ETHNICITY AND RELIGION IN THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAIN SPACE, CASE STUDY: MINING CENTERS IN THE BANAT MOUNTAINS

Abstract

In this study we pursued an analysis on the nature of continuity of the ethnic and religious structure of five mining centers in the Banat Mountains. The five centers are: Reşiţa, Oravița, Bocşa, Dognecea and Anina, and the analyzed time period is 1880-2011. The elements that influenced the ethnic and religious structure were represented by the colonization periods in this region, starting from the second half of the 19th century, which continued until the first part of the 20th century. The study was based on statistical data obtained from the specialized literature and from the National Institute of Statistics website. These data were then processed in the form of graphs and tables. Ethnic and religious continuity has been preserved throughout the analyzed period, ethnicities and confessions from 1880 being found in 2011. The numbers in 2011 were smaller than in 1880, but enough for continuity to be maintained.

Keywords

• ethnicity
• religion
• banat mountains
• mining centers