General info

Croatia stretches from the easternmost edges of the Alps in the northwest to the Pannonian Plain and the banks of Danube in the east, its central part is covered by the Dinara mountain range, while its southern part reaches the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Population
4,437,460

Capital
Zagreb (population 779,145) - economic, traffic, cultural and academic center of the country

Area
The mainland part covers an area of 56,542 km2, an the surface area of the territorial sea is 31,067 km2

Coastline
5,835 km; of which 4,058 km accounts for islands, rocks and reefs ranks among the most indented coastlines. It has 50 inhabited islands. The largest ones are Krk and Cres. Lighthouses, coastal and harbor lights: a total of 600.

Along the coast there are more than 350 natural harbors and marinas suitable for sailing boats and motor boats. The Adriatic Sea represents the most deeply protruding arm of the Mediterranean connected to it by the Strait of Otranto. The Adriatic Sea spreads in the direction southeast-northwest in a length of 870 km, with an average width of 160km. The territory of the Republic of Croatia comprimises 48% of the coastal belt and 97% of coastline around the islands of the Adriatic Sea. The Mediterranean tidal wave lasts 12 hours, enters the Adriatic through the Strait of Otranto, spreads north and circulates along the eastern and western coast. The height of the tidsal wave is 25cm at he Strait of Otranto to 80cm in the far north.

Climate
Croatia has two climate zones;in the hinterland it is mainly moderate continental one, partly even mountainous, while the area along the coast enjoys the mild Mediterranean climate with many sunny days, dry and hot sumers, mild and rainy winters. The average temperature along the voast is 5-10C in the winter. The sea temperature in winter is 12C in the winter, 26-30C in the summer. The sea temperature in winter is 12C and around 25C in the summer.