Croatia: A Charming Country In The Adriatic

Enjoying a beautiful location along the Adriatic Coast and bordering Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia is the beautiful country of Croatia officially known as the Republic of Croatia. The country enjoys a parliamentary republic form of government and divided into 20 counties with Zagreb as the largest and capital city. Covering a total land area of 56,594 square kilometres, Croatia has a total population of 4.29 million people based on 2011 census and are mostly Croats belonging to the Roman Catholic religion. Other ethnic groups include 4.5 percent Serb and other groups. The Croatians enjoy both continental and Mediterranean climates.

There is very high life expectancy in this beautiful country probably owing to a lot of factors including high standards of living, better income equality, high educational standards and literacy. The immense natural beauty and landscape of the country offers people better outlook and disposition in life and maybe an important contributing factor also in the country’s high life expectancy rate. Among the countries in Central Europe, Croatia enjoys a high rank when it comes to education, quality of living, and economic drive.

Tourism in Croatia

One of Croatia’s biggest sources of revenue is Tourism. Ranked as the world’s 18th most popular tourist destinations, Croatia is home to five international airports which are located in Zagreb, Zadar, Rijeka, Split, and Dubrovnik. These airports are busiest during the summer season when the country welcomes millions of eager and excited tourists ready to have fun, party, and savour everything Croatia has to offer. Some of the major international airlines which fly to Croatia include British Airways, Air France, and the German airlines Lufthansa. There are also low cost airlines which offer flights to the country. These include Ryanair, Wizz Air, EasyJet, and Flyglobespan among others.

Currency in Croatia

A tourist planning a trip to Croatia may want to get hold of some Kuna, the Croatian currency prior to departure. Abbreviated as Kn, the Kuna offers several denominations of 5,10,20,50,100,200,500, and 1,000. The coins on the other hand are called lipa. The Kuna is a stable currency. 1 U.S. dollar is usually about 5.73 Kuna.

What makes Croatia a favorite destination for many fun loving tourists? Blessed with some thousand islands, the prospect for fun and excitement never ends in this country. All these islands are located along the Adriatic Sea Coast of Croatia. Not all the islands are inhabited. The smaller ones are often deserted while the larger islands are inhabited with people and are often favorite tourist destinations. Going to these islands are easy because of the various ferries available for transportation and which connect each of these islands together. No wonder, island hopping is a very popular activity which both locals and tourist love to do especially during the summer season.

Map of Croatia

By looking at a Croatian map you will be able to identify the different islands beginning from the northern part down towards south of the Adriatic Sea. These islands include the Brijuni islands, Krk Island, Cres Island, Susak, Losinj, Rab Island, Pag Island, The Zadar Archipelago, The Sibenik Archipelago, Brac Island, Hvar Island, Vis, Korcula, Lastovo, Mljet, and Elafiti Island.

The Korcula Island is considered to be the greenest of all the one thousand plus islands in the country. This is also the most interesting and has been a favorite holiday destination since ancient times. Other islands are also worth a visit and offer its own charming character and beauty.

Anyone who wants to spend a holiday in Croatia will never be disappointed. There are so many exciting things to do from spending endless time in the sandy white beaches with sapphire blue waters to diving, canoeing, climbing, fishing, horse back riding, and kayaking. There are also rivers to explore rich with natural beauty. Most of the rivers belong to the Adriatic and Black sea basin. Cetina river is considered to be among the most beautiful places in Croatia where you can spend and experience the excitement of rafting.

When outdoor and beach sports are too intense for you then you can choose to spend time visiting museums, lovely old Mediterranean villages, immerse with the locals or spend a pilgrimage tour to some of Croatia’s most visited pilgrim sites. These sites include Aljmas where the shrine of Our Lady of Santuary is located, Biskupija, Karlovac, Ludbreg, and Marija Bistrica.

You can also visit the cultural and historical sites proclaimed by UNESCO as part of the world monumental heritage. Some of these sites include the old town of Dubrovnik, Diocletian’s Palace located in Split, and the Sibenik cathedral among others.

Croatia is indeed a perfect holiday destination. This is a country rich in culture, natural beauty, beautiful people, and dynamic economy. There are endless possibilities waiting for you. Discover Croatia today!