Šibenik lies almost in the middle of the Croatian Adriatic Coast, in the picturesque and indented bay around the mouth of the river Krka, one of the most beautiful Karst rivers in Croatia. Today Šibenik is the administrative, political, economic, social and cultural center of a county which stretches along the 100 kilometer long belt between the Zadar and Split Rivieras, reaching up to 45 kilometers deep into the hinterland.
The Šibenik region covers about 1,000 square kilometers and is composed of an island and a coastal region, and its hinterland. The county of Šibenik has 242 islands, islets and rocks. Most of this archipelago lies in the north-west part of Šibenik’s waters and is very indented, bare and sparsely inhabited. The county of Šibenik has only 10 island settlements. The most numerous group of islands are the Kornati, widely known for their bizarre shapes and luxurious and magnificent landscapes.
From Šibenik bay the open sea and the islands are reached through a narrow winding channel about 10 kilometers long and 300 – 1200 meters wide. Although the coastal belt of the Šibenik region reaches only several kilometers inland, to the Trtar mountain chain and Mt. Svilaja in the south-east, 66 % of all its population lives here. After World War II it went through very rapid urbanization. Almost all the production edacities, business activity and strength of the Šibenik county are concentrated here.
This region is characterized by limestone mountain crests (the Trtar chain stretches towards the south-east, and in front of it is the lower Šibenik-coastal chain), small valleys (Gornje and Donje polje) and plateaus – the bases of agriculture. The vegetation is mostly spruce in the hinterland, and maquis on the coast and islands. The Šibenik region has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers cooled by the maestral breeze, and dry winters.
