Brkini Hills

The Brkini Hills (pronounced [bəɾˈkiːni]; Slovene: Brkini; Croatian: Brkinija^[1]) is a hilly region in southwestern Slovenia.^[2]

Geography[]

The Brkini Hills border the Reka River in the north, the (Matarsko podolje) in the southwest, the Karst Plateau (Kras) in the northwest, and the (Jelšansko podolje) in the southeast.^[3] The Brkini region is divided among the municipalities of Hrpelje-Kozina, Pivka, Ilirska Bistrica, and Divača.^[4] The region is 25 km (16 mi) long and 7 km (4.3 mi) wide and covers an area of 180 km² (69 sq mi).^[3] The central part of the region has an elevation of 700 to 800 m (2,300 to 2,600 ft).^[3] The center of the region is the village of Pregarje.^[4] The climate is mild, and the geological basis is flyschy, with smaller limestone areas in the northeast.^[4] The region serves as a link between the Mediterranean and the continental part of Slovenia.^[5]

Name[]

The name Brkini is believed to be of Italian origin because of the suffixation pattern. This indicates that the root of the name (brk-) may be derived from northern Italian bricco, bricca '(steep) slope'. Derivation from the Slavic noun brdo 'hill' is doubtful.^[1]

Economy[]

The Brkini Hills are an economically underdeveloped region,^[4] with the main economic activity being fruit farming, in particular plums.^[3] Many people from the Brkini Hills commute to work to the nearby centers of Ilirska Bistrica, Podgrad, Hrpelje, and Kozina.^[3] During World War II, over one-third of the villages in the Brkini Hills were burned by Italian and German forces due to Partisan activity in the area, which significantly affected the development of the region.^[3] The population density is low, with people still leaving.^[4]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Snoj, Marko (2009). Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 82.
^ Matijašić, Robert. Nikočević, Lidija (2005). "Brkini". In Miroslav Bertoša, Robert Matijašić (ed.). Istrian Encyclopedia (in Croatian). Miroslav Krleža Lexicographical Institute. Retrieved 1 February 2011.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Dobnik, Jože (2006). "Čez Brkine na Slavnik" [Over Brkini on the Slavnik Hill]. Pot kurirjev in vezistov NOV Slovenije [Path of Couriers and Operators of the National Liberation War] (in Slovenian). Društvo Domicilnega odbora kurirjev in vezistov NOV Slovenije. Geopedia.si. ISBN 961-238-581-5. Retrieved 1 February 2012.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Barborič, Blaž. Bobič, Živa. Borko, Sebastijan. Dobravc, Mina. Pirc, Janez (2002). "Problematika slovenskega podeželja na primeru Brkinov" [Problems of Slovenian Rural Areas. Case Study of Brkini Hills.] (PDF). Dela (in Slovenian and English). Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana (17): 265–284. doi:10.4312/dela.17.265-284. ISSN 0354-0596. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-04-24.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^ Barba, Urška (2011). Turizem v občini Hrpelje - Kozina in možnosti za njegov nadaljnji razvoj [Tourism in the Municipality of Hrpelje-Kozina and Possibilities for its Future Development] (PDF) (in Slovenian and English). Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2012-02-01.