About Croatia

Geographic position
Croatia occupies the largest part of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea which, as a part of the Mediterranean Sea, penetrates deepest into European soil. Croatia’s shoreline and numerous islands enjoy the majority of the Adriatic coastline. The narrow Dinara Mountain Range separates the country’s Mediterranean region from its central European continental part, which spans from the easterly edges of the Alps in the North-West to the shores of the Danube in the East, encompassing the southern part of the fertile Pannonian lowlands.

Surface area
The mainland covers an area of 56 594 km2 and coastal waters cover a surface area of 31 479 km2.

Population
Croatia has 4 290 612 inhabitants.

Demographics
The majority of the population are Croats, with the largest minorities being Serbs, Bosnians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Italians and Albanians.

System of government
Croatia is a multi-party parliamentary republic.

Capital
With 792 875 inhabitants, Zagreb is the economic, transport, cultural and academic centre of the country.

Length of the coastline
6 278 km, of which 4 398 km is made up of island coastlines, solitary rocks and reefs.

Number of islands, islets, solitary rocks and reefs
1 244. The largest islands are Krk and Cres. There are 50 inhabited islands.

Highest peak
Dinara, 1 831 m above sea level.

Climate
There are three climate zones in Croatia: in the country’s continental interior the prevailing climate zone is moderately continental , while the mountain climate prevails at 1200m above the sea level. The areas along the Adriatic coast have a pleasantly mild Mediterranean climate with a large number of sunny days, summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and wet.

The average temperatures in the continental interior are: January -2 oC to 0 oC, with somewhat lower temperatures in the mountains; July temperatures reach 20 oC-22˚C, and around 13˚C in the highlands. The average temperatures in the Littoral (Adriatic Coast) are: January 5˚C – 9 oC and July 23°C – 26°C. Winter sea temperature is about 12 oC and it reaches approximately 25 oC in the summer.

Power supply:
220 V, frequency: 50 Hz

Tap water is safe to drink in all of Croatia.

Currency
The official currency in Croatia is the euro. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices and in the majority of tourist information offices, hotels and campsites.
Credit cards (Eurocard / Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Diners) are accepted in almost all hotels, marinas, restaurants, shops and cash machines.

Banks
Largest banks in Croatia are:
Zagrebacka banka, Privredna banka Zagreb, OTP banka, Croatia banka, Karlovacka banka and Istarska kreditna banka.

Usual working hours

> Monday – Friday from 8 to 19 h

> Saturday from 8 to 13 h

> Closed on Sundays

ATM machines can be found in most cities and touristic places.

Exchange offices

Exchange offices are located in all cities and most smaller towns. Almost every hotel has it’s own exchange office, but these might be charging a bigger commision than the exchange offices in the cities.
Exchange rates are published in daily newspaper and stated visibly in exchange offices, post offices and local bank branches.

Shopping and payment methods

Shopping

Traditional handmade objects, clothes and other ornament made from silver filigree jewelery or sea shells and corals, interesting handmade objects of wood and ceramics, that can be found along the coast make the best souvenirs. Also, a broad range of domestic delicacies can be found in many supermarkets or delicacy shops.
If you are interested in shopping, in every major city there are shopping malls, and lot of shops can be found in the city centers. If you aren’t interested in designer clothes we recommend searching for malls or small boutiques in city centers. Prices might be higher during summer season, but the selection is rather wide.

Credit Cards and other methods of payment

Standard Credit Cards: Eurocard/Mastercard, Diners, American Express and Visa are among the usual methods of payment in Croatia. Stores, restaurants, agencies, hotels and other service providers accept credit cards which is usually indicated with a visibly placed label with the logo of the credit card accepted.
You can use ATM machines to withdraw cash from your credit cards, or you can withdraw money at regular post offices.
Travelers checks and personal checks issued by foreign banks can be cashed in most banks and exchange offices with a commission of around 2% of the amount.

Customs regulations

Customs regulations of the Republic of Croatia are in accordance with the standards of the European Union.
Foreign currency and cheques are freely brought in and taken out of the country; only higher quantities of money should be reported to the authorities.

Professional and technical equipment should be registered at the border.

Dogs and cats, accompanied by their owner, need to have an International certificate from a registered veterinarian station that at least 15 days and not more than six months have passed since their last vaccination against rabies.

Value added tax (PDV) in Croatia is 25%.

Information: Republic of Croatia Customs Administration tel. +385 (0)1 6211 300. More info here: https://carina.gov.hr/en