Basic information – Republic of Croatia / Dubrovnik – Neretva county
Geographical position:
Croatia stretches from the foot of Julian Alps on the north-west to the Pannonian Basin in the East, through the Dinaric massif in central Croatia, to the Adriatic Sea in the south. / The Dubrovnik-Neretva County is the southernmost of the 7 counties on the Adriatic coast. Because of its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, the country is divided into two parts. The Dubrovnik-Neretva County borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina on land and at sea.
Surface:
The surface of Croatia is 89,810 km2, out of which 56,610 km2 is land (63%), and 33,200 km2 is sea (37%). / The Dubrovnik- Neretva County covers 9,272 km2, out of which 1,782 km2 is land (19%), and 7,490 km2 is sea (81%). It covers 3% of Croatia’s land territory and 23% of its territory at sea.
Population:
Croatia has a population of 4,290,612. The average population density is 78 inhabitants/km2. / The Dubrovnik-Neretva County has a population of 122,783 who live in 5 cities (Dubrovnik, Korčula, Ploče, Metković and Opuzen) and 17 municipalities (Blato, Dubrovačko primorje, Janjina, Konavle, Kula Norinska, Lastovo, Lumbarda, Mljet, Orebić, Pojezerje, Slivno, Smokvica, Ston, Trpanj, Vela Luka, Zažablje and Župa dubrovačka). Average population density is 69 inhabitants/km2.
Country capital / County capital:
Zagreb (population: 792,875) / Dubrovnik (population: 42,641).
Total length of coast:
The length of Croatian coast is 6,278 km, including islands, islets, rocks, and reefs. / The coastal line of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County comprises 1025 km.
Number of islands, islets, and rocks:
Croatia has 78 islands, 524 islets, and 642 rocks and reefs. The numerous and indented islands are the reason why the coastline of Croatian islands (70%) is longer than the coastline on land (30%). / The Dubrovnik-Neretva County has a number of open-sea islands and those that are closer to the coast (the most signifi cant of which are Korčula, Mljet, Lastovo, and the Elaphites group), including the lower Neretva area with the pertaining coastal area.
Climate:
While northern Croatia has a continental climate, central Croatia has a mountain climate of various intensity levels, and southern Croatia has a Mediterranean climate. / The Dubrovnik- Neretva area shows all the characteristics of Mediterranean climate (long and dry summers, mild and rainy winters) with climatic differences as a consequence of the high mountain barrier near the coast, a series of islands, and occasional continental infl uences. Temperature: Summer temperature varies from 22 to 26 °C in continental area, from 15 to 20 °C in the mountains, and from 26 to 35 °C at the coast.
Croatian Adriatic:
Adriatic Sea temperature varies from 22 to 25 °C during summer and 5 to 15 °C during winter. Transparency and blueness of the sea exceed those of other seas – the transparency of the Adriatic Sea reaches up to 56 meters. Sea salinity is 38‰, which exceeds global salinity average. The intensity of sea currents is low; those that run along the eastern – Croatian – coast are warm, and those along the western Italian coast are cold. The most typical winds in the Adriatic are the bora (NNE to ENE), sirocco (or jugo) (ESE to SSE) and mistral (WNW to NW). The Adriatic is rich in fl ora and fauna, inhabited by numerous species of fi sh, mammals, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms, plankton, algae, sponges, and other organisms.
Useful data:
Average number of sunny days per year:
With an average of 108 sunny days (2,600 sunny hours) per year, the Croatian side of the Adriatic is one of the sunniest coasts at the Mediterranean. National parks and nature parks (natural landscapes): There are eight national parks and eleven nature parks in Croatia. National park Mljet (in the western part of the Mljet island) and the nature park of the Lastovo group of islands are located in the Dubrovnik- Neretva County.
Official languages and alphabet:
Croatian language and Latin alphabet.
Travel documents:
Passport or other internationally recognised identifi cation documents. Tourists are allowed to remain in Croatia for up to three months. For more details, contact the Croatian diplomatic missions abroad or the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (www.mvep.hr).
Currency:
The Croatian currency is the kuna (currency sign: kn, international currency code: HRK). One kuna is subdivided into 100 lipas (lp).
Credit cards:
The most frequently used credit cards in Croatia are the following: Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Diners. These will be accepted in almost all hotels, marinas, restaurants, and stores, at ATMs / cash machines, and in shopping malls.
Time zone:
Croatia is in the Central European time zone (GMT + 1). On the last Saturday in March, the time zone switches to GMT + 2, until the last Sunday in October.
Mains voltage and water:
220 V, 50 Hz. Tap water is safe for drinking in the entire country.
International calling code:
International calling code for Croatia is +385.
