Changes

The Croatians (Slavs), some time in the middle ages started to be part of the Republic's population. There is a theory that the Croatisation of the region started to happen in the 19-century, with the Republic becoming part of the [[Austria|Austro-Hungarian]] Empire (then called the Habsburg Monarchy). The second theory is that it was much earlier. The 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=vwK4jhvjHQkC&pg=PA86&dq=dubrovnik+earthquake+of+1667&client=safari&cd=1#v=onepage&q=dubrovnik%20earthquake%20of%201667&f=false Earthquake Monitoring and Seismic Hazard Mitigation in Balkan Countries] by Eystein Sverre Husebye</ref> which destroyed the greater part of Dubrovnik has been cited as a turning point for the Republic's ethnic population make up.

The Croatians (Slavs), some time in the middle ages started to be part of the Republic's population. There is a theory that the Croatisation of the region started to happen in the 19-century, with the Republic becoming part of the [[Austria|Austro-Hungarian]] Empire (then called the Habsburg Monarchy). The second theory is that it was much earlier. The 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=vwK4jhvjHQkC&pg=PA86&dq=dubrovnik+earthquake+of+1667&client=safari&cd=1#v=onepage&q=dubrovnik%20earthquake%20of%201667&f=false Earthquake Monitoring and Seismic Hazard Mitigation in Balkan Countries] by Eystein Sverre Husebye</ref> which destroyed the greater part of Dubrovnik has been cited as a turning point for the Republic's ethnic population make up.

In John Van Antwerp Fine's book ''"When Ethnicity did not Matter in the Balkans"'' the population of the Republic in the 15-century was mainly Slavic. This might is very plausible, (that by the 15 century) the surrounding area of the city of Dubrovnik, the Slavs would have been in the majority.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p3oGybOY1w4C&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=identity+in+dubrovnik&source=bl&ots=d90RrUeZKC&sig=Go7muOWSJwxT5CiJZJX8i0FaC0Q&hl=en&ei=XtlMTNnEN4eiuQOPkbS7Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=identity%20in%20dubrovnik&f=false When ethnicity did not matter in the Balkans: ] by John Van Antwerp Fine</ref>

In John Van Antwerp Fine's book ''"When Ethnicity did not Matter in the Balkans"'' the population of the Republic in the 15-century was describe as mainly Slavic. This is very plausible, (that by the 15 century) the surrounding area of the city of Dubrovnik, the Slavs would have been in the majority.<ref>[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p3oGybOY1w4C&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=identity+in+dubrovnik&source=bl&ots=d90RrUeZKC&sig=Go7muOWSJwxT5CiJZJX8i0FaC0Q&hl=en&ei=XtlMTNnEN4eiuQOPkbS7Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=identity%20in%20dubrovnik&f=false When ethnicity did not matter in the Balkans: ] by John Van Antwerp Fine</ref>

''Editor's notes'': It's quite possible that the Republic was for centuries a multicultural and ''multiethnic'' society! It's ruling class were of mostly of Latin decent, but not all!

''Editor's notes'': It's quite possible that the Republic was for centuries a multicultural and ''multiethnic'' society! It's ruling class were of mostly of Latin decent, but not all!