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Home , Battle of Knin, Dinaric Alps

43(5):517-518,2002

COVER PAGE

Dinara – the Mountain of Extraordinary Beauty

The magnificent Mountain is a morpho- The inhabitants of the region at the foot of the tectonic component of the Dinaric , a mountain mountain are famous for their valuable, almost ex- chain running through the territories of , otic, national costumes and other interesting folklore and , and Monte Negro, from the elements, e.g., the Vrlika reel dance. There are few northwest to the southeast, separating the permanent settlements on Dinara. Mainly, there are from the Pannonian Plains. modest summer huts of cattle-breeders from the re- Dinara is the highest mountain in Croatia, with gion under the mountain and from the Sinj plain, and its peak reaching 1,831 m above sea level. It extends a few villages in several bigger valleys. The area is from the saddle Derala (965 m) in the northwest up to characterized by lack of water, especially during dry the saddle Privija (1,230 m) above Unište in the summer time, when people have to carry water from southeast of the country. It is 20 km long and nearly distant springs, several hours of walk away (1). 10 km wide. The origin of the name “Dinara” has not Through this karstic region runs the River, giv- been established yet; it is thought that it could stem ing the area its unique beauty. From its source in the from the name of the Illiric tribe Dinara that once village at the foot of the Dinara mountain, after which lived on the east side of the mountain. In the ancient it was named, this wonderful river flows over 100 km times the mountain was called Adrian oros.Itisnot through many picturesque places, penetrating the uncommon that the same area bears different names magnificent cliffs to reach its mouth in the city of in Croatia and in Bosnia, which points to the fact that Omiš, once a well-known pirates’ place. The territory for a long time Dinara has been, and still is, a natural through which the Cetina River runs was once a his- boundary between the countries and acts as such in toric Republic of Poljica, which spread over an area the full sense of the word. In fact, Dinara spreads as a of around 250 square kilometers east from Split. The natural border between , a southern part of Republic realized its autonomy in the 14th century or Croatia, and Bosnia, functioning as a high wall that even earlier. The Statute of Poljica, which is consid- separates two different worlds: one Mediterranean, at ered one of the most valuable legal-historical docu- its southern bottom, and the other continental, to the ments in Croatia, was issued in 1440. The Republic of north. In the history of Croatian people, this barrier Poljica ceased to exist after Napoleon’s military ac- played a very important role. The first Croatian state tion in 1807 (2). The source of the Cetina River is a was born in the shelter of its slopes, and through sev- typical spring, which forms a little dark lake in eral centuries, the “wall” provided a natural protec- the rocky from which the river immediately tion from the Turks, thwarting their invasions to the rises. Not far from the spring there is Vrlika , still south. The Dinaric has been named after it. Together with other two orogenetic parts, the not completely explored, but considered the biggest Šar- mountains in the southeast and Southern cave complex in Croatia. Among the archeological Alps in the northwest, this mountain range monuments from the old Croatian state, the most pre- represents a tectonic unit called the Dinarides. cious is the church of Sv. Spas Vrhici (St. Savior) (Vrhici meaning “at the top of the river”), in today’s The earliest history of this area has been written Cetina village (3,4). in stone and saved in the material relicts of cultures of that time, such as stone axes, grindstones, knives, The Dinara Mountain is a natural border betwe- darts, and pottery, all gathered and exhibited in the en the Mediterranean climate of the Adriatic and con- Sinj museum. From the Roman legacy (this territory tinental climate in the hinterland. At the mountain had been governed by the Roman Empire for more bottom (300-700 m above sea level) prevails mild, than 600 years) we have learnt that a large Illiric tribe warm climate with dry summers, and the average Dalmatae lived here; the Romans named their prov- temperature in the coldest month never falls below ince Dalmatia (formerly called Illyricum) after them. -3ºC. Below the altitude of 1,000 m, the climate is With the irruption of Avaric and Slavic tribes, the characterized by humid and warm summers, whereas became and stayed to the present day the main at the altitudes above 1,500 m, the climate is humid ethnical subject in these parts. and boreal, with fresh summers and snow covering

www.cmj.hr 517 Cover Page: Dinara – the Mountain of Extraordinary Beauty Croat Med J 2002;43:517-518 the mountain tops from November until April, and re- firmed (12). Information on the location of this natural maining in firn basins even during the summer (5). focus of the zoonosis will prove very useful for climb- There are no rivers or streams on the mountain ers, hikers, as well as soldiers on military training in because of its porous limestone structure. Water can that area (13). be found only in puddles, firn basins, and ice-pits. Dinara has thus become a very interesting moun- The basic appearance of the area is characterized by tain for scientists from various fields (botanists, zoolo- the karstic formations in limestone and lack of rich gists, physicians, archeologists, speleologists, and soil, precipitation, and vegetation (6). other), prompting them to perform further research. It is obvious that the mountain has not been sufficiently The southern, sea-facing slopes of Dinara are explored so far. In its rude karst beauty, it still hides covered with scarce vegetation, turning with altitude many natural phenomena of unique and special into low bushes. Rocky meadows and grasslands pre- forms, irresistible to all nature lovers searching for dominate at around 800-900 m above sea level. challenging adventures. Mountain pine forests can be found at higher alti- tudes, toward the border with Bosnia. On the Bosnian Dragan Ledina side, up to the height of about 850 m, a mixed forest Dubravka Ledina of pubescent oak and European hophornbeam can be found, and forests of beech and silver fir above that al- Acknowledgement titude. Above the forest zone, which spreads up to around 1,380 m, there are grasslands. Furthermore, We thank M. Plazibat for his useful suggestions during our juniper-wood can be found on Troglav and other work. mountain peaks. Mixed beech and silver fir forest, with abundant fauna, is characterized by the smallest temperature changes between day and night (7,8). 1 Poljak ª. Hrvatske planine: planinarsko turistièki vodiè. Various wild beasts inhabit the mountain, such 3rd rev. ed. Zagreb: Golden marketing; 2001. as wildcat, wolf, fox, jackal, weasel, pine marten, 2 Pivèeviæ I. Povijest Poljica. Split: Biblioteka “Gradac”; stone marten, brown bear, and lynx (the last being 1996. rather rare). As to cloven-hoofed animals, wild boar, 3 Soldo JA. Sveti Spas u Vrhrici. Split: Zbornik Kaèiæ; doe, and are common. Dinara bird life is 1990. also rich, and the most common are capercaillie, ha- 4 Gamulin S. The Church of Sv. Spas (St. Savior). Croat zel-hen, Greek partridge, hawk, and golden eagle (9). Med J 2000;41:225-7. There is also an endemic rodent species, Dolomys 5 Penzar B, Penzar I, Orliæ M. Vrijeme i klima hrvatskog bogdanovi longipedis (Dinaric mouse), a protected Jadrana. Zagreb: Biblioteka Geografia Croatica; 2001. p. 80-106. species in this area, just like the squirrel (10). 6 Bertoviæ S. Biogeocenoza. Šumarska enciklopedija. Dinara mountain is strategically very important 2nd ed. Zagreb: Jugoslavenska Akademija Znanosti i for Croatia, since all movements and traffic between Umjetnosti; 1980. Vol 1. p. 98-112. inland and sea coast can be controlled from the 7 Kušan F. Sastav i raspored vegetacije na planini mountain peaks. During the recent war, the mountain Kamešnici. God Biol Inst 1956;9:3-26. offered protection to the soldiers of Croatian Army, 8 Volariæ-Mršiæ I. Geoelement u planinskoj flori Dinare, and the military-police action “Storm” in 1995 began Troglava i Kamešnice. Acta Bot Croat 1976;35:159-83. on its slopes. The lines of Serbian rebels on the Dinara 9 Garms H, Borm L. Fauna Europas. Bestimmungslek- and Livno fields were broken on the Christmas Eve sikon. Braunschweig: Georg Westermann Verlag; 1994, whereupon the mountaintops fell under the 1977. p. 1-513. control of the Croatian Army and formations of 10 Tvrtkoviæ N, Ðuliæ B, Mrakovèiæ M. Distribution of Bosnian Croats (HVO). This allowed further progres- insectivora and rodentia on the north-east Adriatic coast sion of Croatian soldiers towards the town of (Yugoslavia). Acta Zool Fennica 1980;170:201-3. and other occupied Croatian regions. In the summer 11 Lang S, Javornik N, Bakaliæ K, Swedlund S, Ghidi V, of 1995, after the liberation of , the Luetiæ V, et al. “Save Lives” operation in liberated parts Croatian Army units continued toward Knin and liber- of Croatia in 1995: an emergency public health action ated the complete territory, which had been under to assist abandoned elderly population. Croat Med J occupation of the Serbian rebels assisted by the for- 1997;38:265-70. mer Yugoslav Army (11). 12 Ledina D, Bradariæ N, Borèiæ B, Turkoviæ B, Iviæ I, Bakiæ J, et al. Dinara – new natural focus of hemorrhagic fever While staying on Dinara during the war, 66 Cro- with renal syndrome. Croat Med J 2002;43:576-80. atian soldiers were infected by hemorrhagic fever 13 Muliæ R, Ropac D. Epidemiologic characteristics and with renal syndrome. The existence of a natural focus military implications of hemorrhagic fever with renal of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was con- syndrome in Croatia. Croat Med J 2002;43:581-6.

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