Croatia Natural Environment

Croatia is situated in Central Europe on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea.  It has an area of about 56,500 sq. km, including over 1,000 islands in the Adriatic.  The coordinates are 45 N and 15 30 E.

It shares borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.  The northern two-thirds of the border with Serbia is formed by the Danube.  The western coast along the Adriatic consists of low mountains and highlands, and is non-contiguous as the coast in the south before it reaches Montenegro is broken by Bosnia Herzegovina’s access to the sea.

In the eastern part of the country are the Pannonian Plains of Slavonia, with fertile agricultural and forested lowland through which flow the Sava, Drava and Danube rivers.  The central part of Croatia is hilly.  In the northwest region along the coast is the Istrian Peninsula and along the rest of the Adriatic coast are low mountains and highlands.

The capital is Zagreb, with a population of about 800,000.  The other major cities are Split (population: 188,694), Rijeka (population: 144,043), Osijek (population: 114,616).

Natural resources include bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, mica, and hydropower.

Croatia’s climate varies with the region.  Northern Croatia has a temperate continental climate whereas central, semi-mountainous and mountainous regions are cooler and drier.  The entire Adriatic coast has a pleasant Mediterranean climate.  Spring and autumn are mild along the coast, while winter is cold and snowy in central and northern regions. 

Inland, the average temperature in January ranges from 0 to 2°C, and in August from 19 to 23°C.

Along the Adriatic, temperature in winter is between 5 and 10° C.  In July and August the temperature is between 25° C and 35° C and rain is very rare. This is the time when most of the tourists come to the Adriatic.