View source for Dalmatian Hinterland

{{Short description|Geographical region of Croatia}}
{{Expand language|topic=|langcode=hr|date=November 2024}}
[[File:Dalmatinska zagora.jpg|thumb|Approximate area of the Dalmatian Hinterland.]]
The '''Dalmatian Hinterland''' ({{langx|hr|Dalmatinska zagora}}) is the southern inland [[hinterland]] in the historical [[Croatia]]n region of [[Dalmatia]]. The name {{lang|hr|zagora}} means 'beyond (the) hills', which is a reference to the fact that it is the part of [[Dalmatia]] that is not coastal and the existence of the [[concordant coastline]] where hills run parallel to the coast.

==Geography==
[[File:I10 385 Čikolaschlucht, bergwärts.jpg|thumb|An elevated karst area, typical of the Dalmatian hinterland]]
Dalmatian Zagora, in the strict sense, spans from the hinterland east of [[Šibenik]] to the border with [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and continues south to [[Vrgorac]], just north of the [[Neum]] corridor. Its borders are present in two counties: [[Split-Dalmatia County|Split-Dalmatia]] and [[Šibenik-Knin County|Šibenik-Knin]].

The terrain in Zagora is fairly rugged: in the region immediately bordering the coastline, it is mostly flat but dry, mainly covered with [[maquis shrubland|''makija'' (maquis, macchia)]]. More inland, greener pastures can be seen, as the climate and elevations change. [[Karst topography]] dominates the landscape. The land is interspersed with river canyons, of [[Krka (Croatia)|Krka]], [[Čikola]], [[Cetina]] and others.

One national park is located in Zagora, the [[Krka National Park]].

The aforementioned geographical and climate conditions influenced the life patterns of the historically important [[shepherd]] population: in the wintertime, they were moving their numerous flocks from the mountains to the coast. Historic population of Zagora has included the [[Illyrians]] and the [[Vlachs in the history of Croatia|Vlachs]].

==Settlements==
[[File:Trilj town.jpg|thumb|Trilj]]

The area has had diminishing human settlement in the last few centuries, although many towns and villages remain scattered all over Zagora. The larger towns include [[Knin]], [[Drniš]], [[Vrlika]], [[Sinj]], [[Vrgorac]], [[Trilj]] and [[Imotski]]. Villages include [[Biskupija]], [[Kistanje]], [[Kijevo, Croatia|Kijevo]], [[Unešić]], [[Oklaj]], [[Ružić, Croatia|Ružić]], [[Aržano]], [[Dicmo]], [[Muć]], [[Cista Provo]], [[Prgomet]], [[Hrvace]], [[Lovreć]], [[Šestanovac, Croatia|Šestanovac]], [[Zmijavci]], etc.

==Infrastructure==

Two major roads intersect Zagora – the [[D1 (Croatia)|D1 state road]] which comes from [[Zagreb]], crosses from [[Lika]] through Knin and Sinj, down to [[Split (city)|Split]], and the recently built [[A1 (Croatia)|A1 highway]], which meanders near [[Zadar]] and Benkovac, passing throughout Zagora, via the Dugopolje exit (to Split) and on to [[Ploče]].

The railway links Zagreb with [[Knin]], from Knin to Zadar, from Knin to Perković, where the line splits to Šibenik or to Split.

==See also==
* [[Geography of Croatia]]
* [[Morlachs]]

==Sources==
* [https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/dalmatinska-zagora Dalmatinska zagora] {{in lang|hr}}
* {{cite journal|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/149112|title=Percepcija prostornog obuhvata Zagore u odabranim kartografskim izvorima|trans-title=Perception of the Spatial Extent of the Zagora Region in Selected Cartographic Sources|journal=Kartografija i geoinformacije|volume=14|issue=23|year=2015|last=Vukosav|first=Branislav|language=hr,en|format=PDF|access-date=8 July 2019}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203142743/http://www.dalmatia.hr/Default.aspx?tabid=3211 Dalmatinska Zagora] (archived)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080629002221/http://www.galerijaklovic.hr/izlozba.aspx?id=10 Dalmatinska zagora – nepoznata zemlja] (archived)

{{Geographical regions of Croatia}}

{{Coord|43.7117987|N|16.28400123|E|region:HR-15_type:adm3rd_source:CGN|display=title|format=dms}}
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[[Category:Historical regions in Croatia]]
[[Category:Geography of Split-Dalmatia County]]
[[Category:Geography of Šibenik-Knin County]]
[[Category:Dalmatia]]