The geography of Croatia is defined by its location—it is described as located at the crossroads of Central Europe and Southeast Europe, or within the wider region of Southern Europe. Croatia's territory covers 56,594 km2 (21,851 sq mi), making it the 127th largest country in the world. Bordered by Slovenia in the northwest, Hungary in the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in the east, Montenegro in the southeast and the Adriatic Sea in the south, it lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 47° N and longitudes 13° and 20° E. Croatia's territorial waters encompass 18,981 square kilometres (7,329 sq mi) in a 12 nautical miles wide zone, and its internal waters located within the baseline cover an additional 12,498 square kilometres (4,826 sq mi).
The Dinaric Alps, also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo to Albania in the southeast.
Serbia is a small country situated at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the far southern edges of the Pannonian Plain and the central Balkans. It shares borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Romania. Serbia shares a contested border with Albania as it doesn't recognise the independence of Kosovo. Serbia is landlocked, though it is able to access the Adriatic Sea through Montenegro and inland Europe and the Black Sea via the Danube.
Split-Dalmatia County is a central-southern Dalmatian county in Croatia. The administrative center is Split. The population of the county is 455,242 (2011). The land area is 4.540 km2, the total area is 14.106,40 km2. Split-Dalmatia County is Croatia's most rapidly urbanising and developing region, as economic opportunities and living standards are among the highest alongside capital Zagreb and Istria County.
The Sava is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally through Serbia, feeding into the Danube in its capital, Belgrade. The Sava forms the main northern limit of the Balkan Peninsula, and the southern edge of the Pannonian Plain.
Dinara is a 100-kilometre-long (60-mile) mountain range in the Dinaric Alps, located on the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It has four major mountains or peaks, from north-west to south-east:
The Učka is a mountain range in western Croatia. It rises behind the Opatija riviera, on the eastern side of the Istrian peninsula.
Kamešnica is a mountain in the Dinaric Alps, located in the southern end of the Dinara Mountain Range on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia (Dalmatia). It is 1,851 metres (6,073 ft) high and stretches from the northwest white road pass Vaganj (1,173 m) to the Buško Blato artificial lake. The tallest peak is Konj (Horse) 1,855 metres (6,086 ft), which is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina and offers views of both sides of the border. In clear weather, it is possible to see the most remote areas of the Adriatic Sea and its islands. The vicinity's many trails and caves make it popular with hikers.
Sniježnica is a mountain located in the southernmost part of Croatia, north of the Konavle region. The eponymous highest peak is 1,234 metres (4,049 ft).
Lička Plješivica, also called Plješevica, is a mountain located in Croatia and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of the Dinaric Alps.
In contemporary geography, the terms Central Croatia and Mountainous Croatia are used to describe most of the area sometimes historically known as Croatia or Croatia proper, one of the four historical regions of the Republic of Croatia, together with Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia. It is located between Slavonia in the east, the Adriatic Sea in the west, and Dalmatia to the south. The region is not officially defined, and its borders and extent are described differently by various sources. The term Central Croatia refers to the northeastern part, and the term Mountainous Croatia refers to the southwestern part of the territory; the far western part is known as the Croatian Littoral; likewise the terms 'Zagreb macroregion' and 'Rijeka macroregion' can be used instead. Central Croatia is the most significant economic area of the country, contributing well over 50% of Croatia's gross domestic product. The capital of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb, is the largest city and most important economic centre in Central Croatia.
Mosor, or Mount Mosor, is a mountain range in Croatia located near the city of Split on the Adriatic coast. It belongs to Dinaric Alps, and stretches from the pass of Klis in the northwest to the Cetina River in the southeast.
Svilaja is a mountain range in Croatia, in the Dalmatian Hinterland.
The Velika Kapela is a large mountain range in the east of Gorski Kotar, Croatia.
Risnjak is a mountain in the Risnjak National Park, in Gorski Kotar, Croatia. It belongs to the Dinaric Alps mountain range. The name of the massif probably comes from ris, the Croatian word for lynx. Another interpretation suggests that it comes from the local word risje, which is a name for a type of grass.
Bitoraj is a mountain in Gorski Kotar, Croatia. It is variously defined as a standalone mountain or as group of peaks of Velika Kapela. The highest peaks on it are Burni Bitoraj at 1,386 m.a.s.l., Velika Javornica at 1374 m.a.s.l., and the eponymous Bitoraj peak at 1,140 m.a.s.l.
Topography of Croatia is defined through three major geomorphological parts of the country. Those are the Pannonian Basin, the Dinaric Alps, and the Adriatic Basin. The largest part of Croatia consists of lowlands, with elevations of less than 200 metres above sea level recorded in 53.42% of the country. Bulk of the lowlands are found in the northern regions of the country, especially in Slavonia, itself a part of the Pannonian Basin plain. The plains are interspersed by the horst and graben structures, believed to break the Pannonian Sea surface as islands. The greatest concentration of ground at relatively high elevations is found in Lika and Gorski Kotar areas in the Dinaric Alps, but such areas are found in all regions of Croatia to some extent. The Dinaric Alps contain the highest mountain in Croatia—1,831-metre (6,007 ft) Dinara, as well as all other mountains in Croatia higher than 1,500 metres. Croatia's Adriatic Sea mainland coast is 1,777.3 kilometres long, while its 1,246 islands and islets encompass further 4,058 kilometres of coastline—the most indented coastline in the Mediterranean. Karst topography makes up about half of Croatia and is especially prominent in the Dinaric Alps, as well as throughout the coastal areas and the islands.
The Požega Valley is a geographic microregion of Croatia, located in central Slavonia, encompassing the eastern part of the Požega-Slavonia County. It is located in the Pannonian Basin, bounded by Psunj, Papuk and Krndija mountains from west and north, and Požeška Gora and Dilj from south and east, as the Pannonian plain is interspersed by horst and graben structures. The largest settlement in the region is the city of Požega, followed by Pleternica and Kutjevo. The main watercourse in the region is Orljava River. The region covers 1,249 square kilometres and has a population of 60,599.
The geology of Croatia has some Precambrian rocks mostly covered by younger sedimentary rocks and deformed or superimposed by tectonic activity.
