Damir Magaš

Geographical Names on Mercator’s Maps of Croatia

Abstract Mercator depicted Croatia on several general maps. In accordance with the level of geographical knowledge, map scales and technical possibilities of the time, Mercator provided a relatively detailed depiction of basic geographical features on these maps. His interest in mapping Croatia was probably motivated by the fact that the Venetian Republic, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire had fought over this area in the sixteenth century, contributing to the fragmentation of the medieval Croatian State, while at the same time facilitating economic, religious, linguistic, artistic and scientific communication between Central, South East and Mediterranean Europe. Mercator paid special attention to toponyms that enabled geographical objects to be identified and the decoding of cartographic contents. Research into Mercator’s maps has shown that geographical names, among other things, clearly indicate the sources of spatial data that he used. Additionally, geographical names on Mercator’s maps are significant indicators of the linguistic and cultural contacts that were particularly prominent in border areas, for example, along the eastern Adriatic coast, or the courses of the Danube, Sava and Drava.

Geografske osnove razvitka otoka Ugljana

The authors elaborate geographical features of the Ugljan island, the most inhabited island of the Zadar archipelago in South Croatia. The purpose of the paper, continuing former works, is to offer groundwork for future specialized and complexe researches on regional geographical problems concerning this island. The inhabitants of the island have evaluated and exploited its physicogeographical basis since prehistory, creating in this way a specific Ugljan cultural landscape. Zadar, the city closely to the island, played a decisive role in its historiogeographical development. Owing to contemporary socioeconomic development, Ugljan is, in fact a part of specific Zadar periurban zone.