Sanja Alena is a fictional character created by Croatian writer, Dr. Kjetovi Babi. In this fictional book, Babi describes how he came to know about the Sanja Empire, the powerful nation that ruled over much of what is now the Croatian coast between the 8th and 11th centuries. The nation, according to Babi, was a huge trading post, a political arena where different races mingle, and a social club that existed long before most people would even think about the idea of organized government. This nation had a strong influence on the formation of both Croatian Nationality. According to Babi, the concept of nationality was completely foreign to the Croatian people, being more concerned with cultural differences, as opposed to bloodlines.
In Sanja Alena, Babi includes an interesting little bit of information about the actual history of Sanja Alena itself. He shows that Croatian leaders had control over the city for some time, but that they were not entirely in charge or even able to claim total control of the city, as there were two warring groups with the city. However, according to the legends of Sanja, which continue to live on to this day in the Croatian Diaspora, it was the takeover of the city by the Croatian forces during World War II that allowed Croatia to claim full ownership and authority of the Sanja Mountains. However, even after the war, Sanja Alena is still a place of great importance to the Croatian people, who have a strong cultural identity and pride in their history.
Sanja Alena presents a unique window into the way Croatian identity is formed and developed today. Through the stories of those who lived there, as well as oral traditions passed down from generation to generation, one can develop an understanding of the role that ethnicity plays within the Croatian cultural identity. It is also fascinating to understand how cultural borders can still be established and defined, even in the 21st century, when the most cohesive society in the world still insists on maintaining its own identity despite the influx of countless immigrants. In short, Sanja Alena continues to play an important role in defining who Croatian people are and what defines their national identity.