The Croatian coast has a total of 1,244 islands, islets, rocks and reefs.
Croatia can be classified as a Pannonian-Adriatic country due to its south-eastern European and Mediterranean position.
The surface area of Croatia totals 87,667 square kilometres, which is made up of 56,538 square kilometres of mainland (65%) and a coastline - both internal and territorial seas - of 31,139 square kilometres (35%).
The majority of Croatian mountains belong to the Dinaric Alps (which extend from the border of Slovenia to Montenegro). The Dinaric mountain range in Croatia is famous worldwide for being a classical example of deep karst. Although there are mountains in Croatia, it is the only country in the South-Eastern Europe without a peak above 2000 m.
The Croatian coast is located between the Dinaric Alps to the east and the Adriatic Sea to the west and has 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of coastline. One of the striking characteristics of the Croatian coast is that it has a total of 1,244 islands, islets, rocks and reefs. For an overview of some of the geographical features of the Adriatic Sea, please consult the sub-section of this page.
Forests make up 36% of the surface area of Croatia and the dominant forests in the continental regions are English oak, hornbeam, beech and fir. The coastal belt and islands are characterised by alpine pine, downy oak, white and dark hornbeam and dense evergreen underbrush.
Croatian rivers belong to the drainage basins of the Black Sea (62%) and Adriatic (38%).
The Croatian climate is mainly continental but at higher altitudes there is also a mountainous climate. In the coastal regions, slightly south of the island Rab, the climate is classified as Mediterranean. The northern Adriatic (Istria, Kvarner mainland and the islands) has a moderately continental climate, excluding the interior parts of the region. For a more detailed overview of Croatia’s climate and weather, please consult the sub-section of this page.
