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General Information
The Republic of Croatia is situated on the north-eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea . The country is approximately 56,542 sq km in size and has a population of about 4.4 million people. Croatia has an amazing 5,835km of coastline, 4,057km of which belongs to islands, cliffs and reefs. There are 1,185 islands in the Adriatic , but only about 50 are populated; the country is often referred to as ‘The Country of a Thousand Islands'.
The country has a long coastline but also borders several other countries; Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 670 km. The highest place in Croatia is Dinara, standing at 1,830m. The lowest point is the Adriatic Sea . Zagreb is the capital city with the two major tourist cities being Split and Dubrovnik , in the South.
The official language is Croatian and the currency used is Kuna with the rough exchange rate of 1 British pound to 10.4 Croatian Kuna (Kn). The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a Kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia .
Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, the Republic of Croatia was only returned to its original size in 1998, following the transfer of Eastern Slovenia back to the National Authorities.
The History, Culture and Politics
Slavic Croatian tribes settled in the area in the early 7th century (arriving from present day Poland ), accepting Christianity in around 800 A.D. In 925, Croatia became a kingdom under the rule of King Tomislav. In 1102 the country formed a union with Hungary which lasted until 1918. After the end of the First World War, Croatia joined Serbia and Yugoslavia was formed, until its demise in 1991. The first Yugoslavia (1918-1941) was ruled by the Serbian royal family, Karadjordjevic, which favoured the Serbs causing resentment in Croatia . With the invasion by Nazi Germany in April 1941, Croatia gained its independence under the movement led by Ante Pavelic, whose Government ruled until the arrival of Marshal Tito, who led a successful liberation in May 1945. Croatia then became one of the Yugoslav Republics , ruled by the communist government until 1991 when the country declared its independence and after five years the country was eventually granted its current status.
The Croatian Economy
In 2005, Croatia was the second fastest growing tourist market in the world and the World Travel and Tourism Council project Croatia to be the fifth fastest growing world market over the next 10 years. Growth is currently running at over 15% per annum and has experienced steady economic growth in recent years which looks set to increase if the country gains entry into the EU by 2009, as expected. Gross Domestic Product growth is currently running at circa 4% pa. Croatia has a record of low inflation, currently running at circa 2.6% pa, initiated by stabilization measures in 1993.
Getting there
The short flight, which takes approximately one and a half hours from London, is serviced by a number of airlines, namely Croatia Airlines, British Airways and EasyJet, all of whom fliy to Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and Rejika. In terms of driving, the majority of Croatia 's visitors arrive by car. This isn't as surprising as it sounds, considering the majority of Croatia's visitors come from nearby European countries - Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech and Slovak Republics. However, it is a very viable option to drive from the UK to Croatia . You can choose to drive all the way to your chosen destination, or drive to an Italian port and then take a car ferry across the Adriatic Sea . When driving directly to Croatia from the UK , the best, quickest and cheapest route would be through Germany , thanks to the Autobahns. The new ‘Super' Highway, from Zagreb to Dubrovnik is nearing completion (reaching Split in December 2005) and will allow fast, hassle-free driving along the length of the country.
The Climate
The climate of Croatia varies from ‘ Mediterranean ' along the coastline to typical ‘Continental European' further inland. The Adriatic coastal areas have hot, dry summers and mild, damp winters, making May to September the most popular time of the year to visit. Croatia has long been regarded as one of the most beautiful countries to visit and with 2,600 hours of sunlight on average yearly and an average summer temperature of 27 C degrees, one of the sunniest in Europe . The coastal winds are perfect for sailing; there are three major winds around the Croatian Adriatic coast:
- The ‘Bura' - NE wind blowing from mainland, with very strong gusts, usually in spring especially March, clear sunny sky but very unpleasant for sailing;
- The ‘Jugo' - SE wind, rough sea , rainy weather, typical for autumn and winter;
- The ‘Maestral' - NW wind, usual guest in summer in afternoon hours, good for sailing.
The Coastline
The Adriatic Sea spans from the Balkans to the Apennine peninsula. The part belonging to the Republic of Croatia is the east coast, which extends all the way from Prevlaka, in the south, to Cape Savudrija in the west, including all islands, islets and cliffs along the coast, and the archipelago of Palagruza. The length of the Croatian Coastline is estimated at 5,835km, including all of the 1,185 islands. This makes Croatia 's coast a unique area in Europe for cruising with motorboats, speedboats, or sailboats alongside the numerous water and sub-aqua sports.
The Islands
One reason the Croatian coastline is so beautiful is that it contains more than one thousand islands. Most of the islands are small and uninhabited but there are larger islands which are popular with tourists. Please see our “Useful Links” page for more information.
The Sea
The quality of the water in the Adriatic is very well preserved. The results reached through the constant measuring of the quality of water on more than 800 beaches are in accordance with the strictest criteria. Except for the cleanliness of the sea, another important quality of the coastal area is its biological and geographical particular quality, which can be seen in the number of species of plants and animals, and in the high number of endemic species. In order to protect and preserve such natural wealth, a list of rare and endangered species, the so-called ‘Red Book', has been developed. Various projects are carried out in Croatia by Government Institutions and Associations with the goal of preserving natural and cultural heritage and its evaluation.
Marinas
Croatia currently has approximately 48 marinas with about 12,500 coastal berths and approximately 7,200 dry-berths on land. The larger marinas have technical services, derricks, petrol stations and various commercial and catering services. About half of the marinas belong to the ACI Club (Adriatic Croatia International Club); the others are independent. Of the twenty-one ACI marinas seventeen are open throughout the year and four during the summer season only.
National Holidays
The major day of national celebration is "Independence Day", 8 October, first established in 1991 (note - 25 June 1991 is the day the Croation Parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia.
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Key Facts 
