Eastern Slavonia

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Map of Croatia with Eastern Slavonia in red and Western Slavonia in dark blue

Eastern Slavonia (Croatian: Istočna Slavonija) is a geographical region of Slavonia in east Croatia. Its borders are defined by the Drava, Danube and Sava rivers. The major cities of the area are Osijek, Vinkovci, Vukovar and Đakovo (Slavonski Brod is also sometimes included)[1].

Due to its wide plains and rivers, the area is economically dependent on agriculture and light industry. The area suffered heavily during the Croatian War of Independence, being the prime battlefield of the war with the pivotal battle of Vukovar. Today, the area is economically ruined, although the Croatian government has offered various incentives for new industries - such as tax exemption - to jumpstart the recovery of the area.

See Slavonia for more details about geography, population, history and economics of the area.

[edit] History

[edit] Slavonia

Main article: Slavonia

Slavonia (Croatian: Slavonija) is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. It is a fertile agricultural and forested lowland bounded, in part, by the Drava river in the north, the Sava river in the south, and the Danube river in the east.

[edit] During the Croatian war of Independence

The colored region to the right was known as Eastern Slavonia which was part of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK)

In August 1991, the area fell under attack by the Yugoslav National Army (JNA). The resulting fighting, known as the Battle of Vukovar, was a three-month siege that left Vukovar leveled to the ground and its population decimated, including the worst atrocity of the war in Croatia, the Vukovar massacre, when Serb paramilitary units executed over 250 civilians and wounded prisoners.

Parts under local Serb and JNA control became part of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) as Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem and was designated by UNPROFOR peacekeeping forces as Sector East.

Croatian operations that recaptured the rest of Serb-held Croatia did not target these parts of eastern Slavonia which remained under Serb control until 1995, when they agreed to peacefully reintegrate into Croatia by signing the Erdut Agreement, sponsored by the United Nations, that set up a transitional period during which the UNTAES peacekeepers would oversee the peaceful reintegration of this territory into Croatia. This process was completed in 1998.

[edit] References