View source for Zadar County

{{Short description|County in Croatia}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Zadar County
| native_name        = {{native name|hr|Zadarska županija|italics=off}}
| native_name_lang   = hr
| settlement_type    = [[Counties of Croatia|County]]
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{CRO}}
| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage|position=centera
|photo1a =Church of St. Donatus in the Old Town of Zadar, Croatia (48670499212).jpg
|photo1b =The Greeting to the Sun solar panel installation in Zadar, Croatia (48607775792).jpg
|photo2a =Pag city templom 2j.JPG
|photo2b =Crkva sv. Križa, Nin - zapad.jpg
|photo2c =Spomenik ustanku naroda Hrvatske-detalj.JPG
|photo2d =23420, Benkovac, Croatia - panoramio - Luboš Holič (13).jpg
|photo3a =Biograd-na-more-1.JPG
|photo3b =Novigrad (Dalmacija) - panorama.jpg
|photo4a =Maslenica Bridge (A1).jpg
|photo4b =Andro Galinovic - Telašćica 2.jpg
|size = 270
|spacing = 1
|color = #FFFFFF
|border = 1
}}
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = Flag of Zadar County.svg
| flag_alt           = 
| image_shield       = Zadar County coat of arms.svg
| shield_alt         = 
| image_map          = Zadarska županija in Croatia.svg
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = Zadar County within Croatia
| seat_type          = [[County seat]]
| seat               = [[Zadar, Croatia|Zadar]]
| leader_title       = [[List of prefects of Zadar County|Župan (Prefect)]]
| leader_name        = [[Josip Bilaver (politician)|Josip Bilaver]]
| leader_party       = [[Croatian Democratic Union|HDZ]]
| leader_title1      = County Assembly
| leader_name1       = {{Collapsible list
 |title   = 42 members<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/images/dokumenti/VIJECNICI_ZUPANIJSKE_SKUPSTINE-2017.pdf.pdf |title=VIJEĆNICI/E ŽUPANIJSKE SKUPŠTINE ZADARSKE ŽUPANIJE 2017.-2021 |access-date=2017-07-08 |archive-date=2018-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117105018/https://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/images/dokumenti/VIJECNICI_ZUPANIJSKE_SKUPSTINE-2017.pdf.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 |frame_style= border: none; padding: 0;
 |list_style=text-align:left;display:none;
 |1     =• [[Croatian Democratic Union|HDZ]], [[Croatian Growth|HRAST]], [[Croatian Party of Pensioners|HSU]], [[People's Party - Reformists|NS-R]] (20)
 |2     =• [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia|SDP]], [[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats|HNS]], [[Democratic Party of Pensioners (Croatia)|DSU]] (9)
 |3     =• [[Youth Action (Croatia)|AM]], [[Bridge of Independent Lists|MOST]] (4)
 |4     =• [[Human Shield (political party)|ŽZ]] (2)
 |5     =• [[Modern Democratic Force|MODES]] (2)
 |6     =• [[Independent (politician)|Independents]] (5)
}}
| area_total_km2     = 3646
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="DZS">{{Croatia Yearbook 2015|page=62}}</ref>
| population_as_of   = 2021
| population_total   = 160085
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2021-counties">{{Croatian Census 2021|S}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| coordinates        = 
| iso_code           = HR-13
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022)
| blank_info_sec1    = 0.860<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2024-10-10}}</ref><br />{{color|#090|very high}} · [[List of Croatian counties by Human Development Index|7th]]
| website            = {{URL|http://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/}}
| footnotes          = 
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in Croatia|Area code]]
| area_code          = 023
}}

[[File:Zadar Government House.jpg|250px|thumb|County Government Palace]]

'''Zadar County''' ({{langx|hr|Zadarska [[županija]]}} {{IPA|sh|zâdarskaː ʒupǎnija|}}) is a county in [[Croatia]], it encompasses northern [[Dalmatia]] and southeastern [[Lika]]. Its seat is the city of [[Zadar]].

==Geography==

Among the largest towns in the county of Zadar are: [[Zadar]], [[Benkovac]], [[Bibinje]], [[Biograd]], [[Nin, Croatia|Nin]], [[Obrovac, Croatia|Obrovac]] and [[Pag (town)|Pag]].

The county of Zadar includes the [[List of islands of Croatia|islands]] of [[Dugi otok]], [[Ugljan]], [[Pašman]], [[Molat]], [[Lavdara]], [[Zverinac]], [[Vir (island)|Vir]] and most of [[Pag (island)|Pag]], as well as a number of other, smaller islands. It also features the [[Paklenica]] national park.

The county's [[area]] is 7,854&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, 3,646&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> is land, which accounts for 6.4% of the territory of Croatia. The sea area of the county is 3,632&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (around 12% of the territorial waters) and the insular area is 580&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, with more than 300 smaller and larger islands ([[Zadar Archipelago]]). The length of its coastline (including the islands) is 1,300&nbsp;km.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unizd.hr/Portals/0/ms/pdf/guide/1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716173603/http://www.unizd.hr/Portals/0/ms/pdf/guide/1.pdf|archive-date=16 July 2011|title=International Student Guide|format=PDF|publisher=[[University of Zadar]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.investinzadar-croatia.com/media/pdf/tourism.pdf|title=Tourism|page=20|publisher=Zadar County|access-date=27 March 2014|archive-date=14 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914000409/http://www.investinzadar-croatia.com/media/pdf/tourism.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Administrative division==

Zadar County is divided into:
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* City
** [[Zadar]]
* Towns
** [[Benkovac]]
** [[Biograd na Moru]]
** [[Nin, Zadar County|Nin]]
** [[Obrovac, Zadar County|Obrovac]]
** [[Pag (town)|Pag]]
* Municipalities
** [[Bibinje]]
** [[Galovac, Zadar County|Galovac]]
** [[Gračac]]
** [[Jasenice, Croatia|Jasenice]]
** [[Kali, Croatia|Kali]]
** [[Kolan, Croatia|Kolan]]
** [[Kukljica]]
** [[Lišane Ostrovičke]]
** [[Novigrad, Zadar County|Novigrad]]
** [[Pakoštane]]
** [[Pašman, Zadar County|Pašman]]
** [[Polača, Zadar County|Polača]]
** [[Poličnik]]
** [[Posedarje]]
** [[Povljana]]
** [[Preko]]
** [[Privlaka, Zadar County|Privlaka]]
** [[Ražanac]]
** [[Sali, Croatia|Sali]]
** [[Stankovci]]
** [[Starigrad, Zadar County|Starigrad]]
** [[Sukošan]]
** [[Sveti Filip i Jakov]]
** [[Škabrnja]]
** [[Tkon]]
** [[Vir (municipality)|Vir]]
** [[Vrsi]]
** [[Zemunik Donji]]
{{div col end}}

==County government==

See [[County (Croatia)#Organization|organization of Croatian counties]].

{{As of|2014}}, the [[List of prefects of the Zadar County|Župan]] is Božidar Longin of the [[Croatian Democratic Union]] (HDZ),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/index.php/page/zupan-stipe-zrilic|title=Župan Stipe Zrilić|work=zadarska-zupanija.hr|language=hr|access-date=27 March 2014|archive-date=9 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109020919/http://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/index.php/page/zupan-stipe-zrilic|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the county assembly's 42 representatives are affiliated as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/images/stories/dokumenti/POPIS_VIJECNIKA_Politicka_stranka.pdf|title=Vijećnici Županijske skupštine Zadarske županije|work=zadarska-zupanija.hr|language=hr|format=PDF|access-date=27 March 2014|archive-date=24 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324033732/http://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/images/stories/dokumenti/POPIS_VIJECNIKA_Politicka_stranka.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Croatian Democratic Union: 15
* [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] (SDP): 8
* [[Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević]]: 5
* ''Akcija mladih'': 3
* ''Lista grupe birača'': 2
* [[Croatian Party of Pensioners]] (HSU): 2
* [[Croatian Peasants Party]] (HSS): 1
* [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] (HSLS): 1
* [[Croatian Party of Rights]] (HSP): 1
* Democratic Party of Pensioners (DSU): 1
* [[Croatian Pure Party of Rights]] (HČSP): 1
* [[Croatian Labourists – Labour Party]]: 1
* Independent: 1

===Minority councils and representatives===

Directly elected minority councils and representatives are tasked with consulting tasks for the local or regional authorities in which they are advocating for minority rights and interests, integration into public life and participation in the management of local affairs.<ref name="T-Portal">{{Cite web |url=https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/manjinski-izbori-prve-nedjelje-u-svibnju-krecu-i-edukacije-20230313 |title=Manjinski izbori prve nedjelje u svibnju, kreću i edukacije |date= 13 March 2023 |author= |publisher=[[T-portal]] |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref> At the [[2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections]] [[Albanians of Croatia|Albanians]] and [[Serbs of Croatia]] fulfilled legal requirements to each elect their own 25 members minority councils of the Zadar County while [[Bosniaks of Croatia|Bosniaks]] and [[Slovenes of Croatia]] elect individual representatives and with [[Hungarians of Croatia|Hungarian]], [[Germans of Croatia|German]] and [[Italians of Croatia|Italian]] representatives remaining unelected due to the absence of candidatures.<ref name="ZŽ-Manjine-2023">{{cite web | url=https://www.izbori.hr/site/UserDocsImages/2023/Manjinski%20izbori%202023/Rezultati/Z13_ZADARSKA_ZUPANIJA.pdf | title=Informacija o konačnim rezultatima izbora članova vijeća i izbora predstavnika nacionalnih manjina 2023. XIII. Zadarska ŽUPANIJA | date=2023 | author= | publisher=Državno izborno povjerenstvo Republike Hrvatske | pages=3–4 | language=hr | format=PDF | access-date=13 June 2023 | archive-date=18 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618005529/https://www.izbori.hr/site/UserDocsImages/2023/Manjinski%20izbori%202023/Rezultati/Z13_ZADARSKA_ZUPANIJA.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref> Some municipalities and towns in the county elected their own local minority councils as well but disproportionally high number of local minority elections were not held due to the absence of candidatures.<ref name="ZŽ-Manjine-2023"/>

== Demographics ==
[[File:Zadar County Population Pyramid Census 2011 ENG.png|alt=Zadar County Population Pyramid (2011)|thumb|300x300px|Zadar County Population Pyramid (2011)]]

According to the 2011 census, Zadar County has population of 170,017, accounting for 4.0% of the total Croatia's population.<ref name="census2011-counties">{{Croatian Census 2011|S}}</ref> [[Croats]] make up the majority with 93.54% of the population, while [[Serbs of Croatia|Serbs]], [[Bosniaks of Croatia|Bosniaks]], [[Albanians of Croatia|Albanians]] and [[Italians of Croatia|Italians]] form the remainder.<ref>{{Croatian Census 2011|E}}</ref>

{{Croatian population data graph |popisi=HRV |upisano=2022-06-04 |područje=Zadar County |p1857=84091 |p1869=94156 |p1880=98063 |p1890=108330 |p1900=123375 |p1910=136522 |p1921=146375 |p1931=149855 |p1948=154026 |p1953=162682 |p1961=174957 |p1971=190356 |p1981=194098 |p1991=214777 |p2001=162045 |p2011=170017 |p2021=160085}}

==Infrastructure==

The County of Zadar plays a leading role in road and railway traffic links between northern and southern Croatia.

The [[Adriatic Highway]], the main road along the [[Adriatic Sea]] passes through the county, as does the [[A1 (Croatia)|A1 motorway]], completed as far as Split in 2005. The Zagreb-[[Knin]]-Split [[Croatian Railways|railway]] line with branch-lines to Zadar and [[Šibenik]] pass through the county.

Maritime traffic is carried by the coastal route of the Adriatic Sea, by the Zadar-[[Ancona]] international car ferry route which is the shortest link between Central Europe and Italy, via Zagreb and Zadar to Rome and southward. Another route by which intensive traffic is carried is Zadar - Maslenica Bridge - St. Rok Tunnel - Zagreb.

The Zadar Airport has recently been reconstructed and modernised. With runway improvements still to be undertaken it will eventually have the capacity to handle jumbo-jets.

There is also a very frequent maritime passenger port in the town of Zadar and the cargo maritime port in the [[Gaženica]] area whose current manipulative capacity amounts to one million tonnes per year. A construction of a wharf would raise this significantly. The port's manipulative and warehouse capacities are used only in part.

==Economy==
[[File:Park prirode Velebit - Krupa.jpg|thumb|[[Krupa River]] in Velebit nature park]]
The Ravni Kotari area constitutes the greater part of the county's inland, containing most of the cultivated farmland and towns having industry, crafts, trade and traffic development potential.

Tourism is one of the county's most important industries, owing to its geographical position, mild climate, indented coast, clear sea, numerous bays, inlets and beaches on 1,300&nbsp;km of the sea coast and islands. Tourist amenities of the Zadar County are also the areas of outstanding natural beauty: the [[Velebit]], Telaščica and [[Paklenica]] and adjacent [[Krka National Park|Krka]] and [[Kornati]] national parks in the south and the [[Plitvice Lakes]] national park in the north.

==Acknowledgements==
;Honorary citizens
Following [[Croatia national football team]]'s silver medal at the [[2018 FIFA World Cup]], County Committee declared in 2019 Croatian representatives [[Luka Modrić]], [[Danijel Subašić]], [[Šime Vrsaljko]] and [[Dominik Livaković]] County's honorary citizens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/javna-priznanja-zadarske-%C5%BEupanije/79-upravni-odjel-za-more-i-turizam/715-po%C4%8Dasni-gra%C4%91ani-zadarske-%C5%BEupanije|language=hr|title=Počasni građani Zadarske županije|trans-title=Honorary citizens of the Zadar County|publisher=Zadar County|access-date=29 June 2023|archive-date=29 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629124050/https://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/javna-priznanja-zadarske-%C5%BEupanije/79-upravni-odjel-za-more-i-turizam/715-po%C4%8Dasni-gra%C4%91ani-zadarske-%C5%BEupanije|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.zadarska-zupanija.hr/ Official site of Zadar County]
* {{Official Facebook page|zupanija.zadarska}}
* [http://www.zadar.hr/ Zadar tourist information]
* [http://www.infozadar.net/zadar-maps.html Zadar Maps] - [http://www.infozadar.net Info Zadar]

{{Subdivisions of Zadar County}}
{{Counties of Croatia}}

{{coord|44.018|N|15.895|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Zadar County| ]]
[[Category:Counties of Croatia]]
[[Category:Dalmatia]]