Istria County (; hr, Istarska županija; it, Regione istriana, "Istrian Region") is the westernmost

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula ( out of , or 89%). Administrative centers in the county are

Pazin Pazin ( it, Pisino, german: Mitterburg) is a town in western Croatia, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is known for the medieval Pazin Castle, the former residence of the Istrian margraves. Geography The town had a population of 8,6 ...

, Pula and Poreč. Istria County is the most prominent Italian-speaking part of Croatia.

History

The caves near Pula (in latinium ''Pietas Julia''), ''Lim fjord'', ''Šandalja'', and ''Roumald's cave'', house Stone Age archaeological remains. Less ancient Stone Age sites, from the period between 6000 and 2000 BC can also be found in the area. More than 400 locations are classified as

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

(1800–1000 BC) items. Numerous findings including

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

s, and

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

) which are from the earlier iron era around the beginning of

common era Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the o ...

. The Istrian peninsula was known to

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

as the ''terra magica''. Its name is derived from the Histri, an Illyrian tribe who as accounted by the geographer Strabo lived in the region. Romans described them as pirates who were hard to conquer due to the difficulty of navigating the territory. After two military campaigns, Roman legions finally subdued them in 177 BC. With the

fall of the Western Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vas ...

in 476, Istria was conquered by the

Goths The Goths ( got, 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, translit=''Gutþiuda''; la, Gothi, grc-gre, Γότθοι, Gótthoi) were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe ...

and then by the Byzantines. During Byzantine rule, it was shortly ruled by Avars. Istria was annexed by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

in 751, by the Avars in 774, by the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

during the reign of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

in 789, and successively controlled by various dukes, ( Carinthia, Merano,

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

). Later it was run by the patriarchs of Aquileia. In 1267 the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

annexed the western and southern coast of the Istrian peninsula because of the strong presence of the autochthonous Italian community; during this period the region prospered. The major Istrian cities were reborn under Italian government; it was in this half millennium that they developed architecturally and culturally. The eastern half of Istria was administered by the Habsburgs, and was referred to as "Imperial Istria" with its capital at Pisino (German: Mitterburg). In 1797, with the Treaty of Campo Formio written by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, the peninsula with the whole Republic of Venice passed to the Habsburgs of Austria. The Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 handed Istria to the Kingdom of Italy. The

Treaty of Schönbrunn The Treaty of Schönbrunn (french: Traité de Schönbrunn; german: Friede von Schönbrunn), sometimes known as the Peace of Schönbrunn or Treaty of Vienna, was signed between France and Austria at Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna on 14 October ...

in 1809 transferred Istria to France. In 1815, the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

confirmed Austria's possession on the Northern

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

along with Istria. Regional guvernative units were formed in Gorizia (Gorizia county),

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...

(Istrian area), and Rijeka ( Pazin county and Kvarner Gulf). From 1849 they were united in Austrian Littoral. The free port of Trieste presented an individual guvernative unit outside of other guvernative areas. Starting in 1861 until 1918/1920 the seat to a regional

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

in the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in Parenzo (today: Poreč). After World War I, according to the peace treaty of

Rapallo Rapallo ( , , ) is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, located in the Liguria region of northern Italy. As of 2017 it had 29,778 inhabitants. It lies on the Ligurian Sea coast, on the Tigullio Gulf, between Portofino and Chiav ...

Istria became part of Italy in 1920.

Fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...

and later

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

occupation spoiled otherwise tolerant ethnic relations in the area. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Istria was assigned to

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

and many ethnic

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

(

Istrian Italians Istrian Italians are an ethnic group from the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic region of Istria in modern northwestern Croatia and southwestern Slovenia. Istrian Italians descend from the original Latinized population of Roman Empire, Roman Istria#Early h ...

) left in the Istrian–Dalmatian exodus. With the collapse of Communist Yugoslavia Istria became part of an independent Croatia and the region saw no fighting in the ensuing war. Today it is one of the most economically developed parts of Croatia. Currently, some people ask for a higher degree of autonomy for the county. This is known as Istrianism. Personalities like

Robert Koch Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch ( , ; 11 December 1843 – 27 May 1910) was a German physician and microbiologist. As the discoverer of the specific causative agents of deadly infectious diseases including tuberculosis, cholera (though the bacteri ...

and writer

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

lived and worked in Istria. Writer Jules Verne was inspired to write his novel ''

Mathias Sandorf ''Mathias Sandorf'' is an 1885 adventure book by French writer Jules Verne. It was first serialized in ''Le Temps'' in 1885, and it was Verne's epic Mediterranean adventure. It employs many of the devices that had served well in his earlier novel ...

'' after hearing of the

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

and

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

in Pazin and the poet

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

visited and wrote a few lines about Istria.

Geography

Its coastline is long with islands making up . A smaller part of Istria also belongs to the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County of Croatia. Mirroring the bay of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

across the Adriatic and the Quarnaro Gulf, the region is not far from the Julian Alps. The westernmost point is at Savudrija while the southernmost is near

Premantura Premantura – Promontore is a small village in the municipality of Medulin in Istria, on the southernmost tip Istrian Peninsula, just south of the city of Pula Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot: ' ...

, on the local promontory of Kamenjak. The terrain consists of a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

much of which lacks water owing to its karst topography. The northeastern section is an extension of the

Dinaric Alps 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 Herz ...

. The highest point is ''Vojak'' on

Učka The Učka ([], it, Monte Maggiore) is a mountain range in western Croatia. It rises behind the Opatija riviera, on the eastern side of the Istrian peninsula. It forms a single morphological unit together with the Ćićarija range which stretche ...

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

above sea level and there is another range of mountains, the

Ćićarija Ćićarija ( sl, Čičarija; it, Cicceria, Monti della Vena; ruo, Cicearia; german: Tschitschen Boden), is a mountainous plateau in the northern and northeastern part of the Istria peninsula, long and wide. It mostly lies in Croatia, while i ...

. There are so called "bijela", "siva", and "crvena" Istra (white, grey and red Istria). White Istria is around the mountain peaks, Grey Istria is the fertile inner lands while Red Istria is the blood-red painted lands of terra rossa or "crljenica" near the coastline. Sites such as the ''Grotto of Baredine'' near Poreč, the underground river Pazinčica, and the karst Pazin pit (Pazinska jama) near

are geologic attractions. The Limski Kanal is the only structure resembling a

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...

in continental Europe outside of

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

(though actually it is not a fjord, but a

ria A ria (; gl, ría) is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley. It is a drowned river valley that remains open to the sea. Definitions Typically rias have a dendritic, treelike outline although they ca ...

). The

near

Rovinj Rovinj (; it, Rovigno; Istriot: or ; grc, Ρυγίνιον, Rygínion; la, Ruginium) is a city in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 14,294 (2011). Located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, it is a p ...

has been designed for studying geology. The longest river, the

Mirna MicroRNA (miRNA) are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules containing 21 to 23 nucleotides. Found in plants, animals and some viruses, miRNAs are involved in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miR ...

is only long and its mouth is near Novigrad. Other rivers that pass through Istria include the ''Dragonja River'' and the

Raša River Raša may refer to: * Raša, Istria County Raša ( it, Arsia, Chakavian: ''Aršija'') is a municipality in the inner part of the Raška Inlet in the south-eastern part of Istria, Croatia. Raša lies southwest of Labin at an elevation of . Sit ...

. The continental plains and valleys are primarily utilized for agriculture, such as growing cereals and vegetables. Closer to the sea, red lands are used for cultivation of

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

, vine, olives, and figs. Agriculture and the production of ecological food, the olive gardens, and the production of quality wines is the focus of Istria's agriculture sector. The coastline and nearby islands are rich in the maquis shrubland (mostly holm oak and strawberry tree). Woods, mostly oak and

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

trees, cover a third of the territory. The

Brijuni The Brijuni () or the Brijuni Islands (also known as the Brionian Islands; same as it, Brioni) are a group of fourteen small islands in the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic Sea, separated from the west coast of the Istrian peninsula by ...

national park and the

nature park are well-known natural reservations and legally protected landscapes. This mountain range feeds the rivers and lakes from eastern Istria to the Raša river in the ''Labinština'' peninsula. Other interesting localities are Lim Bay, the wood near Motovun, park woods ''Zlatni Rt'' and ''Šijana'' near Pula, the protected landscape of ''Kamenjak'' in the extreme south of Istria, and the reservation Palud with an

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

near

. The Brijuni

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

is an interesting habitat of about 680 plant species and also decorated by the most diverse vegetation and olive groves.

Climate

Protected from the north by the mountain chain of

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

as well the inner highland, the

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

and very pleasant with the highest air temperature averaging 24 °C during August The lowest air temperature averages 5 °C in January. Summers are usually warm during the day and cooler near the evening, although strange heat wave patterns are common. The weather ranges from humid to dry with over 10 hours of sunshine daily. Primarily, there is a lot of moisture in the air especially in the coastal towns of Istra such as Poreč, Vrsar, Rovinj, Pula, and others. Temperatures above 10 °C last for more than 240 days a year. Excessive heat (above 30 °C) lasts for three weeks at the most. Despite air temperatures being lower than those in Dalmatia, the

Adriatic sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

is warmer reaching up to 26 °C in August, coldest in March, (9-11 °C), while the freezing even in small, shallow bays is quite rare. There are two kinds of winds - the bora is bringing cold and clear weather from the north in winters, and the southern jugo bringing rain in summer. The maestral is a summer breeze blowing from the inland to the sea. The salinity of the sea water is 0.37%.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census the total population of Istria County is 208,055 which amounts to 4.85 percent of Croatia's entire population. The population density is 73 inhabitants per km² with an average age of 43 years. Istria county is administratively subdivided into 41 local units of government - 10 of these are officially designated as cities/towns and 31 are largely rural municipalities. More than 70 percent of the county's population lives in these ten urban areas: * Pula / Pola (57,460) * Poreč / Parenzo (16,696) *

/ Rovigno (14,294) *

Umag Umag (; it, Umago) is a coastal town in Istria, Croatia. Geography It is the westernmost town of Croatia, and it includes Bašanija, the westernmost point of Croatia. Population Umag has a population of 7,281, with a total municipal populatio ...

/ Umago (13,467) * Labin / Albona (11,642) *

/ Pisino (8,638) * Buzet / Pinguente (6,133) *

Vodnjan Vodnjan (; it, Dignano) is a town in Istria County, Croatia, located about 10 kilometers north of the largest city in Istria, Pula. History According to the legend, it developed out of the association of seven villas which were part of the colon ...

/ Dignano (6,119) *

Buje Buje ( it, Buie) is a town situated in Istria, Croatia's westernmost peninsula. Buje was known as the "sentinel of Istria" for its hilltop site located inland from the Adriatic Sea. History Buje has a rich history; traces of life in the regio ...

/ Buie (5,182) * Novigrad / Cittanova (4,345) There are also 31 municipalities: * Bale / Valle (1,127) *

Barban Barban ( it, Barbana, Čakavian ''Barbon,'' or ''Brban'') is a small town and municipality in the southern part of eastern Istria, Croatia. The municipality of Barban covers an area of around 100 km2 and contains 72 villages with a total of ...

/ Barbana (2,721) * Brtonigla / Verteneglio (1,626) * Cerovlje / Cerreto (1,677) * Fažana / Fasana (3,635) * Gračišće / Gallignana (1,419) * Grožnjan / Grisignana (736) * Kanfanar / Canfanaro (1,543) * Karojba / Caroiba (1,438) * Kaštelir-Labinci / Castellier-Santa Domenica (1,463) *

Kršan Kršan ( it, Chersano, ruo, Cârșån) is a village and municipality in the eastern part of Istria County, Croatia. Description It is located in the eastern part of Istria, west of mountain Učka and south-west of Čepić field, on the state r ...

/ Chersano (2,951) * Lanišće / Lanischie (329) *

Ližnjan Ližnjan ( it, Lisignano) is a village and municipality in Istria, Croatia. It has high biodiversity. There is a small church named Crkva Majke Božje od Kuj that dates back to the 17th century but was built on ancient foundations. It has a glas ...

/ Lisignano (3,965) * Lupoglav / Lupogliano (924) *

Marčana Marčana ( it, Marzana) is a village and municipality in the southern part of Istria, Croatia, 15 km northeast of Pula. The village is situated on the D66 state road (Pula - Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, ...

/ Marzana (4,253) *

Medulin Medulin ( it, Medolino) is a municipality in the southern part of the Istrian peninsula in Croatia. At the 2011 census the municipality had a population of 6,481, while the settlement proper had 2,777 inhabitants. Medulin is built around a harbour ...

/ Medolino (6,481) * Motovun / Montona (1,004) * Oprtalj / Portole (850) * Pićan / Pedena (1,827) * Raša / Arsia (3,183) * Sveta Nedelja / Santa Domenica d'Albona (2,987) * Sveti Lovreč / San Lorenzo di Pesenatico (1,015) * Sveti Petar u Šumi / San Pietro di Selve (1,065) *

Svetvinčenat Svetvinčenat ( it, Sanvincenti, Chakavian language, Chakavian: ''Savičenta,'' or ''Savicjenta'') is a village and municipality in the south of the central part of Istria, Croatia, about 16 km north of Vodnjan; elevation 250 m. Description ...

/ Sanvincenti (2,202) * Tar-Vabriga / Torre-Abrega (1,990) * Tinjan / Antignana (1,684) * Višnjan / Visignano (2,274) *

Vižinada Vižinada ( it, Visinada) is a village and municipality in the interior of the western part of Istria, Croatia. It is 17 km northeast of Poreč, with an elevation of 400 m. The economy is agriculture-based. Demographics The total municipalit ...

/ Visinada (1,158) *

Vrsar Vrsar ( vec, Orsera) is a small seaside town and a municipality in Istria, Croatia located 9 kilometers south of Poreč. The historical center is located on top of a hill, including the St. Martin parish church and the 40-meter high bell tower. I ...

/ Orsera (2,162) * Žminj / Gimino (3,483) *

Funtana Funtana ( it, Fontane) is a village and municipality (2006) in Istria, Croatia, located between Poreč and Vrsar Vrsar ( vec, Orsera) is a small seaside town and a municipality in Istria, Croatia located 9 kilometers south of Poreč. The histori ...

/ Fontane (907) Besides official Croatian, the

Chakavian dialect Chakavian or Čakavian (, , , sh-Latn, čakavski proper name: or own name: ''čokovski, čakavski, čekavski'') is a South Slavic regiolect or language spoken primarily by Croats along the Adriatic coast, in the historical regions of Da ...

of Croatian is often in use, as in most coastal counties.

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

is also recognized in the county as an official language. In 2021 the population was 208,055 and the main ethnic groups were as follows: * Croats – 149,152 (76,40%) *

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

– 9,784 (5.01%) *

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

– 5,778 (2.98%) * Bosniaks – 4,838 (2.48%) * Albanians – 2,055 (1.05%) Before World War I and until World War II, Istria contained a large autochthonous Romance language speaking community consisting of Venetian dialects, Istriot and Istro-Romanian along with

, plus various local Slavic dialects, some of which were likewise unique to Istria. Today, apart from the local dialects and official Croatian, one still finds in this region a small community of people, the Istro-Romanians, who speak Istro-Romanian, closely related to Romanian, other districts where Venetian dialects and Istriot are still spoken. Due to its traditional bond with Europe and its level of international integration, in 1994 Istria County was the first Croatian region to become a member of the Assembly of European Regions.

Communication

Istria is well connected with the rest of Croatia and Europe. Due to its connection with a wider European area, road development suitably covers all needs and contributes to a balanced development of the coastal area and the Istrian interior. Initially, the need for

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s in Istria was based upon fast development of industrial activities;

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befo ...

, construction material, machine and electric industries, as well as Austrian military interests. After

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and

were connected in 1876, the railway between

Divača Divača (; it, Divaccia) is a large nucleated village in the Littoral region of Slovenia, near the Italian border. It is the seat of the Municipality of Divača and a railway hub. Geography Divača lies along the A1 motorway and the old main r ...

, (in today's

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

) and Pula, ( long with long branch Kanfanar - Rovinj), was opened. Despite numerous initiatives, the western parts of Istria have been connected with the railroad only in 1902, with construction of the

Parenzana The Parenzana in Italian and Croatian or Porečanka in Slovene is one of the nicknames of a defunct 760mm/15 15/16 inch narrow gauge railway (operating between 1902 and 1935) between Trieste and Poreč (at that time Parenzo, hence the name ' ...

narrow-gauge railway. The long railway, was dismantled in 1935. To this day, Istria County's rail connections are only towards

, and despite the fact that some plans to build railroad tunnel through

mountain date from decades ago, there are no projections about financing and works are not scheduled to start any time soon. The connection to the rest of Croatian rail network is by HŽ national railways' bus service from the Lupoglav junction to the Rijeka Station via Učka road tunnel Croatian Istria County's highway system is callen the " Istrian Y". A8 motorway connects the county to the rest of Croatia from

Matulji Matulji ( it, Mattuglie) is a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia. It is located west of the city of Rijeka, north of the town of Opatija, and it borders Slovenia. Municipality There are a total of 11,246 inhabitants in the m ...

( A7/ further A6) interchange through Učka Tunnel to Kanfanar interchange, and A9 motorway connects Pula via Kanfanar to

, connecting the county to

Slovenian Istria Slovene Istria ( sl, slovenska Istra, it, Istria slovena) is a region in southwest Slovenia. It comprises the northern part of the Istrian peninsula, and it is part of the wider geographical-historical region known as the Slovene Littoral. Its l ...

and further to Italy. The only significant

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

with scheduled commercial service is

Pula Airport Pula Airport ( hr, Zračna luka Pula; it, Aeroporto di Pola; ) is the international airport serving Pula, Croatia, and is located 6 km from the city centre. It served 777,568 passengers in 2019. The airport is designated as the alternative ...

. Large majority of flights are only seasonal.

Economy

Well-developed are

processing industry Process manufacturing is a branch of manufacturing that is associated with formulas and manufacturing recipes,

, with traditional

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, sea fishing and growing, construction and production of construction materials (

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

, brick, stone), trade and

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

. Most developed branches of industry are

(In the early 1970s its Uljanik shipyard was building the biggest ships in the world as Berge Adria and others), metal processing, wood industry, furniture industry, automotive components industry, electric machines and appliances industry, glass, plastic, textile, tobacco industry. According to economic indicators, the leading activities are processing industry, tourism, and trade. Great attention is being given to agriculture and the production of ecologic food, the wine and olive growing. Historically cultivated local wine varieties include

Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...

(white) and Teran (red).

Tourism

Organized tourism in Istria goes back to the Romans, when emperor

Vespasian Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...

, for the

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

of that time, built the

Pula Arena The Pula Arena ( hr, Pulska Arena; it, Arena di Pola) is a Roman amphitheatre located in Pula, Croatia. It is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers entirely preserved. It was constructed between 27 BC and AD 68, Kristina ...

. During the reign of Austro-Hungarian Empire in (1866), Austrian and Hungarian royalty and aristocracy started visiting local resorts and discovered Poreč. Significant efforts were made after

to develop the tourist infrastructure and to accentuate its importance. In combination with the natural environment, history and cultural heritage, investments resulted in developed and competitive service all along the western coast in Poreč, Pula, Rovinj, Umag, Novigrad, and Vrsar. One growing trend among the centrally located cities, especially Kanfanar, is agritourism. Beginning with La Casa di Matiki in 1994 after the war, a number of eccentric agritouristic Bed and Breakfasts have sprung up in central Istria, providing opportunities for individuals, couples, and families to experience a very authentic Istrian experience while learning about the Istrian agricultural lifestyle. In the eastern part, as part of another county, there are resorts like Rabac,

Opatija Opatija (; it, Abbazia; german: Sankt Jakobi) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean ...

. Istria was and still is the most important tourist destination in Croatia, hosting the western and central European visitors, mostly from Germany, Slovenia, Austria and Italy. Area is the most visited tourist region with 27% of all visitors and 35% of time spent in all of Croatia.

County government

The current Prefect of Istria County is Boris Miletić ( Ind.). The county assembly is composed of 41 representatives from the following political parties:

References

External links

* {{Authority control Istria Counties of Croatia Regions of Europe with multiple official languages Italian-speaking territorial units in Croatia