Croatia Tourist Information

Croatia Today

SITUATION

Croatia lies along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea and shares a border with Yugoslavia (Montenegro and Serbia), Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary, and Slovenia. The republic swings around like a boomerang from the Pannonian Plains of Slavonia between the Sava, Drava, and Danube Rivers, across hilly, central Croatia to the Istrian Peninsula, then south through Dalmatia along the rugged Adriatic coast. Croatia is made up of 20 counties, plus the city of Zagreb and controls 1,185 islands in the Adriatic Sea, 67 of which are inhabited.

The Nation An old friend with a new name, Croatia became an independent nation with a multi-party democracy in 1991. The population is 90% Roman Catholic and many aspects of Croatia are reminiscent of Italy, Spain and France, where strong family values remain and churches are well supported. Typically Mediterranean traits are afternoon siestas during hot summer months when shops usually close and the corsa, the famous Latin evening walking parade where locals stroll together in their finest clothes. An ideal place to view this tradition is Stradun in Dubrovnik or the seafront promenade in Split. Before 1991, over half a million British visitors vacationed each summer in the resorts and islands on this famous coast.

The Environment The Croatian Adriatic is a specialist and unique holiday destination and not a volume tourism proposition. This is an area of culture, history and unspoiled beauty, a land of medieval towns, richly decorated palaces, sapphire blue seas and aromatic pine woods.
Many hotels in the resorts and islands offer swimming from rocks or man-made bathing platforms with direct access to the sea. Sandy beaches are the exception rather than the rule which has its compensations. The late Jacques Cousteau, described the Adriatic as one of the cleanest seas on earth. The only ships normally to be seen on the horizon are passing island-hopping ferries or one of the cruise ships which now feature Split, Dubrovnik and Korcula as ports of call. We recommend car hire as excursions enable you to explore the country and visit the islands at your own pace. Water taxis, often small fishermen's boats, are excellent value.
Area: 56,538 sq. km with an additional 31,067 km2 of territorial waters.
Length of coast: 5,835 km - including 4,058 km of island, islet and reef coastline.
Major cities (2001 census est.): Capital - Zagreb, approx. 780,000 inhabitants (including suburbs some one million) - the administrative, cultural, academic and communication centre of the country, Split (200,000), Rijeka (168,000), Osijek (130,000).
Terrain: Croatia is situated between central and eastern Europe. Its terrain is diverse, containing rocky coastlines, densely wooded mountains, plains, lakes and rolling hills.
Climate: Croatia has a mixture of climates. In the north it is continental, Mediterranean along the coast and a semi-highland and highland climate in the central region.
Largest islands: Krk 410 km2, Cres 404 km2, Brac 396 km2, Hvar 298 km2.
Number of islands, islets and reefs: 1,185. The largest islands are those of Krk and Cres. 
There are 67 inhabited islands.
Location: Both a Mediterranean and a Central European country with the following neighbouring countries: Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina (no shared border with Albania or Kosovo), Italy (maritime border). Most of the country is mountainous or hilly. There are many islands off the coast.
Population: 4.44 million, comprising about 90% Croats, 4.5% Serbs, 0.4% both Italians and Hungarians, just under 3,000 Germans as well as others (Slovaks, Slovenes, Bosniacs, Czechs, Albanians, Ruthenes, Romas, Macedonians). The population is concentrated in the north and along the coast. Many Croats live abroad.
Language: Croatian; in areas where there are large ethnic minorities, Serbian, Italian and Hungarian are also official languages.
Religion: Almost 90% Roman Catholic, 4% Serb Orthodox, 1% Muslim.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Climate

Croatia has two characteristic climates, Mediterranean and continental.
The Mediterranean climate (a warm dry summer, a mild winter, and delightful spring and autumn) extending along the Adriatic coast and islands. The Adriatic coast, with its 2,600 hours of sunlight yearly, is among the sunniest coastlines in Europe.
The continental region, including the hinterlands, has typical winter temperatures below zero, while spring and fall are pleasantly warm, and summer is hot.
The highest summer temperatures can reach 40°C, and in winter, temperatures in selected areas drop to a low of -25°C.
The average yearly rainfall in the coastal region is 600-1.000 millimetres, in the continental region 1.000-1-500 millimetres, and in the mountain regions 2.000-3.000 millimetres.
Croatia can be divided into three geographic regions. In the north are the Plains and lowlands with a continental climate of cold winters and hot summers. Central Croatia consists of the mountainous Dinara Region, which is covered with large forests and has an alpine climate. The Adriatic coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate of cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.

A Brief History of Croatia

Around 400 BC Greek colonies were founded on Adriatic islands around 100 BC Romans rule over the east coast of the Adriatic 305 Roman emperor Diocletian builts a palace in present day Split around 620 Immigration of Croats from the north until 925 Under Byzantine and Franconian sovereignty 925 Independent kingdom under King Tomislav 1102 Beginning of Hungarian, later Austro-Hungarian sovereignty; until 1918 the whole of Croatia belongs to the Habsburg monarchy. 1433 The beginning of the defence against the Turks, who through time occupy the larger part of Croatian territory 1699 Continental Croatia - under the rule of Habsburg Adriatic coast and islands - under Venice Dubrovnik Republic - remains completely independent 1866 Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer founds the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences, the first in southeast Europe 1918 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Istria and Zadar under Italian rule 1929 Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1941 German troops invade Yugoslavia 1941 Independent State of Croatia 1941-1943 Istria and some coastal areas annexed by Italy 1945 Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia 1970/71 "The Croatian Spring": a national democratic mass movement suppressed by the Yugoslav Government 1990 Dr Franjo Tudjman becomes President of the Croat Republic. 1990 HDZ gains an absolute majority in the first free parliamentary elections 1990 Croatian Serbs in Knin start the armed conflict 1991 The Serbian Republic of Krajina declares itself independent 1991 Croatia declares its independence 1991-1995 War in Croatia 1991 Fall of Vukovar 1992 Recognition most EU states 15 January 1992, Serbs occupy and bombard Dubrovnik 1995 Operation Lightning - retaking Serbian-controlled Western Slavonia Missile bombardment of Zagreb by Serbs 1995 Operation Storm - retaking Serbian-controlled Krajina 1996 Agreement on normalizing relations between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1996 Admission of Croatia to the Council of Europe 1998 Complete reintegration of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja into Croatia 2000 Parliamentary elections Social Democratic leadership (six-party coalition) 2001 Signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU 2003 Croatia presents its application for membership of the European Union

Facts from Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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