Split

Split is the largest and most important city in Dalmatia (Italian Spalato), without being its capital (as there is no such governmental unit). With a population of 190,000 it is the second largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb, the capital).

Split lives on its tourism, further on fishing, wine and its paper, concrete and chemical industries. It is also an important traffic point for Dalmatia: most of the middle Dalmatian islands (Brac, Hvar, Solta[?], but also Vis[?] or Lastovo[?] which are further away) are not reachable except through Split's harbour, and its airport is often the first stop for most of the tourists to this region.

Split is known for Diocletians Palace[?] and its Dome[?]. Up to this day Split is the seat of an archbishop. The construction of the palace marks the beginning of the city: emperor Diocletian ordered it built around 300, and in the 7th century - the giant building was long deserted - the first citizens of Split settled inside its walls. Even today the palace constitutes the inner city of Split, full of shops, markets, places and the dome, that was a temple in Diocletian's day.

After that, Split belonged a long time to Venice (in the 14th century and then from 1420 on), until it fell to Austria-Hungary in 1797. With the end of World War I it belonged to the newly created Yugoslavia. Since 1992 it is part of Croatia.