Venezia Giulia [key], former region, 3,356 sq mi (8,692 sq km), NE Italy, on the Adriatic Sea. It was formed after World War I from part of the territories ceded by Austria to Italy in 1919, and included E Friuli, Trieste, Istria, and part of Carniola. Fiume was added in 1921. Except along the coast, the population is Slovenian, and after World War II most (c.2,890 sq mi/7,485 sq km) of Venezia Giulia was ceded by Italy to Yugoslavia. Most of Istria was joined with Croatia; part of Friuli and Carniola was combined with Slovenia and another portion (c.285 sq mi/740 sq km) formed the Free Territory of Trieste (divided in 1954 between Italy and Yugoslavia). The rest of Venezia Giulia (c.180 sq mi/470 sq km), part of Gorizia prov., remained Italian and was merged with Udine prov. to form the new region of Friuli–Venezia Giulia.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Italian Political Geography
