Suvremena demografska obilježja Podgorja
Contemporary demographic features of Podgorje

Summary/Abstract: Podgorje encompasses the area of the Croatia Adriatic coast at the foot of Velebit. Viewed administratively, included in the research are the settlements of the town of Senj, plus the municipalities of Karlobag and Starigrad, which with their territory participate on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The observed area is divided between Lika-Senj County (Town of Senj and the Municipality of Karlobag) and Zadar County (Municipality of Starigrad). Podgorje has very negative demographic features. The overall depopulation has lasted, with the exception of one intercensal period (1981-1991), continuously from 1910 when the largest population was noted(16,782 residents). In the following one hundred years the number of inhabitants almost halved.According to the latest census of the population from 2011 Podgorje had only 8,894 inhabitants.The natural depopulation has been present in Podgorje for many years, which influences the demographic conditions very negatively. The ageing of the population is in a very advanced stage.In 1971, the ageing index was 58, whilst according to the last census from 2011, the value of this demographic indicator had risen to as much as 187.8.The reasons for this unfavourable demographic situation are complex. The physical geographical features have unfavourable affected development in the past (the karst relief with many steep configurations, and strong ‘bura’ wind). Today Podgorje is located in the zone of the overlapping nodal-functional regions of Rijeka, to which its northern part gravitates, and Zadar, to which its southern part gravitates. With the construction of the Zagreb-Split motorway and with the planned motorway or the Rijeka-Žuta Lokva express road, Podgorje will in effect find itself in a kind of transport-like isolation, which will not act favourably on the demographic and economic trends.Despite the position on the Adriatic coast which offers the good possibility for the development of tourism, with the exception of Starigrad, where there is a starting point for trips into Paklenica National Park, this activity in Podgorje is not more significantly developed, which unfavourably affects the demographic conditions.

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