Bosanska Krajina

Bosanska Krajina ( sr-cyrl, Босанска Крајина, ) is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is enclosed by a number of rivers, namely the Sava (north), Glina (northwest), Vrbanja and Vrbas (east and southeast, respectively). The region is also a historic, economic and cultural entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, famous for its natural beauties and wildlife diversity.

The largest city, and its historical center is Banja Luka. Other cities and towns include Bihać, Bosanska Krupa, Bosanski Petrovac, Bosansko Grahovo, Bužim, Cazin, Drvar, Gradiška, Ključ, Kostajnica, Kozarska Dubica, Laktaši, Mrkonjić Grad, Novi Grad, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Šipovo, Velika Kladuša.

Bosanska Krajina is not a formal entity within the structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina; 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 and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Naming

During the Medieval Bosnia period, the region of Bosanska Krajina was known as Donji Kraji () and Zapadne Strane (). After the Ottoman conquest of Bosnian Kingdom, and empire's subsequent westward expansion, the region between the Una and Vrbas rivers became known as ''Krajina'' () or ''Bosanska Krajina'' (). The first recorded usage of the name ''Bosanska Krajina'' is in 1594. Also, for the same territory, the exonym '' Turkish Croatia'' appeared in German speaking Austria-Hungary in the first decades of the 18th century, and was first used in maps created by the ''Austro-Hungarian — Ottoman Border Commission'', which was mandated by the peace treaty of Karlowitz (1699), and then the peace treaty of Passarowitz (1718), and consisted exclusively of Austrians' and Venetians' military cartographers, and one Croat (Vitezović). In the mid 19th century the term ''Turkish Croatia'', used in some Austrian maps for the Western Balkans, was replaced in favor of region's common name, ''Bosanska Krajina''.

Geography

Sub-regions (geographical and historical) include: Bihaćka krajina, Cazinska krajina, Potkozarje, Lijevče, etc.

History

Middle Ages

In the 6th century, today's northwestern Bosnia was part of the Roman province of Dalmatia. It fell under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Roman Empire. Shortly thereafter, Eurasian Avars and their Slavic subjects from central-eastern Europe invaded Dalmatia and settled in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the 7th century the Serbs and Croats formed principalities initially under the Eastern Roman Empire. The region was part of the Duchy of Croatia in the Early Middle Ages. which later became part of the Kingdom of Croatia under Tomislav I

Archaeological data show that cemeteries of northwestern Bosnia clearly indicate that from the first half of the 10th century this territory was under political rule of the Croatian ruler.

Northern parts of the territories were part of Slavonian Banate (parishes Sana, Vrbas and Dubica, and Lower Pounje was part of Zagreb parish) as lower S(c)lavonia, where parish Sana served as seat of Babonić family (later Blagajski), and southern were parts of Pset and Pliva parish.

In the 13th and 14th century, from Pliva parish, a region called Donji Kraji, located in today's southern Bosanska Krajina developed, and was first mentioned as a property of the Diocese of Bosnia

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