Geographical position
Croatia extends from the foothills of the Julian Alps in the north-west and the Pannonian Plain in the east, over the Dinara mountain range in its central region, to the Adriatic coast in the south.

Area
56,542 km2, with an additional 31,067 km2 of territorial waters.

Population
4.437.460
Capital - Zagreb (779.145 inhabitants - the administrative, cultural, academic and communication centre of the country).

Length of coast:
5,835 km - including 4,058 km of island, islet and reef coastline.

Number of islands, islets and reefs
1,185. The largest islands are those of Krk and Cres. There are 67 inhabited islands.

Climate
Northern Croatia has a continental climate; Central Croatia has a semi-highland and highland climate, while the Croatian coast has a Mediterranean climate. Winter temperatures range from -1 to 3°C in the continental region, -5 to 0°C in the mountain region and 5 to 10°C in the coastal region. Summer temperatures range from 22 to 26°C in the continental region, 15 to 20°C in the mountain region and 26 to 30°C in the coastal region.

Population
The majority of the population are Croats. National minorities include Serbs, Moslems, Slovenes, Italians, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, and others.

Official language and alphabet
Croatian language and Latin alphabet.

Religions
The majority of the population are Roman Catholics, and in addition there are a number of those of Orthodox faith, as well as Muslims, and Christians of other denominations.

Currency:
Kuna (1 Kuna = 100 Lipa). There are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Lipa coins, 1, 2, 5 and 25 Kuna coins and 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 Kuna banknotes.
Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, post offices and at most tourist agencies, hotels and camping grounds. Banking hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays banks are open until 1 p.m. In the larger cities some banks are also open on Sundays. Credit cards: Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards (American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa, Sport Card International). Cash dispensing machines are ubiquitous.

Electricity:
Voltage of city power grid – 220V, frequency 50HZ

Water:
Tap water is potable throughout Croatia.

The telephone code for Croatia is +385.

Time zone:
GMT plus one hour in winter and GMT plus two in summer

Travel documentation:
Passport or some other internationally recognised identification document. Tourists may remain in Croatia for up to three months.

For more information:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia
Phone +385 (1) 456-9964
www.mvp.hr

Customs regulations:
Customs regulations of the Republic of Croatia are in line with the standards of European Union countries. Foreign currency is freely brought in and taken out of the country (up to a value of 3.000 euros); up to a value of 15.000 kn for domestic currency. More expensive 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 stating that at least 15 days and not more than six months have passed since their vaccination against rabies. Tax refund for goods purchased in Croatia over 500 kuna in value with a validated "Tax cheque" at departure from the country. Information: Republic of Croatia Customs Administration (phone +385 (1) 610-2333);
www.carina.hr

Purchase tax reimbursement for foreign citizens:
Tourists making purchases in Croatia (apart from petroleum derivatives) which exceed 500 Kuna per receipt may reclaim VAT ("PDV").

At point of purchase the sales person will provide on request a form PDV-P, which should be filled out and stamped, on the spot. On leaving Croatia the receipt must be verified by the Croatian Customs service. A PDV refund in Kuna can be obtained within six months, either at the same shop where the goods were purchased (in which case the tax is refunded immediately), or by posting the verified receipt back to the shop, together with the account number into which the refund should be paid. In this case the refund is dealt with within 15 days of receipt of the claim.

Medical service:
Foreign tourists do not pay for medical services if the Health Care Convention was signed between Croatia and the country they come from. Expenses of health services provided to persons coming from the countries with which the Health Care Convention was not signed are charged directly to users according to the price list. There are hospitals and clinics in all the major towns, and health centers, as well as pharmacies, in all the smaller places. For patients whose lives are in danger, there is emergency transport by air(helicopter) or sea (speadboat).

There is a network of veterinary clinics and centres in Croatia.
www.veterinarstvo.hr, e-mail: veterinarstvo@zg.tel.hr

National holidays 2004.:
1 January - New Year's Day; 11 and 12 april - Easter, including Easter Monday; 1 May - Labour Day; 10 June - Corpus Christi (Movable feast); 22 June - Anti-Fascist Resistance Day; 25 June - Statehood Day; 5 August - Victory Day and National Thanksgiving Day; 15 August - Assumption; 8 October - Independence Day; 1 November - All Saints' Day; 25 and 26 December - Christmas Holidays.

Working hours:
Shops and department stores are open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., or to 3 p.m. A smaller number of stores close between noon and 4 p.m. Many stores are also open on Sundays, especially in the summer, and a smaller number in the larger cities are open 24 hours a day. Public services and companies usually work from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Post and Telecommunications:
Post Offices are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays until 1 p.m. There are Post Offices in the larger cities which are open until 10 p.m. in the summer. Postage stamps are sold in Post Offices and at newsstands.
Public telephones can be used only with phone cards, which can be purchased in Post Offices and at newsstands, in hotels and tourist complexes.

Environmental protection:
of the biological diversity is in conjunction with the EU regulations currently in force. The water quality of the Croatia's Adriatic Sea is of high quality for swimming and in conjunction to the EU criteria. In case of an accident or contamination of the sea, please contact the National Centre for Sea Search and Rescue on the number 9155 (free telephone), which is a part of international institutions of the same rank. In case of accidental environmental contamination on land, report it to the National Information Centre on the number 01/4814 911 For additional information about the environment: phone + 385 (1) 610-6111
www.mzopu.hr

Fire prevention:
Ensure that you have done everything to prevent a fire!
Do not throw lit or flammable objects into the environment!
If you see a fire, please inform others in your proximity; report it immediately on the telephone number - 93; try to extinguish the fire till the fire-fighters arrive and in such a manner so as not to endanger yourself or others!
Take notice of signs forbidding the lighting of fires!
Take care that your parked vehicle does not obstruct accesses to the fire or roads!

Important telephone numbers:
International dialling prefix for Croatia: 385
Ambulance 94
Fire-service 93
Police 92
Assistance on the roads 987; 987@hak.hr
(If you are calling from outside of Croatia or using a mobile phone dial +385 1 987)
General information 981
Information about local and district telephone numbers 988
Information about International telephone numbers 902
Weather forecast and road conditions 060 520 520
Croatia's auto club (HAK) +385 (1) 464-0800; www.hak.hr; info@hak.hr

CROATIAN ANGELS unified number of tourist information for all of Croatia +385 (62) 999-999
This service is available in Croatian, English, German and Italian from the 1st of April until the 30th of October.

Radio news in foreign languages during the tourist season:
On Program 2 of Croatian radio, along with the regular news in Croatian, the Croatian Auto Club (HAK) will give traffic reports in English, German and Italian along with nautical news a number of times throughout the day.
Other than on Program 2 of Croatian radio, alternating news and traffic reports will be emitted every full hour from the following studios: Program 3 of Bavarian radio, Program 3 of Austrian radio, RAI Uno, British Virgin radio and Chezch radio. Throughout the day nautical news will be emitted in English and Croatian.

* Text provided by www.croatia.hr