Slavonia

Slavonia is a region in eastern Croatia. It is a fertile agricultural and forested lowland bounded, in part, by the Drava river in the north and the Sava river in the south. Wheat and corn are the major crops, and the leading industry is food processing. It also has some oil and natural gas resources.

The region was originally part of the Roman province of Pannonia. In the 7th century a Slavic state owing allegiance to the Avars was established, soon replaced by the (also Slavic) Croats and later part of their kingdom. Slavonia, like the rest of Croatia, became part of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1102. It came under Turkish rule in the 16th century and by the Habsburgs by the Treaty of Karlowitz (1699). Southern parts of it became part of the their Military Frontier.

The Revolutions of 1848 changed Slavonia's status to an Austrian crownland, but Slavonia and Croatia were restored to the Hungarian crown by 1868. It became part of Yugoslavia in 1918. When the Yugoslav constituent republic of Croatia declared its independence in 1991, Serbs of Krajina established their own state over portions of eastern and western Slavonia. By late 1995 Serbs retained control of only eastern Slavonia, which was integrated into Croatia by January 1998.

The area is divided in five counties, total population of 781,454 (2001). The biggest city is Osijek with a population of 105,074 (2001). Other cities are Slavonski Brod, Vinkovci, Vukovar, Đakovo;, Požega;, Virovitica, Nova Gradiška;, Slatina, Županja;, Našice;, Valpovo, Belišće;.

A subspecies of pedunculate (common) oak quercus robur slavonica is named after Slavonia. The region is home to these and sessile oaks.