Geographical position:  Croatia stretches from the foot of the Alps in the north-west and the Pannonian Plain in the east, over the mountain range of Dinara in its central region, to the Adriatic Coast in the south.
Area: 56,691 square kilometres, with 31,067 square kilometres of territorial waters.
Population: 4.8 million
Coastline: 5,835 kilometres with 4,057 kilometres of island coastline, islets and reefs.
Islands: Croatia has 1,185 islands, the largest being Krk and Cres. There are 66 inhabited islands.
o Krk 410 km2
o Cres 404 km2
o Brac 396 km2
o Hvar 298 km2
o Pag 287 km2
o Korcula 273 km2
Cultural and historical monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage list: Diocletian's palace in Split, the old centre of Trogir, the Euphrasian Basilica in Porec and the city of Dubrovnik dating from the 13th century with arguably the world's best preserved Renaissance towers and walls. There are other numerous historical and cultural monuments of exceptional beauty such as: Vespasian amphitheatre in Pula, the towns of Krk, Rab, Hvar, one of the oldest public theatres in the world on the island of Hvar, the church of St. Donat in Zadar, the cathedral in Šibenik etc., as well as around 50 medieval castles in inland Croatia.
Climate and weather: The Adriatic Coast has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild winters. It is one of the sunniest and warmest coasts in Europe with an average of 2 600 hours of sunshine per year and an average summer temperature of 27°C.
Population: The large majority of the population 85% are Croats, with the official language being Croatian with a latin alphabet. More than 75% of the population are  Roman Catholic
Money: The Croatian currency is the Kuna. Foreign currencies can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices and most tourist agencies and hotels. The current exchange rate is around 7 Kunas to 1 Euro. Cash machines taking credit cards and switch / maestro are in abundance. Credit cards are accepted by most shops and many restaurants.
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz - Same as the rest of Europe. European standard plugs are the norm, plugs have two round pins or three round pins for appliances that need to be earthed.
Water: Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia.
International telephone code: Croatia is 00 385 + area code (drop the 0) + local number
Time zone: Central European Time (GMT plus two hours in Summer).
Medical care: Medical assistance is available in hospitals providing 24 hours a day emergency service. Medical care for foreigners can be provided at hospitals and clinics in all major cities in Croatia. Croatia is a member of Europe Assistance medical services system.
Useful Internet Sites: For more information try some of the links below
www.croatia-holidayandhome.com – Croatian tourism and property
www.croatia.hr – general tourism
www.jadrolinija.hr – main Croatian ferry company
www.hvar.hr – Island of Hvar website
www.visitsplit.com