Geographical position : Croatia extends from the furthest eastern edges of the Alps in the north - west to the Pannonian lowlands and the banks of the Danube in the east ; its central region is covered by the Dinara mountain range , and its southern parts extend to the coast of the Adriatic Sea . Surface : the mainland covers 56 , 594 km 2 ; surface area of territorial waters totals 31 , 067 km 2 . Population : 4 , 437 , 460 inhabitants ; composition of population : the majority of the population are Croats ; national minorities are Serbs , Slovenes , Hungarians , Bosnians , Italians , Czechs and others . System of government : Multi - party parliamentary republic . Capital : Zagreb ( 779 , 145 inhabitants ) , the economic , traffic , cultural and academic centre of the country . Coastline : 5 , 835 . 3 km , of which 4 , 058 km comprise the coastlines of islands , solitary rocks and reefs . Number of islands , solitary rocks and reefs : 1 , 185 ; the largest islands are Cres and Krk ; there are 47 inhabited islands . Highest peak : Dinara : 1 , 831 m above sea level . Climate : Croatia has three climate zones ; the prevailing climate in the country ’ s interior is moderately rainy ; on the highest peaks , a forest climate with snow falls , while the areas along the Adriatic coast have a pleasantly mild Mediterranean climate with a large number of sunny days ; summers are dry and hot , winters mild and wet with significant precipitations . Average temperatures in the interior : January - 2 to 0 o C , somewhat lower at the highest altitudes ; August - about 20 oC and about 12 oC on the highest peaks . Average temperature in the littoral : January - 5 to 9 oC , August - 22 to 25 oC ; sea temperature in winter : 2 oC ; in summer , about 25 oCCurrency : kuna ( 1 kuna = 100 lipa ) . Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks , exchange offices , post offices , travel agencies , hotels , camps , marinas ; cheques can be cashed in banks .