Split, the second largest city in Croatia and ”the capital of Dalmatia” had gradually developed around the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian, built more than 1700 years ago. From Diocletian’s cellars, Cathedral and the Temple of Jupiter to the Golden Gate (Porta aurea), across the Peristyle and the Market (Pjaca) to the sunny sea promenade (Riva) and further up the Marmont street, past the fish-market and all the way to the Theatre: morning in Split brings you the atmosphere of a typical Mediterranean city.
Famous on the Split riviera is the ancient metropolis of Salona, the most important archeological site in Croatia, and Trogir, a charming stone town under the protection of UNESCO which takes pride in the fascinating Romanesque cathedral, churches, towers and beautiful palaces.
Geographical position: Croatia extends from the furthest eastern edges of the Alps in the north-west to the Pannonian lowlands and the banks of the Danube in the east; its central region is covered by the Dinara mountain range, and its southern parts extend to the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Regions: Southern Dalmatia; Central Dalmatia; Northern Dalmatia; Kvarner; Istria; Lika; Central Croatia; Slavonia
Surface: the mainland covers 56,542 km , and the surface of the territorial sea is 31,067 km2 .
Population: 4,437,460 inhabitants; composition of population: the majority of the population are Croats; national minorities are Serbs, Slovenes, Hungarians, Bosnians, Italians, Czechs and others.
Capital: Zagreb (779,145 inhabitants), the economic, traffic, cultural and academic centre of the country.
Coastline: 5,835 km of which 4,058 km comprise a coastline of islands, solitary rocks and reefs. Number of islands, solitary rocks and reefs: 1,185; the largest islands are Cres and Krk; there are 50 inhabited islands.
Highest peak: Dinara: 1,831 m above sea level.
Climate: There are two climate zones; a temperate continental climate, locally also a mountainous climate, prevails in the interior, whereas a pleasant Mediterranean climate prevails along the Adriatic coast, with an overwhelming number of sunny days, dry and hot summers, mild and humid winters; average temperature in the inland: January 0 to 2°C, August 19 to 23°C; average temperature at the seaside: January 6 to 11°C, August 21 to 27 °C; the temperature is about 12°C in winter, and 25°C in summer.
Croatian Currency: kuna (1 kuna = 100 lipa). Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices, travel agencies, hotels, camps, marinas; cheques can be cashed in banks.
