MTC Meteorologie Technologie Consulting GmbH
officially the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska), is a southern Central
European country at the crossroads between the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean
Sea. Its capital is Zagreb. Croatia borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia
to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, and Montenegro to the far southeast.
Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea, and it also shares a sea border
with Italy in the Gulf of Trieste.
Croatia is a member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe and the Council of Europe. The country is also a candidate for membership of the
European Union and received a NATO membership invitation on April 3, 2008. NATO
member nations signed accession protocols for Croatia on July 9, 2008, bringing it into the
final stretch of its quest for membership. Croatia is expected to formally join the 26-nation
pact in April 2009 on NATO's 60th birthday, making it the second former Yugoslav nation to
join NATO following Slovenia which entered in 2004. On October 17, 2007 Croatia became
a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 term.
Additionally, Croatia is also a founding member of the Mediterranean Union upon its
establishment on July 13, 2008.
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MTC Meteorologie Technologie Consulting GmbH
Croatia is located between South-Central Europe and Middle Europe.
Its shape resembles that of a crescent or a horseshoe, which flanks its neighbours Serbia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. To the north lie Slovenia and Hungary; Italy lies
across the Adriatic Sea. Its mainland territory is split in two non-contiguous parts by the
short coastline of Bosnia and Herzegovina around Neum.
Its terrain is diverse, including: plains, lakes and rolling hills in the continental north and
northeast (Central Croatia and Slavonia, part of the Pannonian Basin); densely wooded
mountains in Lika and Gorski Kotar, part of the Dinaric Alps; rocky coastlines on the
Adriatic Sea (Istria, Northern Seacoast and Dalmatia). Phytogeographically, Croatia
belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the Central European and Illyrian
provinces of the Circumboreal Region and the Adriatic province of the Mediterranean
Region. According to the WWF, the territory of Croatia can be subdivided into three
ecoregions: the Pannonian mixed forests, Dinaric Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian
deciduous forests.The country is famous for its many national parks. Croatia has a mixture
of climates. In the north and east it is continental, Mediterranean along the coast and a
semi-highland and highland climate in the south-central region.Offshore Croatia consists of
over one thousand islands varying in size. The largest islands in Croatia are Cres and Krk
which are located in the Adriatic Sea. The Danube, Europe's second longest river, runs
through the city of Vukovar. Dinara, the eponym of the Dinaric Alps, is the highest peak of
Croatia at 1,831 metres above sea level.There are 49 pits deeper than 250 m in Croatia, 14
of them are deeper than 500 m and three deeper than 1000 m (Cave system Lukina jamaTrojama, Slovacka jama and Cave system Velebita). The deepest Croatian pits are mostly
found in two regions - Mt. Velebit and Mt. Biokovo.
The part of Croatia that is best known and most visited by tourists is the
Dalmatian coast and its islands in the Adriatic Sea.This region has a Mediterranean type of
climate with mild winters and warm, sometimes even hot and sunny summers. The coast is
backed by the high mountains of the Dinaric Alps - rising up to 1800 m (Velebit, Biokovo…)
Winter rainfall in this part of Croatia is quite heavy. The most unpleasant feature of the
coastal Croatia’s winter weather is a cold and brisk wind, the BURA. Bura brings cold air
from central and Eastern Europe down to the coast for a few days at a time. Bura is very
strong in the north of the Adriatic Sea around Gulf of Kvarner and North Dalmatia.
Summers on this part of Croatian coast are not completely rainless, and the bright and
sunny weather is sometimes disturbed by thunderstorms so having a light waterproof
overcoat is essential. Sunshine averages in Croatia are from about four hours a day in
winter and from ten to twelve hours a day in summer. Moving towards continental part of
Croatia, inland climatic conditions swiftly become more typically Eastern European with
cold winters and warm summers. Summers in continental Croatia tent to get the wettest
season too. Much of inland Croatia is mountainous and hilly. Winters in Continental Croatia
are full of snow that stands for long periods in the higher Croatian regions. Slavonia and
Eastern Croatia is mostly fertile flat land in the valleys of the river Danube (Dunav), river
Drava, and River Sava where winters are very cold with snow and ice.
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Eisenstadt, 2 0 0 8
MTC Meteorologie Technologie Consulting GmbH
Sincerely
MTC Meteorologie Technologie
Consulting GmbH
Franz Mikulits
Managing Director
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Eisenstadt, 2 0 0 8