Along the Danube Valley transportation route (Review of the economic development of Vukovar in the 19th and beginning of 20th centuries)

The paper discusses the reasons why Vukovar has not managed to make better use of its geographic position. For this purpose an analysis has been made of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. The reasons and limitations directly influencing a slower economic development, thefalling behind and inability to outgrow its mercantile framework are presented. Namely, although situated along the Danube Valley transportation route, near the Lower Drava and Lower Sava Valleys, the late construction of the regional network of macadam roods, the absence of a bridge across the Danube River or a river route between the Danube and the Sava rivers and the late construction of the railway to Vukovar (from Borovo) as well as the redirection of trade to the new Alfold-river railway, helped the local trade to prevent Vukovar from fully exploiting the economic opportunities of the Danubial maritime transportation route.