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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.
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Surface: The mainland covers 56,594 km2; surface area of territorial waters
totals
31,067 km2. Number of islands, islets and reefs: 1,185. The largest islands are
those of Krk and Cres. There are 67 inhabited islands.
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Population: 4.437.460 inhabitants. The majority of the population are Croats.
National
minorities include Serbs, Moslems, Slovenes, Italians,
Hungarians, Czechs,
Slovaks, and others.
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Capital: Zagreb counts around 800.000 inhabitants. Its the the administrative,
cultural,academic and communication centre of Croatia.
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Climate: Northern Croatia has a continental climate; Central Croatia has
a
semi-highland and highland climate, while the Croatian coast has a
Mediterranean climate. Winter temperatures range from -1 to 30°C in the
continental region, -5 to 0°C in the mountain region and 5 to 10°C in the
coastal region. Summer temperatures range from 22 to 26°C in the continental
region, 15 to 20°C in the mountain region and 26 to 30°C in the coastal
region.
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Language:Official language is Croatian language and Latin alphabet.
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Religion: The majority of the population are Roman Catholics, and small number of Orthodox
faith, as well as Muslims, and Christians of other denominations.
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Currency: Kuna (1 Kuna = 100 Lipa). There are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Lipa coins,
1, 2, 5
and 25 Kuna coins and 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000
Kuna banknotes.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, post offices and
at most tourist agencies, hotels and camping grounds. Banking hours are 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays banks are open until 1 p.m. In the
larger cities some banks are also open on Sundays.
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Credit Cards: Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards (American Express, Diners
Club, Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa, Sport Card ( International). Cash dispensing
machines are ubiquitous.
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Water: Tap water is potable throughout Croatia.
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Electricity: Voltage of city power grid – 220V, frequency 50HZ
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Time Zone: GMT plus one hour in winter and GMT plus two in summer.
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Most travellers are usually from the nearest countries of
Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany and Chechoslovakia and they
mostly travel
by car. From northern Europe, the quickest way to get to Croatia would be to
drive to Munich and then enter Austria, down to Graz, cross into Slovenia, and
then straight a head for Croatia whichis signposted as soon as you leave
Maribor.
When travelling to Croatia by
car be sure that you carry a valid driver's license, car
registration card and the Green Card or proof of car insurance.
Speed limit in settlements is 50 km/h and 80
km/h in out of settlements (unless stated differently). On highways a speed
limit is 130 km/h. The maximum permitted level of
alcohol in the blood is 0,5%. Almost all Croatian petrol stations are open from 7 am to 7 pm or 8 pm
during the year and during the summer until 10 pm. There are also many
petrol stations that are opened 24/7 in the larger towns and on main
international routes. All petrol stations sell Euro super 95, Super 98,
Normal and Euro Diesel.
Taxi service is available in all cities and
tourist places.
Rent-a-Car service is
available in all cities, tourist resorts and airports.
Most of foreign visitors do not require visas to enter
Croatia.
To check if you require a visa, visit the Croatian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs' webpage. If you do need one, please contact the Croatian
Embassy in your country for further information on how to get a visa.
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