page_title: Port of Split
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Port of Split / History
caption_attribution_description: English: SPLIT, Croatia (May 30, 2009) Deck department Sailors man the foc'sle rails as the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) makes her approach to the port city of Split, Croatia. Fort McHenry is on a scheduled deployment with the Bataan Amphibious Readiness Group supporting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson/Released)
context_page_description: The Port of Split is a port in the central Dalmatian city of Split, Croatia. The port was originally a trading post originally established by Greek settlers from the island of Vis and subsequently taken over by the Romans. The port thrived through the Middle Ages, but it suffered a decline in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the Port of Rijeka took over as the primary trading and shipping outlet of the region. The decline was also attributed to the decline of the Ottoman Empire, a traditional market for the Port of Split, and the growing domination of Austrian Empire.
  As of 2017, the port ranks as the largest passenger port in Croatia, the largest passenger port in the Adriatic, and the 11th largest port in the Mediterranean, with annual passenger volume of approximately 5 million. By 2010, the Port of Split recorded 18,000 ship arrivals each year. The port is managed by the Port of Split Authority. In the late 2000s, the PSA and the port operators, Trajektna Luka Split d.d. and Luka d.d.
context_section_description: The first trading post at the site of the Port of Split was Aspalathos, established by Greek settlers from the island of Vis in the 4th century BC. Position of the trading post was selected because of its location in a natural harbor and its proximity to numerous Adriatic Sea islands and extensive hinterland populated by Illyrians, most notably in Salona. The area subsequently became a part of the Roman Empire, and after its Decline of the Roman Empire, the coast was brought under rule of the Byzantine Empire, until the area was absorbed into the Kingdom of Croatia in the beginning of the 10th century. In 1102, Croatia and Kingdom of Hungary were joined in a personal union. By the 12th century, Split had developed trading routes with its hinterland and maritime trade throughout the Adriatic Sea and the Mediterranean. The Republic of Venice of gained full control of Dalmatia and the city of Split by 1428. In the 16th century, Split was the central maritime trade outlet of the Balkans, where goods were transported from the Ottoman Empire, India and Persia to the Venetian Republic and vice versa. After the fall of Venice, Split was briefly ruled by the Habsburg Monarchy and Austrian Empire between 1797 and 1806, and the First French Empire until 1813 when Austrian rule was restored. In that period, trade routes shifted to other Adriatic ports, especially the Port of Rijeka, causing a downturn in the city's economy.
  In the second half of the 19th century, the economy of the city of Split and its surrounding area started to recover and Split soon became hub of the central Dalmatia, connecting the hinterland and the neighboring islands. This spurred development of the city port and its transport connections, including construction of a new breakwater and the Split–Knin railway. In 1925, the railway was linked to the Rijeka–Zagreb railway via Gospić, allowing development of a modern port. Since 1957, cargo terminals of the Port of Split were relocated from the city centre to industrial zones in Solin and Kaštela areas, while passenger traffic still uses the centrally positioned harbor.
caption: The Port of Split approach seen from the USS Fort McHenry
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