ZAGREB ZAGREB, Oct 24 (Hina) - An extensive statistical-demographic study, entitled "Croatian Island Population" by Mladen Smoljanovic, Ankica Smoljanovic, and Ivo Nejasmic, was presented in Zagreb on October 18. The president of the
Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAZU), Ivo Padovan, academician Alica Wertheimer-Baletic, and the study's authors spoke at the presentation. The book, compiled within a Health Ministry project on the improvement of health care on Croatian islands, is a statistical and demographic survey of 50 inhabited islands. According to HAZU president Ivo Padovan, the book is "of great importance for the development of the Croatian state today" and "an incentive in" overcoming the problems the island population is facing. Changes in the overall number of island population between 1857 and 1991 are an "important factor in the overall national development and security",
ZAGREB, Oct 24 (Hina) - An extensive statistical-demographic
study, entitled "Croatian Island Population" by Mladen
Smoljanovic, Ankica Smoljanovic, and Ivo Nejasmic, was presented
in Zagreb on October 18.
The president of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAZU),
Ivo Padovan, academician Alica Wertheimer-Baletic, and the study's
authors spoke at the presentation.
The book, compiled within a Health Ministry project on the
improvement of health care on Croatian islands, is a statistical
and demographic survey of 50 inhabited islands.
According to HAZU president Ivo Padovan, the book is "of great
importance for the development of the Croatian state today" and "an
incentive in" overcoming the problems the island population is
facing.
Changes in the overall number of island population between 1857 and
1991 are an "important factor in the overall national development
and security", Alica Wertheimer-Baltic believes.
"The study shows that the negative trends in the development of the
island population have been recorded especially in small
settlements in inland regions, whereas settlements situated along
the coast, caught in the speedy tourist development, demonstrated a
much better dynamics", she said.
"Regrettably, the study shows that one should expect the death of a
number of small inland settlements on islands", Wertheimer said,
adding this called for an adequate economic policy aimed at
stimulating the development of islands.
According to the 1991 census, the fifty island settlements had a
population of 126,447, which is a 15 per cent decrease compared to
1948.
Ivo Nejasmic, one of the authors of the study, spoke about modern
research of population development on Croatian islands between
1991 and 1997, emphasising that the process of depopulation was
continuing. A decreasing number of the newly-born is a common
characteristic of all islands, except for Mali Losinj and Krapanj,
Nejasmic said, adding several dozen islands were faced with
complete depopulation.
(hina) rml