Editing Croatia (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Croatia}}

[[File:Satellite image of Croatia in September 2003.jpg|upright=1.2|left|thumb|[[Geography of Croatia|Satellite image of Croatia]]]]

Croatia is situated in [[Central Europe|Central]] and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the [[Adriatic Sea]]. Hungary is to the northeast, [[Serbia]] to the east, [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Montenegro]] to the southeast and [[Slovenia]] to the northwest.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=KEzAEAAAQBAJ&pg=GBS.PT5&hl=en | isbn=978-1-7629-8824-9 | title=Introduction to Croatia | publisher=Gilad James Mystery School }}</ref> It lies mostly between latitudes [[42nd parallel north|42°]] and [[47° N]] and longitudes [[13th meridian east|13°]] and [[20° E]].{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=44}} Part of the territory in the extreme south surrounding [[Dubrovnik]] is a [[practical exclave]] connected to the rest of the mainland by [[territorial waters]], but separated on land by a short coastline strip belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina around [[Neum]]. The [[Pelješac Bridge]] connects the exclave with mainland Croatia.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Croatia opens long-awaited bridge bypassing Bosnia |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/26/croatia-opens-long-awaited-bridge-bypassing-bosnia |access-date=26 July 2022 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

The territory covers {{convert|56594|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}}, consisting of {{convert|56414|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} of land and {{convert|128|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} of water. It is the world's 127th largest country.<ref name="CIA">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Croatia|access-date=9 September 2011}}</ref> Elevation ranges from the mountains of the [[Dinaric Alps]] with the highest point of the [[Dinara]] peak at {{convert|1831|m|ft|abbr=off}} near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south<ref name="CIA"/> to the shore of the Adriatic Sea which makes up its entire southwest border. Insular Croatia consists of over [[a thousand islands and islets]] varying in size, 48 of which are [[List of inhabited islands of Croatia|permanently inhabited]]. The largest islands are [[Cres]] and [[Krk]],<ref name="CIA"/> each of them having an area of around {{convert|405|km2||abbr=off}}.

[[File:Dugi otok island.jpg|thumb|right|[[Telašćica Nature Park]]]]
[[File:20230429.Donau.zwischen km 1255 und 1333.-032.1.jpg|right|thumb|[[River cruise|Tourist cruise]] on the [[Danube]] river, eastern [[Slavonia]]]]

The hilly northern parts of [[Hrvatsko Zagorje]] and the flat plains of Slavonia in the east which is part of the [[Pannonian Basin]] are traversed by major rivers such as [[Danube]], [[Drava]], [[Kupa]], and the [[Sava]]. The Danube, Europe's second longest river, runs through the city of [[Vukovar]] in the extreme east and forms part of the border with [[Vojvodina]]. The central and southern regions near the Adriatic coastline and islands consist of low mountains and forested highlands. Natural resources found in quantities significant enough for production include oil, coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, and hydropower.<ref name="CIA"/> [[Karst topography]] makes up about half of Croatia and is especially prominent in the Dinaric Alps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geografija.hr/clanci/1011/rasirenost-krsa-u-hrvatskoj |title=Raširenost krša u Hrvatskoj |trans-title=Presence of Karst in Croatia |language=hr |publisher=Croatian Geographic Society |date=18 December 2006 |first=Mate |last=Matas |access-date=18 October 2011 |work=geografija.hr |archive-date=9 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609163634/http://www.geografija.hr/clanci/1011/rasirenost-krsa-u-hrvatskoj}}</ref> Croatia hosts [[List of caves in Croatia|deep caves]], 49 of which are deeper than {{convert|250|m|2|abbr=on}}, 14 deeper than {{convert|500|m|2|abbr=on}} and three deeper than {{convert|1000|m|2|abbr=on}}. Croatia's most famous lakes are the [[Plitvice lakes]], a system of 16 lakes with waterfalls connecting them over [[Dolomite (mineral)|dolomite]] and [[limestone]] cascades. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from turquoise to mint green, grey or blue.<ref name="BBC-Plitvice">{{cite web|work=BBC |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110617-the-best-national-parks-of-europe |title=The best national parks of Europe |date=28 June 2011 |access-date=11 October 2011 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701184734/http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110617-the-best-national-parks-of-europe}}</ref>

=== Climate ===

[[File:Croatia Köppen.svg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen-Geiger climate classification]] map of Croatia]]
Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy [[continental climate]] as defined by the [[Köppen climate classification]]. Mean monthly temperature ranges between {{convert|-3|°C|°F|lk=on}} in January and {{convert|18|°C|°F|lk=off}} in July. The coldest parts of the country are [[Lika]] and [[Gorski Kotar]] featuring a snowy, forested climate at elevations above {{convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=off}}. The warmest areas are at the Adriatic coast and especially in its immediate hinterland characterised by [[Mediterranean climate]], as the sea moderates temperature highs. Consequently, temperature peaks are more pronounced in continental areas.

The lowest temperature of {{convert|-35.5|°C|°F|lk=off}} was recorded on 3 February 1919 in [[Čakovec]],{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=40}} and the highest temperature of {{convert|42.8|°C|°F|lk=off}} was recorded on 4 August 1981 in [[Ploče]].<ref name="record temp">{{cite web|title=Najviša izmjerena temperatura zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje meteorološka motrenja|url=http://klima.hr/razno.php?id=priopcenja&param=pr21072017|website=Klima.hr|publisher=[[Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service]]|access-date=1 August 2017|language=hr|date=21 July 2017|archive-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802003217/http://klima.hr/razno.php?id=priopcenja&param=pr21072017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Mean annual precipitation ranges between {{convert|600|mm|in|abbr=off}} and {{convert|3500|mm|in|abbr=off}} depending on geographic region and climate type. The least precipitation is recorded in the outer islands ([[Biševo]], [[Lastovo]], [[Svetac]], [[Vis (island)|Vis]]) and the eastern parts of Slavonia. However, in the latter case, rain occurs mostly during the [[growing season]]. The maximum precipitation levels are observed in the Dinaric Alps, in the Gorski Kotar peaks of [[Risnjak]] and [[Snježnik]].{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=40}}

Prevailing winds in the interior are light to moderate northeast or southwest, and in the coastal area, prevailing winds are determined by local features. Higher wind velocities are more often recorded in cooler months along the coast, generally as the cool northeasterly [[Bora (wind)|bura]] or less frequently as the warm southerly [[jugo]]. The sunniest parts are the outer islands, Hvar and Korčula, where more than 2700 hours of sunshine are recorded per year, followed by the middle and southern Adriatic Sea area in general, and northern Adriatic coast, all with more than 2000 hours of sunshine per year.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=41}}

=== Biodiversity ===

{{Main|Protected areas of Croatia}}
{{Further|Register of Protected Natural Values of Croatia|Natural and Cultural Heritage of Croatia}}

[[File:Waterfalls at Plitvica stream in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia (48607294088).jpg|thumb|right|[[Plitvice Lakes National Park]]]]
[[File:RRI-0036-1962 view to Motovun.jpg |thumb|right|Landscapes of [[Motovun]] in [[Istria County|Istrian peninsula]]]]
[[File:Galešnjak Island in Croatia (17114069092).jpg|thumb|right|[[Galešnjak]] island in a shape of a heart]]

Croatia can be subdivided into [[ecoregion]]s based on climate and geomorphology. The country is one of the richest in Europe in terms of biodiversity.<ref>{{cite news|title=Biodiversity-rich Croatia becomes 33rd full EEA member country — European Environment Agency|url=https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/biodiversity-rich-croatia-becomes-33rd|access-date=23 January 2021|newspaper=European Environment Agency|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=EU 2020 HR|url=https://eu2020.hr/Home/Custom?code=CroatiaEU|access-date=23 January 2021|website=eu2020.hr|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404233816/https://eu2020.hr/Home/Custom?code=CroatiaEU|url-status=dead}}</ref> Croatia has four types of biogeographical regions—the [[Mediterranean Biogeographic Region|Mediterranean]] along the coast and in its immediate hinterland, [[Alpine Biogeographic Region|Alpine]] in most of Lika and Gorski Kotar, [[Pannonian Biogeographic Region|Pannonian]] along Drava and Danube, and [[Continental Biogeographic Region|Continental]] in the remaining areas. The most significant are [[karst]] habitats which include submerged karst, such as [[Zrmanja]] and [[Krka (Croatia)|Krka]] canyons and tufa barriers, as well as underground habitats. The country contains three ecoregions: [[Dinaric Mountains mixed forests]], [[Pannonian mixed forests]], and [[Illyrian deciduous forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref>

The karst geology harbours approximately [[List of caves in Croatia|7,000 caves and pits]], some of which are the habitat of the only known aquatic cave [[vertebrate]]—the [[olm]]. Forests are abundant, covering {{convert|2490000|ha||abbr=off}} or 44% of Croatian land area. Other habitat types include wetlands, grasslands, bogs, fens, scrub habitats, coastal and marine habitats.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity">{{cite book|publisher=State Institute for Nature Protection, [[Ministry of Culture (Croatia)]]|url=http://www.dzzp.hr/dokumenti_upload/20120515/dzzp201205151608230.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.dzzp.hr/dokumenti_upload/20120515/dzzp201205151608230.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Biodiversity of Croatia|year= 2006|editor-first=Jasminka|editor-last=Radović|editor-first2=Kristijan|editor-last2=Čivić|editor-first3= Ramona|editor-last3= Topić|isbn=953-7169-20-0|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

In terms of [[phytogeography]], Croatia is a part of the [[Boreal Kingdom]] and is a part of Illyrian and Central European provinces of the [[Circumboreal Region]] and the Adriatic province of the [[Mediterranean Region]]. The [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] divides Croatia between three ecoregions—Pannonian mixed forests, [[Dinaric Mountains mixed forests]] and [[Illyrian deciduous forests]].<ref name="DU-Sustdev">{{cite web|publisher=6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems|url=http://www.dubrovnik2011.sdewes.org/venue.php|title=Venue|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

Croatia hosts 37,000 known plant and animal species, but their actual number is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/> More than a thousand species are endemic, especially in Velebit and Biokovo mountains, Adriatic islands and karst rivers. Legislation protects 1,131 species.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/> The most serious threat is habitat loss and degradation. A further problem is presented by invasive alien species, especially ''[[Caulerpa taxifolia]]'' algae.

Invasive algae are regularly monitored and removed to protect [[benthic habitat]]. Indigenous cultivated plant strains and domesticated animal breeds are numerous. They include five breeds of horses, five of cattle, eight of sheep, two of pigs, and one poultry. Indigenous breeds include nine that are endangered or critically endangered.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/> Croatia has 444 [[protected areas of Croatia|protected areas]], encompassing 9% of the country. Those include eight [[List of national parks of Croatia|national parks]], two strict reserves, and ten [[nature park]]s. The most famous protected area and the oldest [[national park]] in Croatia is [[Plitvice Lakes National Park]], a [[World Heritage Sites in Croatia|UNESCO World Heritage Site]]. Velebit Nature Park is a part of the UNESCO [[Man and the Biosphere Programme]]. The strict and special reserves, as well as the national and nature parks, are managed and protected by the central government, while other protected areas are managed by counties. In 2005, the National Ecological Network was set up, as the first step in the preparation of the EU accession and joining of the [[Natura 2000]] network.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/>