor DistrictBor DistrictBor District is a district of Serbia with seat in Bor. It has a population of 123,848 .-History:...
- Zaječar DistrictZajecar DistrictZaječar District is a district of Serbia. It expands in the eastern part of Serbia. It has a population of 118,295 . The Seat of the District is in the city of Zaječar.-Municipalities:It encompasses the municipalities of:*Boljevac...
- Romanians(Vlachs) of Serbia