The Žumberak Mountains (Croatian: Žumberačka gora, Slovene: Gorjanci, historic German name: Uskokengebirge[1]) is a range of hills and mountains in northwestern Croatia and southeastern Slovenia, extending from the southwest to the northeast between the Krka and the Kupa.
The geographically unified massif consists of two parts, separated by the Bregana and Žumberak rivers (Croatian: Žumberačka rijeka).
Cities near this range are Samobor, Jastrebarsko, and Ozalj in Croatia, and Novo Mesto, Brežice, and Kostanjevica na Krki in Slovenia.
However, further escalation was prevented due to amicable diplomacy of the Croatian and Slovenian prime ministers Jadranka Kosor, and Borut Pahor.
In the area of the Nature Park 90 species of Croatian vascular flora from the Red Book are recorded.
Some endangered and protected plants are found here, such as are globally sensitive species Iris croatica and Daphne blagayana.
Globally sensitive species of wild orchids and lilies can be found in areas between forests and open habitats.
Brown trout are common due to suitable ecological conditions (water temperature, quantity of oxygen and creeks' speed).
[citation needed] Recent exploration of karstic underground in the Park discovered some species of arthropods, which are completely new in science.
[12] The earliest artefacts in the Žumberak Mountains, small axe, and fragments of a pot, were found in the village of Mrzlo Polje Žumberačko.
One of the most important findings is bronze, Kneževa kaciga (Prince's Helmet), found in one of two biggest tumuli, with diameter of 19 meters 19 m (62 ft).
[14] In late Iron Age, the Celtic tribes started conquering and colonizing this part of Europe.
Under the Okić castle, in the forest of Jama near Podgrađe, a man found 1600 silver Celtic coins.
The most important remains are several graveyards dating from 1st century AD found in the central Žumberak Mountains, in villages of Gornja Vas and Bratelji.
These containers were produced in northern Italy, and they are proof that people in the Žumberak Mountains had a powerful economy at that time.
[14] After the decline of the Roman Empire, numerous Germanic and Slavic tribes passed across the Pannonian Plain.
The earliest written texts and archaeological finds enlighten the history of the Žumberak Mountains from the 12th century on.
In 1530, the immigration of Uskoks started, which lasted until the 17th century, which brought a large population of Štokavian speakers to the region.
Uskoks from this area, were the only military personnel on the Military frontier, that weren't living close to the border itself, the Žumberak Mountains themselves were an enclave within Banovina and did not directly border the Ottoman Empire, so they had to walk for half a day or longer to their posts in Ogulin, Cazin, Bihać etc.
They had huge losses for their standard, losing 40 soldiers in crucial mission of taking over the bridge over Odra river.
[17][18] In the year 1545. they were called by citizens of Zagreb, to defend the city from the Ottomans because the regular army under the leadership of Croatian Ban was heavily defeated in Hrvatsko Zagorje.
That brigade managed to liberate Krašić in January 1943, which was a great victory for Partisan movement, since North-West Croatia was considered to be NDH stronghold.
The Žumberak Mountains are the site of the Jazovka Pit, location of a World War II massacre of retreating Ustasha soldiers and civilians mostly from hospitals in Zagreb by the communists, not partisans from Žumberak-Pokuplje partisan detachment, or local people.
Some argue that the Krško Nuclear Power Plant threatens the northern parts of the range, but there is no proof of this.
[citation needed] Most of the Croatian part of the range was protected as the Žumberak–Samoborsko Gorje Nature Park by the Parliament of Croatia on 28 May 1999, and since 2012 it has been a Natura 2000 site.