Carantania

Carantania, also known as Carentania (Slovene: Karantanija, German: Karantanien, in Old Slavic *Korǫtanъ), was a Slavic principality that emerged in the second half of the 7th century, in the territory of present-day southern Austria and north-eastern Slovenia. Since the middle of the 8th century, it was allied with Bavaria against the Avars, and consequently became a vassal state of the Frankish Empire. In the same time, Christianisation of Carantanian Slavs was initiated, mainly through missionary activities of the Archdiocese of Salzburg. By 828, internal autonomy of the principality was abolished, and the entire Carantanian territory was gradually integrated into the East Frankish administrative system, based on counties and marches. Carantania thus became the predecessor of the March of Carinthia, created within the Carolingian Empire by 889.