Dubrovnik [antikvár]

r f ' 'W.?fr'frLe//: Old roofs and the tower Minceta Above: View of the city and the old pon Dubrovnik is a city and port on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea. The city has 49,728 inhabitants (1991) and is the economic, cultural and educational centre of southern Dalmatia and the seat of the administration of the County Dubrovnik-Neretva. Besides the area around the mouth of the river Neretva, the county comprises the narrow coast beit which is separated from the interior by the Dinaric mountain rangé. This rangé runs in three parallel chains and its height rises towards the interior. The peaks of this rangé form the natural boundary between the seaboard and Herzegovina, as well as the climatic and anthropogeographical boundary between Dubrovnik and its hinterland. In the north-western part of the region, the coast beit comprises the Peljesac peninsula, the isthmus of Ston, and the very narrow Dubrovnik seaboard as far as Rijeka Dubrovacka. To the east of the city of Dubrovnik is the coast beit of Zupa Dubrovacka along the Gulf of Zupa, and to the southeast of the township of Cavtat, the somewhat wider coast beit of Konavle. The Prevlaka peninsula and Point Ostro at the entrance to the gulf of Boka is the southernmost land point of the Dubrovnik region and of the Croatian coast. A number of islands lie along the coast of the county, from Korcula, Lastovo, and Mljet in the west, continuing with the Elaphite group of inshore islands - the islands of Olipa, Jakljan, Sipan, Lopud, Kolocep and Daksa. The chain ends with Lokrum, which is immediate vicinity - to the south-east right in front of the old city port. The city of Dubrovnik is situated in 42°40' N and 18°5'E, and is the most southerly Croatian town. Its climate is Mediterranean. Therefore the average yearly temperature is 17°C, characterised by very mild winters and very dry, sunny summer. The average temperature is about 10°C in winter, and about 26°C in the summer. The city is protected from the cold northerly bura by mount Srd, and from the damp southerly jugo by the island of Lokrum. Like the rest of the Croatian coast Dubrovnik is refreshed in the summer by the north-westerly breeze maestraX. Rains fali mostly in winter, and the snow is seldom recorded. The average summer temperature of the sea is over 21°C.