The region consists of parts of Złotów, Piła, Sępólno, Nakło, Bydgoszcz and Człuchów counties, namely the urban gmina of Złotów, the rural gmina of Złotów and the urban-rural gminas of Krajenka, Wysoka, Wyrzysk, Łobżenica, Kamień Krajeński, Sępólno Krajeńskie, Więcbork, Nakło nad Notecią, Koronowo and Debzno.

The name of Krajna is derived from the Slavic word for borderland (between Greater Poland and Pomerania), cf.

During the German occupation of Poland (World War II), the population was subjected to various crimes, including deportations to forced labour and concentration camps, expulsions and executions.

[2] Other major sites of massacres of local Poles committed by the SS and Selbstschutz included Paterek, Łobżenica, Górka Klasztorna and Sadki.

The Germans also operated numerous forced labour camps in the region, including several subcamps of the Stalag II-B and Stalag XX-A prisoner-of-war camps for Allied POWs.