Split-Dalmatia County

Summary

Split-Dalmatia County (Croatian: Splitsko-dalmatinska županija [splîtsko-dalmǎtiːnskaː ʒupǎnija]) 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 14.106,40 km2.[4] 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.

Split-Dalmatia County
Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Flag of Split-Dalmatia County
Coat of arms of Split-Dalmatia County
Split-Dalmatia County within Croatia
Split-Dalmatia County within Croatia
CountryCroatia
County seatSplit
Government
 • ŽupanBlaženko Boban (HDZ)
Area
 • Total14,106.40 km2 (5,446.51 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total454,798
 • Density32/km2 (84/sq mi)
Area code021
ISO 3166 codeHR-17
HDI (2019)0.843[3]
very high · 5th
Websitehttp://www.dalmacija.hr

Physically, the county is divided into three main parts: an elevated hinterland (Dalmatinska zagora) with numerous karst fields; a narrow coastal strip with high population density; and the islands. Parts of the Dinaric Alps, including Dinara itself, form the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina while the Kozjak, Mosor and Biokovo mountains separate the coastal strip from the hinterland.

Important economic activities include agriculture, manufacturing and fishing, though the most important one is tourism.

Split-Dalmatia County is Croatia's biggest county by area.

The county is linked to the rest of Croatia by the newly built four-lane Split-Zadar-Karlovac-Zagreb highway and the Lika railway. Split Airport is the busiest airport in the region.

In the hinterland, the larger towns are Sinj (pop. 11,500 town, 25,373 with villages), Imotski (4,350) and Vrgorac (2,200).

Besides the largest city, Split (189,000 city proper, 250,000 including Kaštela and Solin), the towns on the coast are Trogir (11,000), Omiš (6,500) and Makarska (13,400).

On the islands, the populations are smaller due to high levels of emigration, but are still mostly urban in character. The main townships are: Supetar (3,300) on the island of Brač; Hvar town (3,700) and Stari Grad (1,900) on Hvar; and Vis town (1,800) and Komiža (1,500) on Vis.

History edit

The name Dalmatia comes from an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae who inhabited the area of the eastern Adriatic coast in the 1st millennium BC. It was part of the Illyrian kingdom from the 4th century BC until the Illyrian Wars in the 220s BC and 168 BC when the Roman Republic established its protectorate south of the river Neretva. Dalmatia as a geographical name was in use probably from the second half of the 2nd century BC for the area spanning the eastern Adriatic coast between the Krka and Neretva rivers.[5][6] It was slowly incorporated into Roman possessions until the province of Illyricum was formally established c. 32–27 BC.

Dalmatia became part of the Roman province of Illyricum. In 9 AD, the Dalmatians raised the final of a series of revolts[7] together with the Pannonians, but it was finally crushed, and in 10 AD, Illyricum was split into two provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia which spread into larger area inland to cover all of the Dinaric Alps and most of the eastern Adriatic coast.[8] Dalmatia was the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who constructed Diocletian's Palace in the core of what is now Split.[9]

Administrative division edit

Split-Dalmatia County is divided into 16 cities and 39 municipalities. Note that both cities and municipalities are administrative divisions immediately under the county, on the same level.

Town / municipality Population[10]
(2011 census)
Area (km2)
Hvar 4,251 75.50
Imotski 10,764 73.25
Kaštela 38,667 57.67
Komiža 1,526 48.00
Makarska 13,834 28.00
Omiš 14,936 266.20
Sinj 24,826 181.00
Solin 23,926 18.37
Split 178,102 79.33
Stari Grad 2,781 52.59
Supetar 4,074 30.00
Trilj 9,109 267.00
Trogir 13,192 39.10
Vis 1,934 52.00
Vrgorac 6,572 284.00
Vrlika 2,177 243.00
Baška Voda 2,775 19.00
Bol 1,630 23.00
Brela 1,703 20.00
Cista Provo 2,335 98.00
Dicmo 2,802 68.00
Dugi Rat 7,092 10.80
Dugopolje 3,469 63.50
Gradac 3,261 49.00
Hrvace 3,617 210.00
Jelsa 3,582 146.28
Klis 4,801 176.10
Lećevica 583 87.66
Lokvičići 807 31.11
Lovreć 1,699 105.25
Marina 4,595 108.80
Milna 1,034 35.00
Muć 3,882 210.80
Nerežišća 862 79.00
Okrug 3,349 9.80
Otok 5,474 95.00
Podbablje 4,680 41.76
Podgora 2,518 52.00
Podstrana 9,129 11.52
Postira 1,559 47.00
Prgomet 673 77.23
Primorski Dolac 770 31.23
Proložac 3,802 85.60
Pučišća 2,171 106.00
Runovići 2,416 60.21
Seget 4,854 77.90
Selca 1,804 53.00
Sućuraj 463 44.65
Sutivan 822 22.00
Šestanovac 1,958 88.90
Šolta 1,700 58.98
Tučepi 1,931 16.00
Zadvarje 289 13.40
Zagvozd 1,188 124.09
Zmijavci 2,048 13.82
Split-Dalmatia total 455,798 4,572.00

County government edit

Current Župan (prefect): Blaženko Boban (HDZ)

The county assembly is composed of 51 representatives, organized as follows:

Demographics edit

 
Population pyramid of Split-Dalmatia county per the 2011 Census
Historical populations of Split-Dalmatia County
YearPop.±%
1857 164,242—    
1869 182,405+11.1%
1880 195,741+7.3%
1890 222,030+13.4%
1900 249,867+12.5%
1910 268,187+7.3%
1921 274,522+2.4%
1931 292,321+6.5%
1948 296,840+1.5%
YearPop.±%
1953 314,933+6.1%
1961 339,686+7.9%
1971 389,277+14.6%
1981 436,680+12.2%
1991 474,019+8.6%
2001 463,676−2.2%
2011 454,798−1.9%
2021 425,412−6.5%
census data [1]

According to the 2011 census, Split-Dalmatia County has population of 454,798. Croats make up an absolute majority with 97.08% of the population.[2]

Split-Dalmatia County: Population trends 1857–2021
population
164242
182405
195741
222030
249867
268187
274522
292321
296840
314933
339686
389277
436680
474019
463676
454798
425412
18571869188018901900191019211931194819531961197119811991200120112021
Sources: Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications

Economy edit

Split-Dalmatia County has the 5th highest Human Development Index of any county in Croatia. Before privatisation and accession to European Union, beside tourism the most notable branch was Shipbuilding. County now relies on tourism as main source of income.

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ Ostroški, Ljiljana, ed. (December 2015). Statistički ljetopis Republike Hrvatske 2015 [Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia 2015] (PDF). Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia (in Croatian and English). Vol. 47. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. p. 62. ISSN 1333-3305. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Population by Ethnicity, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census: County of Split-Dalmatia". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  4. ^ "Splitsko-dalmatinska županija > Županija > Informacije".
  5. ^ S. Čače, Ime Dalmacije u 2. i 1. st. Prije Krista
  6. ^ Radovi Filozofskog Fakulteta u Zadru, godište 40 za 2001. Zadar, 2003, pages 29,45.
  7. ^ Charles George Herbermann, The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference (1913)
  8. ^ M. Zaninović, Ilirsko pleme Delmati, pages 58, 83-84.
  9. ^ "Michael Hogan, "Diocletian's Palace", The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham, Oct 6, 2007".
  10. ^ "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements, 2011 Census: County of Split-Dalmatia". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.

External links edit

  • County web site (in Croatian)
  • Dalmatia.iNFO - Dalmatia travel portal
  • Split Dalmatia County tourist guide in English

43°10′N 16°30′E / 43.167°N 16.500°E / 43.167; 16.500