Polonyna (montane meadow)
Polonyna is a specific, regionally-focused geographic term, that is used as a designation for areas of montane meadows in the upper subalpine or alpine zones of the Carpathian Mountains. The term polonyna was introduced to English from Slavic languages, in order to designate various mountainous regions, mainly in the Eastern Carpathians, and also in the Western Carpathians. The polonyna type areas of montane meadows are very frequent in the Outer Eastern Carpathians, particularly in the Eastern Beskids. Throughout history, they were used for pasture, and in modern times they have become a popular destination for various forms of recreational tourism.
The noun polonyna and its corresponding adjectives are also used frequently in local toponyms throughout the Carpathian region. One of two main mountain ranges of the Eastern Beskids is known as the Polonyne Beskids or Polonynian Beskids, and it includes several mountains that also contain the same term in their names, like: Smooth Polonyna, Polonyna Borzhava, Red Polonyna, etc.
