Zadar is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serves as the seat of Zadar County and the wider northern Dalmatian region.

Zadar County, as an administrative territorial unit consists of 15 settlements: Babindub, Brgulje, Crno, Ist, Kožino, Mali Iž, Molat, Olib, Petrčane, Premuda, Rava, Silba, Veli Iž, Zadar i Zapuntel. Zadar faces the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, from which it is separated by the narrow Zadar Strait. The promontory on which the old city stands used to be separated from the mainland by a deep moat which has since been filled. The harbor, to the north-east of the town, is safe and spacious.

The area of present-day Zadar traces its earliest evidence of human life from the late Stone Age, while numerous settlements have been dated as early as the Neolithic. Before the Illyrians, the area was inhabited by an ancient Mediterranean people of a pre-Indo-European culture. Zadar traces its origin to its 4th-century BC founding as a settlement of the Illyrian tribe of Liburnians known as Iader.

Today, Zadar is a historical center of Dalmatia, Zadar County's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, educational, and transportation centre. Zadar is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar. Because of its rich heritage, Zadar is today one of the most popular Croatian tourist destinations, named "entertainment center of the Adriatic" by the The Times and "Croatia's new capital of cool" by the Guardian.

Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 190,000 inhabitants. Because of its strategic position and its excellent deep-water port, the city was fiercely contested, especially among Italy, Hungary (serving as the Kingdom of Hungary's largest and most important port), and Croatia, changing hands and demographics many times over centuries. The city's economy largely depends on shipbuilding and maritime transport. Rijeka hosts the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, first built in 1765, as well as the University of Rijeka, founded in 1973 but with roots dating back to 1632 School of Theology. Rijeka has efficient road connections to other parts of Croatia and neighbouring countries. The A6 motorway connects Rijeka to Zagreb via the A1, while the A7 motorway, completed in 2004, links Rijeka with Ljubljana, Slovenia, via Ilirska Bistrica and with Trieste, Italy. The A7 acts as the Rijeka bypass motorway and facilitates access to the A8 motorway of the Istrian Y network starting with the Učka Tunnel, and linking Rijeka with Istria.

CULTURAL LIFE:

Theaters - Croatian National Theater "Ivana pl. Zajc", Rijeka's City Theater, HKD "Theater", Cultural Center "Kalvarija" - Ri Teatar

Museums - Maritime and Historical Museum of the Croatian Littoral, Museum of Natural History, Museum of the City of Rijeka, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Museum of Informatics, Children's Museum, Sacred Collection of St. Vitus Cathedral

EVENTS:

"Fiumanka" - June "Fiumara" - May / June; "Ri Rock" - December; Rijeka summer nights - June / July; Gradina Summer - June / July; "Hartera" festival - September; Rijeka Carnival - January / February; "Homo si tec" - April; International Festival of Small Scene Theater - May; Days of St. Vitus - June; Zajc Days - October / February; Rijeka Advent - November; Jazz time - November; "MALIK fest" - June; Mary's days - May; Puppet Theater - November; River tatto expo - December

Important phone numbers:

Emergency number 112
Police  192
Fire department  193
Ambulance   194
Traffic service 0800 51 01
Traffic police 335 521
Police Administration Primorsko-goranska 430 333
Rescue at sea 9155
Rescue Service - Emergency Service 091 721 0000
Harbor Master 214 031
HAK - Croatian Auto Club 1987
Road conditions 060 10 2102
Veterinary Station 091 214 8822