Dalmatia
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a former province of Austria, with the title of forkingdom, the most S. portion of the consists of mer Austrian dominions. It a long narrow triangular tract of mountainous country and a number of large islands along the N. E. coast of the Adriatic Sea, and bounded N. by Croatia, and . In N. E. by Bosnia and Herzegovina breadth it is very limited, not exceeding 40 miles in any part; its whole area is 4,940 English square miles. The inland by unparts of Dalmatia are diversified dulatory ground, hills, and high mountains; but though there are some rich and beautiful valleys, the country on the whole must be considered poor and unproductive. The Narenta, the Zermagna, the Kerka, and the Cettina are the principal rivers, all with short courses. On some of these the scenery is singularly is ocwild and picturesque. The interior cupied by a much-neglected population, and agriculture is in a very backward state. Timber is scarce, and the country does not produce sufficient grain for its own wants. Apples, pears, peaches, apricots, oranges, pomegranates, etc., are among the fruits; the wines are strong, sweet, and full-bodied. On the coast fish, especially the tunny and the sardine, abound. The trade of the country is mostly confined to the coast towns, where the population is mainly of Italian extraction. Chief of these are Zara (the capital), Sebenico, Cattaro, Spalato, and Ragusa. Among the numerous islands sprinkled along the coast many are valuable for their productions, such as timber, wine, oil, cheese, honey, salt, and asphalt. The population is divided between the Italians of the coast towns and the peasants of the speaking a diainterior, Slovenian Slavs lect of the Slavonic. The majority are Roman Catholics. After passing successively through the hands of Hungarian Naand Venetian rulers, and of the first poleon, Dalmatia finally, in 1814, fell under Austrian rule. Following the revolution in Austria- Hungary in 1918, Dalmatia declared itjoined self independent, and afterward in the forthe movement which resulted Jugoslavia. Italy, at the mation of Peace Conference, put forth claims for its final disposition was Dalmatia, and not decided until 1920, when, as a result to Fiume, Dalof negotiations in relation matia was awarded to Jugoslavia. Pop. FIUME, JUGOSLAVIA. about 650,000. See French
What Has Changed in the Last Century
Collier's wrote in 1921 just as the province's fate was settled, and it got the outcome roughly right but not the shape: Zara (Zadar) and a few islands stayed Italian until 1947, and Italy occupied much of the coast during the Second World War before Dalmatia returned to Yugoslavia. Since Yugoslavia broke up in 1991, almost all of Dalmatia has been part of Croatia -- Zara is Zadar, Sebenico is Sibenik, Spalato is Split and Ragusa is Dubrovnik -- while Cattaro is Kotor in Montenegro; Dubrovnik was shelled during the 1991-95 war and Croatia joined the European Union in 2013. The Italian-speaking coastal townsfolk Collier's described have largely gone, most leaving after 1945, and the population is now overwhelmingly Croatian. The "poor and unproductive" country is today one of the Mediterranean's busiest tourist coasts, with Diocletian's palace at Split and the walls of Dubrovnik on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Written for this edition, 2026.