engleski

Regional economic and development problems and perspectives : case study of Slavonia and Baranja (Croatia)

Slavonia and Baranja or Eastern Croatia, are physical-geographical part of the Pannonian valley, and administratively consisting of 5 counties: Virovitica-Podravina, Požega- Slavonia, Slavonski Brod-Posavina, Osijek- Baranja and Vukovar-Sirmium (little less than 20% of state territory). Regarding functional organization, Slavonia and Baranja are part of Osijek nodal region but with interrelated influences of other regional centres like Slavonski Brod, Vinkovci, Vukovar, Đakovo and Požega. Analysis of this area, which consists of 22 cities and 104 municipalities with 805.998 people (according to Census 2011) will be conducted through several economic- geographic indicators: foreign trade exchange, number of employed per 100 inhabitants, number of unemployed per 100 inhabitants, economic structure of population as well as share of employed in agriculture and industry as most important sector activities in this area. Demographic problems will also be analysed in this paper, as population is one of the most important factors of economic and social development. The main problems in analysed area are depopulation, aging and rural exodus as well as the fact that that every city or municipality, except one, had the decline of population comparing to previous Census in 2001. These processes are accompanied by spatial population polarization which has resulted in economic decline.

Slavonia and Baranja; regional problems; economic decline; economic perspective

Rad je kao predavanje prezentiran na skupu 5th international symposium "Academician Berislav Beta Berić" Human resources and regional development, održanom od 13.-14.11.2014.g., Novi Sad, Srbija.