Page 7 - Italiian American Herald - November 2021

FROM THE COVER
ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
NOVEMBER 2021 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 7
The disruption to the lives of those now living in different countries was extensive. According to estimates published by the Allied Military Government, as of 1949
in the A zone (Trieste) there were about 310,000 inhabitants, including 239,200 Italians and 63,000 Slovenians. Italian sources noted there were 36,000-55,000 Italians and 12,000-17,000 Slovenes and Croats in Zone B (Istria). In a Yugoslav census of 1945, (considered falsified by a UN commission), there were a reported 67,461 inhabitants, including 30,789 Slovenians, Serbians, and Croatians, 29,672 Italians, and 7,000 people of unidentified nationality in Zone B.
During the late 1940s and in the years after the division of the territory, up to 40,000 people (mostly Italians) chose to leave the Yugoslav Zone B and move to the Italian Zone A. Some were intimidated into leaving, and others chose not to live in Yugoslavia. There were additional waves of migration from Istria to Italy or other countries in later years.
In that period about 14,000 Italians remained in the “new” territory. According to a 2011 Croatian census, Italians of Croatia number 17,807, or 0.42% of the total Croatian population.
When Yugoslavia broke apart and became today’s Slovenia and Croatia (in 1991) both countries agreed to recognize the treaty. Today the vast majority of Istria is in Croatia but the northwestern part lies in Slovenia. North of Slovenian Istria, there is a tiny portion of the peninsula that lies in Italy with just two “communi.”
Istria today is home to a much smaller population of Italian speakers. As of 2009, the Italian language is officially used in 20 cities and municipalities and 10 other settlements in Croatia, according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
The heart-shaped peninsula extends deep
into the clear blue waters of the Adriatic Sea and is home to the Brijuni National Park, a large group of islands located on the western coast of Istria. The area is also a favored destination for travelers looking to avoid
the higher costs and crowds of major European cities.
Many of those who moved to Italy, the U.S., and other countries after the division of the Trieste territory still identify as Istrian Italians and they maintain their heritage through food, song, dance, and other traditions.
Trieste today is a thriving cosmopolitan city. Its deep-water port is a maritime gate- way for Northern Italy, Germany, Austria, and Central Europe. Since the 1960s, Trieste
has become a major research center with the highest percentage of researchers in Europe per population. The city, which lies at the crossroads of Latin, Slavic, and Germanic cultures, is noted as one of the literary capitals of the world.
Trieste has one of the highest standards of living among Italian cities and has become a favorite vacation destination for Italians and other world travelers. It is a beautiful cosmopolitan city rated in 2020 as one of the 25 best small towns in the world for quality of life and one of the 10 safest cities in the world. IAH
Driven by the Best
The Carman Auto Group
www.carmanautogroup.com
CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM 302-323-1666 | FORD 302-323-2300 | LINCOLN 302-324-4400 | FIAT ALFA ROMEO 302-323-1666