Zadar County
Encyclopedia
Zadar County is a county in Croatia
, it encompasses northern Dalmatia
and southeastern Lika
. Its center is the city of Zadar
.
make up the majority with 93.30% of the population, while Serbs
, Bosniaks
, Albanians
and Italians form the remainder.
, Benkovac
, Bibinje
, Biograd, Nin
, Obrovac
and Pag
.
The county of Zadar includes the islands of Dugi otok
, Ugljan
, Pašman
and most of Pag
, as well as a number of other, smaller islands. It also features the Paklenica
national park.
The county's area
is 7,854 km2, 3,642 km2 is land, which accounts for 6.4 % of the territory of Croatia. The sea area of the County is 3,632 km2 (around 12% of the territorial waters) and the insular area is 580 km2, with more than 300 smaller and larger islands (Zadar archipelago). The length of its coastline (including the islands) is 1,300 km.
The county's population is 200,936 (accounting for 4.5 % of the total Croatia's population), of which 129,000 people live in the coastal area, 21,000 on islands and 50,000 in the County's inland.
The main road along the Adriatic Sea
passes through the county, as does the new Zagreb-Dubrovnik highway
, completed as far as Split in 2005. The Zagreb-Knin
-Split railway
line with branch-lines to Zadar and Šibenik
pass through the County.
Maritime traffic is carried by the coastal route of the Adriatic Sea, by the Zadar-Ancona
international car ferry route which is the shortest link between Central Europe and Italy, via Zagreb and Zadar to Rome and southward. Another route by which intensive traffic is carried is Zadar - Maslenica Bridge - St. Rok Tunnel - Zagreb.
The Zadar Airport has recently been reconstructed and modernised. With runway improvements still to be undertaken it will eventually have the capacity to handle jumbo-jets.
There is also a very frequent maritime passenger port in the town of Zadar and the cargo maritime port in the Gazenica
area whose current manipulative capacity amounts to one million tonnes per year. A construction of a wharf would raise this significantly. The port's manipulative and warehouse capacities are used only in part.
Tourism is one of the County's most important industries, owing to its geographical position, mild climate, indented coast, clear sea, numerous bays, inlets and beaches on 1,300 km of the sea coast and islands. Tourist amenities of the Zadar County are also the areas of outstanding natural beauty: the Velebit
, Telaščica and Paklenica
and adjacent Krka
and Kornati
national parks in the south and the Plitvice Lakes
national park in the north.
is Stipe Zrilić of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ), and the county assembly's 45 representatives are affiliated as follows:
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, it encompasses northern Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and southeastern Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
. Its center is the city of Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
.
Population
According to the 2001 census, Zadar County has population of 162,045. CroatsCroats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
make up the majority with 93.30% of the population, while Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
, Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
and Italians form the remainder.
Geography
Among the largest towns in the county of Zadar are: ZadarZadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
, Benkovac
Benkovac
Benkovac is a town and municipality in the interior of Zadar County, Croatia.- Geography :Benkovac is located where the plain of Ravni Kotari and the karstic plateau of Bukovica meet, 20 km from the town of Biograd na Moru and 30 km from Zadar. The Zagreb-Split motorway and Zadar-Knin...
, Bibinje
Bibinje
Bibinje is a village in southern Croatia, situated southeast from Zadar, between the Adriatic tourist road and the sea, having a four kilometer coastline with beaches and pathways. It has 3,923 residents , 97% which are Croats....
, Biograd, Nin
Nin, Croatia
Nin is a town in the Zadar county of Croatia, population 1,256 , total municipality population 4,603 .Nin was historically important as a centre of a Christian Bishopric in the Middle Ages. Up to the abolition and Latinization imposed by King Tomislav in the first half of the 10th century, Nin was...
, Obrovac
Obrovac, Croatia
Obrovac is a town located in northern Dalmatia, in the Zadar County of Croatia. Town population is 1,500 people , and the whole Obrovac municipality has a population of 4,000 people. The town is located in the canyon of the river Zrmanja....
and Pag
Pag (town)
Pag is the largest town on the island of Pag, with a population of 3,121 , located at . Whole municipality has a population of 5,100.-History:...
.
The county of Zadar includes the islands of Dugi otok
Dugi Otok
Dugi otok is the seventh largest island in the Adriatic Sea, part of Croatia. It is located off the Dalmatian coast, west of Zadar. It is the largest and eastern-most of the Zadarian Islands, and derives its name from its distinctive shape...
, Ugljan
Ugljan
Ugljan is a Croatian island and the first in the Zadar Archipelago. It is located northwest of the island of Pašman and southeast of the islands of Rivanj and Sestrunj. Separated from the mainland by the Zadar Channel, it is connected with the island of Pašman by a bridge spanning over the Ždrelac...
, Pašman
Pašman
Pašman is an island off the coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, located to the south of Zadar, surrounded by the islands Ugljan, Iž, Dugi otok and Kornati...
and most of Pag
Pag (island)
Pag is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline....
, as well as a number of other, smaller islands. It also features the Paklenica
Paklenica
The Paklenica karst river canyon is a national park in Croatia. It is located in Starigrad, northern Dalmatia, at the southern slopes of Velebit mountain, not far from Zadar. It has two canyons: Mala and Velika Paklenica. Today there is no water flowing throughout Mala Paklenica...
national park.
The county's area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
is 7,854 km2, 3,642 km2 is land, which accounts for 6.4 % of the territory of Croatia. The sea area of the County is 3,632 km2 (around 12% of the territorial waters) and the insular area is 580 km2, with more than 300 smaller and larger islands (Zadar archipelago). The length of its coastline (including the islands) is 1,300 km.
The county's population is 200,936 (accounting for 4.5 % of the total Croatia's population), of which 129,000 people live in the coastal area, 21,000 on islands and 50,000 in the County's inland.
Infrastructure
The County of Zadar plays a leading role in road and railway traffic links between northern and southern Croatia.The main road along the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
passes through the county, as does the new Zagreb-Dubrovnik highway
A1 (Croatia)
The A1 motorway is the longest motorway in Croatia spanning . As it connects Zagreb, the nation's capital, to Split, the second largest city in the country and the largest city in Dalmatia, the motorway represents a major north–south transportation corridor in Croatia and a significant part of the...
, completed as far as Split in 2005. The Zagreb-Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
-Split railway
Croatian Railways
Croatian Railways is the national railway company of Croatia. It was formed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia and Yugoslav Railways.Croatia is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Croatia is 78.-Railway network:...
line with branch-lines to Zadar and Šibenik
Šibenik
Šibenik is a historic town in Croatia, with population of 51,553 . It is located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea...
pass through the County.
Maritime traffic is carried by the coastal route of the Adriatic Sea, by the Zadar-Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
international car ferry route which is the shortest link between Central Europe and Italy, via Zagreb and Zadar to Rome and southward. Another route by which intensive traffic is carried is Zadar - Maslenica Bridge - St. Rok Tunnel - Zagreb.
The Zadar Airport has recently been reconstructed and modernised. With runway improvements still to be undertaken it will eventually have the capacity to handle jumbo-jets.
There is also a very frequent maritime passenger port in the town of Zadar and the cargo maritime port in the Gazenica
Gaženica
Gaženica is a suburb of Zadar, Croatia, located about 3 miles southeast from the city center, by the Adriatic Sea. It is connected by the D424 highway.-Luka Gaženica:Gaženica is location of the commercial port of the city of Zadar—Port of Gaženica...
area whose current manipulative capacity amounts to one million tonnes per year. A construction of a wharf would raise this significantly. The port's manipulative and warehouse capacities are used only in part.
Economy
The Ravni Kotari area constitutes the greater part of the County's inland, containing most of the cultivated farmland and towns having industry, crafts, trade and traffic development potential.Tourism is one of the County's most important industries, owing to its geographical position, mild climate, indented coast, clear sea, numerous bays, inlets and beaches on 1,300 km of the sea coast and islands. Tourist amenities of the Zadar County are also the areas of outstanding natural beauty: the Velebit
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
, Telaščica and Paklenica
Paklenica
The Paklenica karst river canyon is a national park in Croatia. It is located in Starigrad, northern Dalmatia, at the southern slopes of Velebit mountain, not far from Zadar. It has two canyons: Mala and Velika Paklenica. Today there is no water flowing throughout Mala Paklenica...
and adjacent Krka
Krka National Park
Krka National Park is one of the Croatian national parks, named after the river Krka that it encloses. It is located along the middle-lower course of the Krka River in central Dalmatia, in Šibenik-Knin county, downstream Miljevci area, and just a few kilometers northeast of the city of Šibenik...
and Kornati
Kornati
The Kornati archipelago in Croatia is located in the northern part of Dalmatia, west from Šibenik, in the Šibenik-Knin county. With 35 km in length and 140 islands, some large, some small, in a sea area of about 320 km², Kornati are the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea...
national parks in the south and the Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia. The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina...
national park in the north.
Administrative division
Zadar county is divided into:- City
- ZadarZadarZadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
- Zadar
- Towns
- BenkovacBenkovacBenkovac is a town and municipality in the interior of Zadar County, Croatia.- Geography :Benkovac is located where the plain of Ravni Kotari and the karstic plateau of Bukovica meet, 20 km from the town of Biograd na Moru and 30 km from Zadar. The Zagreb-Split motorway and Zadar-Knin...
- Biograd na MoruBiograd na MoruBiograd na Moru is a city and municipality in northern Dalmatia, Croatia and is significant for being the former capital of the medieval Croatian Kingdom. Its population is 6,059 . Biograd is administratively part of the Zadar County...
- Nin
- Obrovac
- PagPag (town)Pag is the largest town on the island of Pag, with a population of 3,121 , located at . Whole municipality has a population of 5,100.-History:...
- Benkovac
- Municipalities
- BibinjeBibinjeBibinje is a village in southern Croatia, situated southeast from Zadar, between the Adriatic tourist road and the sea, having a four kilometer coastline with beaches and pathways. It has 3,923 residents , 97% which are Croats....
- Galovac
- GračacGracacGračac is a village and a municipality in the southern part of Lika, Croatia. It is located south of Udbina, northeast of Obrovac, northwest of Knin and southeast of Gospić...
- JaseniceJaseniceJasenice is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 1,329 inhabitants, 97% of which are Croats....
- KaliKali, CroatiaKali is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar county. According to the 2001 census, there are 1,731 inhabitants, absolute majority which are Croats.-Attractions:...
- KolanKolanKolan is a settlement and municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County.In was established in 2003 by separation from the town of Pag.-External links:*...
(since 2003) - KukljicaKukljicaKukljica is a village on the island of Ugljan in Croatia. According to the 2001 census, there are 650 inhabitants, 98% which are Croats.-Attractions:...
- Lišane OstrovičkeLišane OstrovickeLišane Ostrovičke is a village and a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 764 inhabitants, 93% of which are Croats.-References:...
- Novigrad
- PakoštanePakoštanePakoštane is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar county. According to the 2001 census, there are 3,884 inhabitants, 98% which are Croats.North of the Vrana Lake, 6 km from Pakoštane, there is historic settlement of Vrana.-Attractions:...
- PašmanPašmanPašman is an island off the coast of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, located to the south of Zadar, surrounded by the islands Ugljan, Iž, Dugi otok and Kornati...
- PolačaPolacaPolača is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 1,434 inhabitants, 94% of which are Croats....
- PoličnikPolicnikPoličnik is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 4,664 inhabitants, absolute majority which are Croats....
- PosedarjePosedarjePosedarje is a municipality in Zadar County of Croatia with 3,513 inhabitants....
- PovljanePovljanePovljane is a village in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 713 inhabitants, 99% which are Croats....
- PrekoPrekoPreko is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar county. According to the 2001 census, there are 3,871 inhabitants, 87% which are Croats.Sitting in the mountains above Preko, is the castle of St Michael, once the seat of the noble Stipanov dynasty. The ruins look out across the Adriatic Sea to...
- PrivlakaPrivlaka, Zadar countyPrivlaka is a municipality in Zadar County in Croatia. According to the 2001 census, there are 2,199 inhabitants in the area, 98% of which are Croats....
- RažanacRažanacRažanac is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 3,107 inhabitants, 98% which are Croats.The settlements in the municipality are:* Jovići * Krneza...
- SaliSaliSali is a village and a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. Sali is a small town but still the largest on the island of Dugi otok. The total population of Sali is 1,688 inhabitants...
- StankovciStankovciStankovci is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 2,088 inhabitants, of which 98.6% are Croats and 0.7% are Serbs.Settlements in the community are:* Banjevci* Bila Vlaka* Budak* Crljenik* Morpolača...
- StarigradStarigradStarigrad is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. The total population is 1,875 . According to the 2001 census, 95% of the population are Croats.The list of settlements in the municipality is:* Seline, population 454...
- SukošanSukošanSukošan is a village in Dalmatia, Croatia, with 4,402 inhabitants, the majority which are Croats. It is located along the Adriatic tourism road between Zadar and Biograd na Moru....
- Sveti Filip i JakovSveti Filip i JakovSv. Filip i Jakov is a municipality in Croatia in Zadar County. It has a total population of 4,426, in the following settlements:* Donje Raštane, population 480* Gornje Raštane, population 440* Sikovo, population 370...
- ŠkabrnjaŠkabrnjaŠkabrnja is a village in northern Dalmatia, Croatia, located halfway between Zadar and Benkovac in the lowland region of Ravni Kotari. Its municipality is called Škabrnje, and it includes Škabrnja with a population of 1,424 as well as the smaller village of Prkos, population 348; 1,772 in total...
- TkonTkonTkon is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar county. According to the 2001 census, there are 707 inhabitants, 98% which are Croats.It is located on the island of Pašman and is connected by ferry to the mainland town of Biograd na Moru....
- VirVirVir is an island on the Croatian coast of Adriatic sea located north of the city of Zadar. It is connected to the mainland via a road bridge. The only village on the island is the eponymous village of Vir, with a population of 1,608 .-Overpopulation:...
- VrsiVrsiVrsi is a settlement and municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. The name translates as "above", "on the top".The village of Vrsi was first mentioned in written documents in 1387.Since 2006, Vrsi is classified as municipality.-References:...
(since 2006) - Zemunik DonjiZemunik DonjiZemunik Donji is a municipality in Croatia in the Zadar County. According to the 2001 census, there are 1,903 inhabitants, 94% which are Croats....
- Bibinje
2011
, the županZupan
Żupan was a long garment, always lined, worn by almost all males of the noble social class in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, typical male attire from the beginning of the 16th to half of the 18th century, still surviving as a part of the Polishnational dress.- Derivation :The name żupan has...
is Stipe Zrilić of the Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ), and the county assembly's 45 representatives are affiliated as follows:
- Croatian Democratic Union: 20
- Social Democratic Party of CroatiaSocial Democratic Party of CroatiaSocial Democratic Party of Croatia , commonly referred to in Croatia as simply Social Democratic Party , is the largest centre-left political party in Croatia...
(SDP): 8 - Croatian Peasants Party (HSS): 3
- Croatian Social Liberal PartyCroatian Social Liberal PartyCroatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS is a conservative liberal political party in Croatia. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. Its current president is Darinko Kosor, elected to that post in November 2009.-Chronology:The HSLS was...
(HSLS): 3 - Croatian People's Party (HNS): 2
- Croatian Party of RightsCroatian Party of RightsThe Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
(HSP): 2 - Democratic Party of Pensioners (DSU): 2
- Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS): 2
- Democratic Party of Serbs (DPS): 1
- Croatian Party of PensionersCroatian Party of PensionersThe Croatian Party of Pensioners is a Croatian political party. It is currently led by Silvano Hrelja.When the Party was founded, few people took it seriously and many commentators speculated that the ultimate purpose of HSU was take away pensioners' votes from rejuvenated SDP and thus help ruling...
(HSU): 1 - Independent: 1