Updated: July 2010

The Republic of Croatia is situated in south-eastern Europe, on the crossroads of Central Europe and the Mediterranean, stretching over 56,538 sq km with the coastal sea area of 31,067 sq km. Croatia has five neighbouring countries on a 2,028 km long land border: 932 km with Bosnia and Herzegovina, 501 km with Slovenia, 329 km with Hungary, 241 km with Serbia and 25 km with Montenegro. Croatia also shares sea borders with Italy, Slovenia and Montenegro.
Croatian Adriatic coastline is one of the most indented coastlines in Europe, next to Norwegian fjords. 1,185 islands and islets spread over the 4,058 km long coastline and only 47 of them (6%) are inhabited.
The capital of Croatia is Zagreb with the population of 779,145 (2001 census). It is also the administrative, cultural and educational centre of Croatia. Other larger cities include Split (pop. 188,694), Rijeka (pop. 144,043) and Osijek (pop. 114,616).
According to the 2001 data the population of Croatia is 4,437,460 inhabitants with the average population density of 78.4 per sq km.
The legal currency in Croatia is Kuna (HRK), consisting of 100 smaller units called lipa (lp). The official language is Croatian, spoken by 96.12% of the population.

Croatian homepage
General information about Croatia
Croatian National Tourist Board

Geography
The local terrain is quite diverse given the size of the country. There are flat plains along the Hungarian border, low mountains in central Croatia and highlands near the Adriatic coastline and islands. Croatian geography can thus be divided into three main regions by its landscape characteristics:
- lowland Croatia (Pannonian plains in the East) – mountains higher than 500 m are rare and of an insular character; most of this area is used for farming and livestock breeding;
- mountainous Croatia (separating the lowlands from the Adriatic) – less developed; its future development will be based on its transit importance, the growth of the already existing wood and timber industry, and the still underexploited potential for the production of healthy food, and winter and rural tourism; and
- coastal Croatia (alongside the Adriatic sea) – predominantly a karst area with very dry summers; the few streams mainly follow narrow gorges in breaking their way through to the sea.
The Croatian coastal area may further be divided into the northern (Istria and Kvarner) and the southern part (Dalmatia). It also lends itself to a longitudinal division into the islands, the coast proper and the immediate hinterland.
The highest point of Croatia is Dinara at 1,831m, a mountain on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The coastal belt and islands are characterized by alpine pine, downy oak, white and dark hornbeam and dense evergreen underbrush. Rivers belong to the Black Sea (62%) and Adriatic (38%) drainage basins.
Croatia has eight national parks which have all been established to protect the animals and plant life. The total area of these national parks is 994 km² split by 759 km² land and 235 km² water. The oldest park was established in 1949 (Plitvice Lakes) and the most recent one was established in 1999 (Northern Velebit).
Croatia's strategic location gives it control over most land routes from Western Europe to the Aegean Sea and the Turkish Straits. The main traffic routes in Croatia connect the eastern and western regions (traffic route alongside the Sava river and the route alongside the Adriatic coast) with several routes running from Austrian and Hungarian borders to the Adriatic coast (in a north to south direction).
The country's natural resources include oil and gas, calcium, limited amounts of coal (found in northwest Croatia), bauxite (found in Dalmatia and Istria), asphalt and salt.

Maps of Croatia
National Parks in Croatia

Administrative divisions
On the first level Croatia is territorially divided into 20 counties (županije) and the Zagreb City Area with county status. On the second level, it is divided into municipalities (općine) and towns (gradovi). Both types of units consist of settlements (naselja). While the counties, municipalities and towns are units of self-government, settlements are used purely for statistical purposes.

Climate and Weather
Croatia has three climate zones:
- the prevailing climate in the country’s interior is continental and moderately rainy;
- on the highest peaks, a mountain climate with snowfalls throughout winter;
- the areas along the Adriatic coast have a pleasantly mild Mediterranean climate with a large number of sunny days; summers are dry and hot, winters mild and wet with significant precipitations.

Average temperatures in the interior:
- January:  -2 to 0°C, somewhat lower at the highest altitudes;
- August: about 20°C and about 12°C on the highest peaks.

Average temperature on the coast:
- January:  5 to 9°C;  sea temperature in winter: 2°C;
- August: 22 to 25°C; sea temperature in summer, about 25°C.

Croatia has the second highest average of sunshine hours in Europe (following Spain).

Meteorological and Hydrological Service (with forecasts)