Popovo field ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Popovo polje, Попово поље, , ) is a ''

polje A polje, also karst polje or karst field, is a large flat plain found in karstic geological regions of the world, with areas usually . The name derives from the Slavic languages and literally means 'field', whereas in English ''polje'' specific ...

'' (

karstic field A polje, also karst polje or karst field, is a large flat plain found in karstic geological regions of the world, with areas usually . The name derives from the Slavic languages and literally means 'field', whereas in English ''polje'' specific ...

) in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

, located in a southernmost region of the country, near the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...

coast. Its size is . Popovo polje is one of the largest ''polje'' (karstic plains) in

and the world, famous for its

karstic Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

phenomenons and features, and particularly the

Trebišnjica The Trebišnjica ( sr-cyrl, Требишњица) is a river in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It used to be a sinking river, long above the ground. With a total length of above and under the ground, it is one of the longest sinking rivers in the world ...

river, which flows through the polje as the largest

sinking river A losing stream, disappearing stream, influent stream or sinking river is a stream or river that loses water as it flows downstream. The water infiltrates into the ground recharging the local groundwater, because the water table is below the bo ...

(also ''losing stream'', or ''influent stream'') in the world, as well as the Vjetrenica cave system, located to the west/south-western parts of the valley.

History

The Nikolić noble family and

Sanković noble family The Sanković was a powerful Bosnian noble family active in the 14th and start of the 15th century in Hum, serving the Serbian and Bosnian monarchies. Their seat was in Glavatičevo, where the family burial place is also located (hamlet Biskupi), a ...

held Popovo polje in the late Middle Ages. The

Vojnović noble family The Vojnović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Војновић, Vojnovići / Војновићи) or Vojinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Војиновић, Vojinovići / Војиновићи), was a Serbian noble family in the Bay of Kotor and Dalmatia activ ...

hailed from Popovo polje. The

Zavala Monastery The Zavala Monastery ( sr, Манастир Завала, Manastir Zavala) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in the village of Zavala on the southwestern edge of Popovo Polje, in Ravno, Bosnia and Herzegovina municipality, in southernmost par ...

was first mentioned in the 16th century. At the end of Ottoman rule in Herzegovina, the Muslibegović family had properties in Popovo polje. The

is located here.

Monuments

Zavala and Vjetrenica

Located in Popovo Polje in

Ravno Ravno is a village and municipality located in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ravno was a separate municipality until 1963, when it became a part of the Trebinje muni ...

municipality, village Zavala with its old architecture and stone masonry, together with Vjetrenica cave, constitute the natural and architectural ensemble which is in the process of being protected as ''National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina'', and it is already placed on UNESCO Tentative List. The cave has a rich variety of fauna, with a high rate of

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

. The cave garnered worldwide fame in geological, biological and environmental communities for its imperiled and uncertain future, caused by unprofessional management lacking any expertise, and uncertain status at state and especially local level. Despite setbacks, the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, although creepingly slowly, nominated Vjeternica (with village Zavala) to UNESCO Tentative List clearly expressing intention to protect the cave and its biodiversity and eventually inscribe it with UNESCO.

Demographics

Some 300 people live in the villages located in the field.

References

Sources

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External links

Karst fields of Bosnia and Herzegovina Geology of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dinaric Alps Trebinje Ravno, Bosnia and Herzegovina Lower Horizons Hydroelectric Power Stations System Trebišnjica Trebišnjica river damming and regulation controversy {{BosniaHerzegovina-geo-stub