Croatiaa land of thousand islands

An overview of its history, culture and natural beauty

CROATIA ISOn the crossroadsbetweenCentral Europe and theMediterranean

GENERAL FACTS

Official name:

THE

REPUBLIC OF CROATIAOfficial language:

CROATIANAlphabet:

LATIN http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/hr/map.html

CAPITAL - ZAGREB

Church of St. MarkOld town and Cathedral

ECONOMY - TOURISM

ECONOMY - SHIPBUILDING

Made in Split, Croatia

ECONOMY - AGRICULTURE

SOUTH CROATIA

ECONOMY - AGRICULTURE

NORTH CROATIA

ARCHIPELAGO

1,185 islands and rocks66 inhabited

One of 10 nations in the world with more than 1000 islands

Total Coastline length 5,835 km(Islands 70% - Mainland 30 %)

BEACHES

BEACHES

LIGHTHOUSES

66 big stone lighthouses from 19 ct.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF…

Interesting facts about Croatia

SPORT - GORAN IVANISEVIC

..and welcome in his hometown - Split

Winner

WIMBLEDON CHAMPION 2001

NBA PLAYERS FROM CROATIA

Drazen Petrovic

Radja vs. Rodman

Toni Kukoc

Zan Tabak

Basketball team from Split - several times European champions.

NATIONAL SOCCER TEAMC R O A T I A

The Third Best Team in the World

Davor Suker won the Golden Boot for scoring the

most goals (France 1998)

DALMATIAN DOG–NATIVE CROATIAN101 DALMATIAN

Dalmatia - the coastal part of Croatia

Recognized as Croatian autochthonous breed (FCI-153)

Croatian Mascot - 2000 Olympic games Sydney

CROATIA - HOMELAND OF CRAVATS

Every day worn by the 600 million men around the world.

CROATIA

A tradition introduced by Croatian soldiers who wore a small neckerchief of silk or cloth, tied in a knot around their necks.

Accepted in Europe during 1618-1648 when two regiments of Croatian soldiers were serving Luis XIV. After “la Cravate” become popular at French court, fashion spread fast further.

HOMELAND OF CRAVATS

INVENTORS - PARASHUTE

Faust Vrancic (1551-1617) from Sibenik invented and constructed a parashute and also performed a first jumps in order to test it..

The smallest cathedral in the world is said to be located in Nin, near

Zadar

The city of Zadar is home to the world's first Sea Organ that creates its music only by the action of the wind and waves

Although it has a population of only 23 people, Hum in Istria, Croatia is officially a town and the Guinness World Record holder for the smallest town in the world

Croatia's currency, kuna, was named after a small agile animal with brown fur, marten in English, based on the use of marten pelts as units of value in medieval trading. Heads of the larger coins feature a running marten

The White House was built of Croatian stone, from the island of Brač, as well as the New Palace (Vienna, Austria), the Parliament building (in Vienna, Austria), the Parliament Building (Budapest, Hungary) and the palace of Roman emperor Diocletian (Split, Croatia)

Recognizable all over the world, and related only to

Croats - characteristic cube-shaped red-white coat

of arms

INVENTORS - PEN

Slavoljub Eduard Penkala (1871-1922) from Zagreb invented a mechanical ball pen which is bears his name and now it is in everyday use.

NIKOLA TESLA (1856-1943)

Born in Croatia (at that time within Austro-Hungary)The father of alternating current technology, production and transmission of electrical energy as we know it today.More than 700 patents (manuscripts still top secret of US ministry of defense)Refused to receive the Nobel prize which he had to share with T.A. Edison. The unit for magnetic induction named after him

The Inventor Who Changed the World

FIRST PUBLIC THEATER IN EUROPE

In 1612 a theatre was built on the first floor of an existing building (from 13th century).

1612 - ON ISLAND HVAR

ROMAN HERITAGE – ARENA IN PULAbuilt in the 1st century AD during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian, at the same time as the Colosseum in Rome the Amphitheatre could seat 20.000 spectators. In the Middle Ages it was the site of knight tournaments and fairs.

ROMAN HERITAGEDIOCLETIAN PALACE IN SPLIT

Peristyle – main square

Diocletians Aquaduct Still in use after 1700 years

CROATIAN NAIVE ART

Ivan Lackovic Croata“WINTER”

Ivan Rabuzin “FULLNESS OF THE

EARTH”

Today quite widespread and highly esteemed. First introduced by Croatian painter Krsto Hegedusic (1901-1971).

CROATIAN NAIVE ART

Ivica Fister“OUR ETERNAL LIGHT”

Ivan Rabuzin “DAWN”

LACE – ISLAND PAG

LACE - LEPOGLAVA

Another lace, from island Hvar, is unique as made of threads of Aloe Vera leaf

quickly while thread is still wet and flexible

UN - WORLD HERITAGEDIOCLETIAN PALACE IN SPLIT

Peristyle - the center of the Diocletian's Palace

UN - WORLD HERITAGE

GAIUS AURELIUS VALERIUS DIOCLETANIUS (c 243-316) - born near the Salona, then capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. He was pronounced emperor on November 20, 284 AD.

DIOCLETIAN PALACE IN SPLIT

CATHEDRAL IN SPLITTHE OLDEST IN THE WORLD

UN - WORLD HERITAGEOLD CITY OF DUBROVNIK

Bernard Shaw:

Those who seek paradise on Earth

should come to Dubrovnik

and see Dubrovnik.

City walls 8-16 ct.

OLD CITY OF DUBROVNIK

UN - WORLD HERITAGENATIONAL PARK PLITVICE LAKES

The living process of formation and growth of travertine cascade barriers

UN - WORLD HERITAGENATIONAL PARK PLITVICE LAKES

The brown bear - the largest mammal in this part of the world

ROMANESQUE TOWN TROGIR

ROMANESQUE TOWN TROGIR

Portal and choral seats of Trogir Cathedral

UN - WORLD HERITAGE

Euphrasius Basilica in Porec, Istria, built in the 6th century. Very important remain of Byzantine art in Croatia

BASILICA OF EUPHRASIUS IN POREC

UN - WORLD HERITAGE

Following the design of Juraj Dalmatinac (1441).East end of Cathedral

CATHEDRAL IN SIBENIK

Baptistery

UN - WORLD HERITAGECATHEDRAL IN SIBENIK

CITIES

CROATIA IS A LITTLE COUNTRY

WITH A BIG HEART