Ćićarija

Ćićarija (Slovene: Čičarija; Italian: Cicceria, Monti della Vena; Istro Romanian: Ciceria; German: Tschitschen Boden) is a mountainous plateau in the northern and northeastern part of the Istria peninsula, 45 kilometers (28 mi) long and 10–15 kilometers (6.2–9.3 mi) wide. It mostly lies in Croatia, while its northern part lies in southwestern Slovenia (the traditional region of Inner Carniola). The highest peak is Veliki Planik at 1,272 meters (4,173 ft).^[1]

Ćićarija
Slovene: Čičarija, Italian: Cicceria, Istro Romanian: Ciceria, German: Tschitschen Boden
Ćićarija seen from Gračišće
Highest point
Elevation	1,272 m (4,173 ft)
Coordinates	45°21′38″N 14°11′31″E
Geography
Ćićarija Location of Ćićarija in Croatia (on the border with Slovenia)
Location	Croatia-Slovenia border in Istria

At 7 inhabitants per square kilometer (18/sq mi) (2001), Ćićarija is sparsely populated, due to its karst landscape, poor economic development and rough climate.

Name

The name Ćićarija is derived from the South Slavic term Ćić, which refers to Istrians living in the area around the Učka Mountains, originally referring to the Vlachs and Istro-Romanians of the area.^[2][3][4] The ethnonym is believed to derive from the Istro-Romanian word ce 'what', which is a semantic basis for other regional ethnonyms (cf. Kajkavian, Chakavian, etc.).^[3]

Sources

• Croatian Encyclopedia. "Ćićarija" (in Croatian).
• Istrian Encyclopedia. "Ćićarija" (in Croatian).
• Istrapedia. "Ćićarija" (in Croatian). Retrieved 25 November 2010.