Split (/ˈsplɪt/;[3][4] Croatian pronunciation: [splît] ⓘ), historically known as
Spalato (from Venetian: Spàlato, Italian: Spalato pronounced [ˈspalato]; see other
names), is the second-largest city of Croatia after the capital Zagreb, the largest
city in Dalmatia and the largest city on the Croatian coast. It lies on the eastern
shore of the Adriatic Sea and is spread over a central peninsula and its
surroundings. An intraregional transport hub and popular tourist destination, the
city is linked to the Adriatic islands and the Apennine Peninsula. More than
900,000 tourists visit Split each year.[5]
The city was founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos (Greek: Ἀσπάλαθος) in the
3rd or 2nd century BCE on the coast of the Illyrian Dalmatae, and in 305 CE, it
became the site of the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. It became a
prominent settlement around 650 when it succeeded the ancient capital of the Roman
province of Dalmatia, Salona. After the sack of Salona by the Avars and Slavs, the
fortified Palace of Diocletian was settled by Roman refugees. Split became a
Byzantine city. Later it drifted into the sphere of the Republic of Venice and the
Kingdom of Croatia, with the Byzantines retaining nominal suzerainty. For much of
the High and Late Middle Ages, Split enjoyed autonomy as a free city of the
Dalmatian city-states, caught in the middle of a struggle between Venice and
Croatia for control over the Dalmatian cities.
Venice eventually prevailed and during the early modern period Split remained a
Venetian city, a heavily fortified outpost surrounded by Ottoman territory. Its
hinterland was won from the Ottomans in the Morean War of 1699, and in 1797, as
Venice fell to Napoleon, the Treaty of Campo Formio rendered the city to the
Habsburg monarchy. In 1805, the Peace of Pressburg added it to the Napoleonic
Kingdom of Italy and in 1806 it was included in the French Empire, becoming part of
the Illyrian Provinces in 1809. After being occupied in 1813, it was eventually
granted to the Austrian Empire following the Congress of Vienna, where the city
remained a part of the Austrian Kingdom of Dalmatia until the fall of Austria-
Hungary in 1918 and the formation of Yugoslavia. In World War II, the city was
annexed by Italy, then liberated by the Partisans after the Italian capitulation in
1943. It was then re-occupied by Germany, which granted it to its puppet
Independent State of Croatia. The city was liberated again by the Partisans in
1944, and was included in the post-war Socialist Yugoslavia, as part of its
republic of Croatia. In 1991, Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia amid the Croatian War
of Independence.
Name
The name Aspálathos or Spálathos may come from the spiny broom (Calicotome spinosa,
ἀσπάλαθος in Greek),[6] although it is the related Spanish broom (Spartium junceum,
σπάρτος) that is common in the area.
After the Roman conquest, the name became Spalatum or Aspalatum in Latin, which in
the Middle Ages evolved into Aspalathum, Spalathum, Spalatrum and Spalatro in the
Dalmatian language of the city's Romance population. From the Early modern period,
in international correspondence and in all the city's official documents, the
official name was the Latin Spalatum. The Venetian spelling, Spalato, became
official in 18th century under Venetian rule and is still the name of the city in
Italian.[7] From the 10th century onwards, the local use was Spaleto, from where,
through a stage *Spəlētu- to *Splětъ, came the South Slavic forms: the ekavian
Splet, ijekavian Spljet and ikavian Split.[7] In the 19th century, following the
Illyrian movement and its official recognition by the Habsburg Monarchy, the
Croatian names Split and Spljet became increasingly prominent, before Split
officially replaced Spljet in 1910, by decision of the city council.[8]
Formerly, the name was thought to be related to Latin palatium 'palace', a
reference to Diocletian's Palace. Various theories were developed, such as the
notion that the name derives from S. Palatium, an abbreviation of Salonae Palatium.
The erroneous "palace" etymologies were notably due to Byzantine Emperor
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, and were later mentioned by Thomas the Archdeacon.
[9] The city, however, is several centuries older than the palace.
History
Main article: History of Split
For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Split.
For more information on the history of Split's region, see History of Dalmatia.
Antiquity
See also: Salona and Diocletian's Palace
Reconstruction of the Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in its original
appearance upon completion in 305, by Ernest Hébrard
Although the beginnings of Split are traditionally associated with the construction
of Diocletian's Palace in 305, the city was founded several centuries earlier as
the Greek colony of Aspálathos, or Spálathos. It was a colony of the polis of Issa,
the modern-day town of Vis, itself a colony of the Sicilian city of Syracuse.[10]
The exact year the city was founded is not known, but it is estimated to have been
in the 3rd or 2nd century BC.[11] The Greek settlement lived off trade with the
surrounding Illyrian tribes, mostly the Delmatae.[10]
After the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 BC, the city of Salona, only a short
distance from Spálathos, became the capital of the Roman Province of Dalmatia and
one of the largest cities of the late empire with 60,000 people. The history of
Spálathos becomes obscure for a while at this point, being overshadowed by that of
nearby Salona, to which it would later become successor. The Roman Emperor
Diocletian (ruled AD 284 to 305) in 293 began the construction of an opulent and
heavily fortified palace fronting the sea, near his home town of Salona, selecting
the site of Spálathos (or Spalatum in Latin).[12][13] The Palace was built as a
massive structure, much like a Roman military fortress. The palace and the city of
Spalatum which formed its surroundings were at times inhabited by a population as
large as 8,000 to 10,000 people.[14]
Between 475 and 480 the Palace hosted Flavius Julius Nepos, the last recognised
Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Salona was lost to the Ostrogothic Kingdom in
493, along with most of Dalmatia, but the Emperor Justinian I regained Dalmatia in
535–536.
The Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace, collotype (1909).
Middle Ages
The Pannonian Avars sacked and destroyed Salona in 639; the surviving Romans fled
to the nearby islands. The Dalmatian region and its shores were at this time
settled by tribes of Croats, a South Slavic people subservient to the Avar khagans.
[15] The Salonitans regained the land under Severus the Great in 650 and settled
the 300-year-old Palace of Diocletian, which could not be effectively besieged by
the Slavic tribes of the mainland.[15] The Emperor Constans II granted them an
Imperial mandate to establish themselves in the Palace as the City of Spalatum,
which imposed upon the Croatian Slavs - at the time allies of Byzantium against the
Avars - a cessation of hostilities.[15] The Temple of Jupiter was rededicated to
the Virgin Mary and the remains of the popular Saint Domnius were recovered from
the ruins of Salona, later establishing the Cathedral of Saint Domnius as new seat
of the Archbishop of Salona.[15]
Statue of bishop Gregory of Nin, in the Giardin Park
Until the Sack of Constantinople, Split remained a de jure possession of the
Byzantine Empire as a Byzantine duchy, administered by the Exarchate of Ravenna and
after 751 by Jadera (Zadar).[16] Its hinterland, however, was now home to the Duchy
of the Croats. In this period, an independent Dalmatian language developed from
Latin, with a distinct local dialect: to its inhabitants, the city became known as
Spalatrum or Spalatro, one of the main Dalmatian city-states.
In 925 Tomislav's Kingdom of Croatia emerged in the hinterland of the city,
centered in Nin as an ally of Byzantium against Simeon I of Bulgaria - though
without receiving any power from the Emperor over the Dalmatian cities.[16] The
rise of the rival Bishopric of Nin, headed by Bishop Gregory, which attempted to
institute the "Slavonic" or "Slavic language" as the language of religious service,
led to the 925 Synod of Split, at which it was decreed that "no one should presume
to celebrate the divine mysteries in the Slavonic language, but only in Latin and
Greek, and that no one of that tongue should be advanced to the holy orders".
Medieval overlords
of Split, 998–1420
980 —–1000 —–1020 —–1040 —–1060 —–1080 —–1100 —–1120 —–1140 —–1160 —–1180 —–1200 —–
1220 —–1240 —–1260 —–1280 —–1300 —–1320 —–1340 —–1360 —–1380 —–1400 —–1420 —–1440 —
Croatia
Counts of Bribir
Venice
Byzantium
Bosnia
Hrvoje Vukčić
Ladislaus of Naples
In 1100, the bell tower which became the main symbol of the city was constructed
and dedicated to Saint Domnius, by then regarded as the patron saint of the city.
Throughout the 9th and 10th centuries, Split was raided by the Narentines (a South
Slavic confederation recognizing the King of Croatia as their sovereign).
Therefore, the city offered its allegiance to Venice and in 998 the Venetian Doge
Pietro II Orseolo, led a large naval expedition which defeated the Narentines the
same year. After obtaining permission from Emperor Basil II in Constantinople,
Orseolo proclaimed himself Duke of Dalmatia. In 1019 the Byzantine Empire restored
direct control over Dalmatia. The title "Duke of Dalmatia" seems to have been
dropped at this point by the Venetian doges. In 1069 Peter Krešimir IV, King of
Croatia, gained control over Dalmatian islands and cities, including Split, and
stretched his rule south to Neretva. The coastal cities retained autonomous
administration and were still nominally under Byzantine Empire, but were now
subjects of the Croatian king.[17][18][19]
After the death of Croatian King Stephen II in 1091, a period of succession crisis
followed in Croatia, with King Ladislaus I of Hungary interfering in it.[20]
Byzantine Emperor Alexius took advantage of this and joined the old Theme of
Dalmatia to the Empire.[18][21] In 1096 Emperor Alexius, at the time engaged in the
First Crusade, granted the administration of Dalmatia to the Doge of Venice.[21]
In 1105 Coloman, King of Hungary, having conquered the Kingdom of Croatia, reneged
on its alliance with Venice and moved on the coastal towns, besieging and taking
Zadar. Split and Trogir decided then to surrender upon guarantee of their ancient
privileges.[15] The rights granted to the city (and reaffirmed by new charters)
were substantial. Split was to pay no tribute, it was to choose its own count and
archbishop whom the king would confirm, it preserved its old Roman laws, and
appointed its own judge. Dues from trade (which were substantial in the period),
were divided between the count, the archbishop, and the king, and no foreigner was
to live within the walls of the city against the will of the citizens. These rights
were generally upheld by Hungarian kings, but there were inevitable incidents of
violation.
After Coloman's death in 1116, the Doge Ordelafo Faliero returned from Outremer and
retook all the Dalmatian cities, and also, for the first time, the Croatian cities
of coast such as Biograd and Šibenik. In 1117, however, he was defeated and killed
in renewed battle with the Hungarians under Stephen II of Hungary, and Split again
acknowledged Hungarian rule. But the new Doge, Domenico Michiel, quickly defeated
the Hungarians again and restored Venetian authority by 1118. In 1124, while the
Doge was engaged against the Byzantine Empire (now hostile to Venice), Stephen II
recovered Split and Trogir without resistance. Upon Michele's return in 1127,
however, the Doge yet again expelled the Hungarians from the two cities and utterly
destroyed Biograd, the favored seat of the Croatian Kings that the Hungarians were
attempting to establish as a rival to the Venetian Zadar.[15]
The cities remained in Venetian hands without contest during the reign of Béla II.
But in 1141, his successor, King Géza II, having conquered Bosnian lands, marched
to Split and Trogir, both voluntarily accepting him as overlord. This turned out to
be a definitive conquest, as Venetian rule was not to return to Split for another
186 years.
In that period, however, Split was to see one brief (and final) restoration of
Imperial power in Dalmatia. The Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus began his
campaigns against the Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary in 1151, and by 1164, had
secured the submission of the Dalmatian cities back under Imperial rule. Having won
a decisive victory against Kingdom of Croatia and Hungary in 1167 at the Battle of
Sirmium, consolidating his gains, the Emperor suddenly broke with Venice as well,
and sent a fleet of 150 ships to the Adriatic. Split was to remain in Byzantine
hands until Manuel's death in 1180, when Béla III of Hungary moved to restore
Hungarian power in Dalmatia. The city remained loyal to the Empire, resisting the
re-establishment of Hungarian rule, and consequently, upon its inevitable
submission, was punished with the King's refusal to renew its ancient privileges.
[15]
During the 20-year Hungarian civil war between King Sigismund and the Capetian
House of Anjou of the Kingdom of Naples, the losing contender, Ladislaus of Naples,
sold his disputed rights on Dalmatia to the Venetian Republic for 100,000 ducats.
Acting on the pretext, the Republic took over in the city by the year 1420.[22]
Venetian period
Overall view of Split in the Early modern period (1764), an engraving by Scottish
architect Robert Adam. Marjan hill is visible in the background.
The city's seaward walls in 1764, an engraving by Robert Adam.
By this time the population was largely Croatian,[23] while Romance Dalmatian names
were not as common,[24] according to the Medieval city archives. The common
language was Croatian, but a variety of the Venetian language with some Tuscan
influences was also widely spoken by Dalmatian Italian notaries, school teachers,
merchants, and officials.[25] The city's autonomy was greatly reduced: the highest
authority was a prince and captain (conte e capitanio), assigned by Venice.[26]
Split eventually developed into a significant port-city, with important trade
routes to the Ottoman-held interior through the nearby Klis pass. Culture
flourished as well, Split being the hometown of Marko Marulić, the Croatian
national poet. Marulić's most acclaimed work, Judita (1501), was an epic poem about
Judith and Holofernes, widely held to be the first modern work of Croatian
literature. It was written in Split and printed in Venice in 1521.[27]
The advances and achievements were reserved mostly for the aristocracy: the
illiteracy rate was extremely high, mostly because Venetian rule showed little
interest in educational and medical facilities.[citation needed]
In 1797 Split was ceded to the Habsburg monarchy by the Treaty of Campo Formio, as
part of the dissolution and partition of the ancient Republic of Venice.[28]
Napoleonic wars
Split became part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1805, after the defeat of
the Third Coalition at the Battle of Austerlitz and the consequent Treaty of
Pressburg. It was included directly in the French Empire in 1806. The same year,
Vincenzo Dandolo was named provveditore generale and general Auguste de Marmont was
named military commander of Dalmatia.[29]
In 1809, after a brief war with France, Austria ceded Carinthia, Carniola, Croatia
west of the Sava River, Gorizia and Trieste to France. These territories, along
with Dalmatia, formed the Illyrian Provinces. During this period, large investments
were undertaken in the city, new streets were built and parts of the ancient
fortifications were removed.[30][31] Austria, with help from a British force led by
Captain William Hoste, occupied Split in November 1813.[32] Following the Congress
of Vienna in 1815, the city was officially ceded to Austria.[33]
Under Habsburg rule
The Riva of Split in the 19th century, with Marjan hill in the background.
City center and the Riva promenade from the slopes of Marjan in 1910.
The Split region became part of the Kingdom of Dalmatia, a separate administrative
unit. After the revolutions of 1848 as a result of the romantic nationalism, two
factions appeared. One was the pro-Croatian Unionist faction (later called the
"Puntari", "Pointers"), led by the People's Party and, to a lesser extent, the
Party of Rights, both of which advocated the union of Dalmatia with the Kingdom of
Croatia-Slavonia which was under Hungarian administration. This faction was
strongest in Split, and used it as its headquarters. The other faction was the pro-
Italian Autonomist faction (also known as the "Irredentist" faction), whose
political goals varied from autonomy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to a
political union with the Kingdom of Italy.
The political alliances in Split shifted over time. At first, the Unionists and
Autonomists were allied against the centralism of Vienna. After a while, when the
national question came to prominence, they separated. Under Austria, however, Split
can generally be said to have stagnated. The great upheavals in Europe in 1848
gained no ground in Split, and the city did not rebel.
Antonio Bajamonti became Mayor of Split in 1860 and – except for a brief
interruption during the period 1864–65 – held the post for over two decades until
1880. Bajamonti was also a member of the Dalmatian Sabor (1861–91) and the Austrian
Chamber of Deputies (1867–70 and 1873–79). In 1882 Bajamonti's party lost the
elections and Dujam Rendić-Miočević, a prominent city lawyer, was elected to the
post.
As part of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
After the end of World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, the province
of Dalmatia, along with Split, became a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes. Split was the site of a series of incidents between 1918 and 1920. Since
Rijeka, Trieste and Zadar, the three other large cities on the eastern Adriatic
coast, were annexed by Italy, Split became the most important port in the Kingdom.
The Lika railway, connecting Split to the rest of the country, was completed in
1925. The country changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929, and the
Port of Split became the seat of new administrative unit, Littoral Banovina. After
the Cvetković-Maček agreement, Split became the part of new administrative unit
(merging of Sava and Littoral Banovina plus some Croat populated areas), Banovina
of Croatia in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
World War II
Main article: World War II in Yugoslavia
Italian warship in the City Harbour after the annexation into Italy in 1941.
German vehicles in the city streets. The sign reads "Death to fascism – freedom to
the people".
In April 1941, following the invasion of Yugoslavia by Nazi Germany, Split was
occupied by Italy. Although Split formally became part of the Independent State of
Croatia, the Ustaše were not able to establish and strengthen their rule in Split,
as Italians assumed all power in Dalmatia. One month later on 18 May 1941, when the
Treaties of Rome were signed, Italy formally annexed Split, which was included in
the province of Spalato, and large parts of Dalmatia down to Kotor.[34][35] The
Italian Governatorate of Dalmatia hosted 390,000 inhabitants, of which 280,000
Croats, 90,000 Serbs and 5,000 Dalmatian Italians.[36] Italian rule met heavy
opposition from the Croat population as Split became a centre of anti-fascist
sentiment in Yugoslavia. The first armed resistance group was organized on 7 May
1941; the 63 member strong 1st Strike Detachment (Prvi udarni odred) served as the
basis for future formations, including the 1st Split Partisan Detachment.[37]
Between September and October 1941 alone, ten officials of the Italian fascist
occupation were assassinated by the citizens.[38] On 12 June 1942, a fascist mob
attacked the city's synagogue, and destroyed its library and archive. Worshipers
were beaten as they left the synagogue and Jewish-owned shops were targeted the
following day.[39] The local football clubs refused to compete in the Italian
championship; HNK Hajduk and RNK Split suspended their activities and both joined
the Partisans along with their entire staff after the Italian capitulation provided
the opportunity. Soon after Hajduk became the official football club of the
Partisan movement.
In September 1943, following the capitulation of Italy,[36] the city was
temporarily controlled by Tito's brigades with thousands of people volunteering to
join the Partisans of Marshal Josip Broz Tito (a third of the total population,
according to some sources). 8,000 Italian soldiers from the 15th Infantry Division
Bergamo prepared to fight alongside the Yugoslav Partisans against the Waffen SS
Prinz Eugen. The Italian General Becuzzi handed over to the Partisans 11 soldiers
which they considered as "war criminals;[citation needed] the Partisans also
executed up to 41 members of the Italian Police forces, later found in mass graves.
[40][relevant?]
A few weeks later, however, the Partisans were forced into retreat as the Wehrmacht
placed the city under the authority of the Independent State of Croatia. The
Germans decimated the Italian soldiers as traitors, including three Generals
(Policardi, Pelligra and Cigala Fulgosi) and 48 officials (Trelj massacre).[41] In
this period the last remaining symbols of Italian heritage in Split, including
several Venetian Lions of St. Mark, were erased from the town.
In a tragic turn of events, besides being bombed by Axis forces, the city was also
bombed by the Allies, causing hundreds of deaths. Partisans finally captured the
city on 26 October 1944 and instituted it as the provisional capital of Croatia. On
12 February 1945 the Kriegsmarine conducted a daring raid on the Split harbour,
damaging the British cruiser Delhi. After the war the remaining members of
Dalmatian Italians of Split left Yugoslavia towards Italy (Istrian-Dalmatian
exodus).[42]
Federal Yugoslavia
The Yugoslav-era Coat of arms of Split. Introduced in 1967, it was based on the
Medieval rectangular arms, dating at least from the 14th century (and likely much
earlier).
Main articles: Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Socialist Republic of
Croatia
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After World War II, Split became a part of the Socialist Republic of Croatia,
itself a constituent sovereign republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. During the period the city experienced its largest economic and
demographic boom. Dozens of new factories and companies were founded with the city
population tripling during the period. The city became the economic centre of an
area exceeding the borders of Croatia and was flooded by waves of rural migrants
from the undeveloped hinterland who found employment in the newly established
industry, as part of large-scale industrialization and investment by the Yugoslav
Federal Government.[citation needed]
The shipbuilding industry was particularly successful and Yugoslavia, with its
Croatian shipyards, became one of the world's top nations in the field. Many
recreational facilities were also constructed with federal funding, especially for
the 1979 Mediterranean Games, such as the Poljud Stadium. The city also became the
largest passenger and military port in Yugoslavia, housing the headquarters of the
Yugoslav Navy (Jugoslavenska ratna mornarica, JRM) and the Army's Coastal Military
District (equivalent of a field army). In the period between 1945 and 1990, the
city was transformed and expanded, taking up the vast majority of the Split
peninsula. In the same period it achieved an as yet unsurpassed GDP and employment
level, still above the present day's, growing into a significant Yugoslav city.
[citation needed]
Since independence
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Marjan hill as seen from the Riva Promenade, 2013.
When Croatia declared its independence again in 1991, Split had a large garrison of
Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) troops (drafted from all over Yugoslavia), as well as
the headquarters and facilities of the Yugoslav Navy (JRM). This led to a tense
months-long stand-off between the JNA and Croatian National Guard and police
forces, occasionally flaring up in various incidents. The most tragic incident
occurred on 15 November 1991, when the JRM light frigate Split fired a small number
of shells at the city and its surroundings. The damage was insignificant but there
were a few casualties. Three general locations were bombarded: the old city center,
the city airport, and an uninhabited part of the hills above Kaštela, between the
airport and Split. JRM sailors, most of them Croats themselves, who had refused to
attack Croat civilians were left in the vessel's brig. The JNA and JRM evacuated
all of its facilities in Split during January 1992. The 1990s economic recession
soon followed.
In the years following 2000, Split finally gained momentum and started to develop
again, with a focus on tourism. From being just a transport centre, Split is now a
major Croatian tourist destination. Many new hotels are being built, as well as new
apartment and office buildings. Many large development projects are being revived,
and new infrastructure is being built. An example of one of the latest large city
projects is the Spaladium Arena, built in 2009.
Geography
Panorama view of Split and surroundings from atop the Marjan
Split is situated on a peninsula between the eastern part of the Gulf of Kaštela
and the Split Channel. The Marjan hill (178 m (584 ft)), rises in the western part
of the peninsula. The Kozjak (779 m (2,556 ft)) and Mosor (1,339 m (4,393 ft))
ridges protect the city from the north and northeast, and separate it from the
hinterland.
Split is administratively divided into 34 city kotars:[43][44]
Bačvice
Blatine-Škrape
Bol
Brda
Grad
Gripe
Kman
Kocunar
Lokve
Lovret
Lučac-Manuš
Mejaši
Meje
Mertojak
Neslanovac
Plokite
Pujanke
Ravne njive
Sirobuja
Skalice
Split 3 (Smrdečac and Pisano Kame)
Sućidar
Šine
Spinut
Trstenik
Veli Varoš
Visoka
Žnjan
Climate
Split and the surrounding satellite towns, as seen from space.
Split (Marjan, City of Split)
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
74 116
61 116
63 148
62 1711
62 2315
47 2719
26 3022
45 3022
69 2518
82 2014
102 1510
91 117
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service
Imperial conversion
Split has a Mediterranean climate (Csa) in the Köppen climate classification. It
has hot, moderately dry summers and mild, wet winters, which can occasionally feel
cold, because of the strong northern wind bura. Average annual rainfall is more
than 780 mm (30.71 in). January is the coldest month, with an average low
temperature around 5 °C (41 °F). November is the wettest month, with a
precipitation total of nearly 113 mm (4.45 in) and 12 rainy days. July is the
driest month, with a precipitation total of around 26 mm (1.02 in). Winter is the
wettest season; however, it can rain in Split at any time of the year. Snow is
usually rare; since record-keeping began the months of December and January have
accrued 1 snowy day on average, while February has averaged 2. In February 2012,
Split received unusually large amount of snow which caused major problems with
traffic. Split receives more than 2,600 sunshine hours annually. July is the
hottest month, with an average high temperature around 30 °C (86 °F). In July 2017
Croatian firefighters battled to control a forest fire along the Adriatic coast
that damaged and destroyed buildings in villages around the city of Split.
Suburbs of Split after July 2017 forest fire
Snow is rare in Split.
Climate data for Split (Marjan Hill, 1971–2000, extremes 1948–2019)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.4
(63.3) 22.3
(72.1) 24.3
(75.7) 27.7
(81.9) 33.2
(91.8) 38.1
(100.6) 38.6
(101.5) 38.5
(101.3) 34.2
(93.6) 27.9
(82.2) 25.8
(78.4) 18.6
(65.5) 38.6
(101.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10.4
(50.7) 11.2
(52.2) 13.8
(56.8) 17.2
(63.0) 22.7
(72.9) 26.8
(80.2) 30.0
(86.0) 29.7
(85.5) 24.9
(76.8) 19.9
(67.8) 14.7
(58.5) 11.4
(52.5) 19.4
(66.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4) 8.4
(47.1) 10.6
(51.1) 13.7
(56.7) 18.9
(66.0) 22.8
(73.0) 25.7
(78.3) 25.4
(77.7) 21.2
(70.2) 16.8
(62.2) 12.0
(53.6) 9.1
(48.4) 16.1
(61.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.6
(42.1) 5.7
(42.3) 7.8
(46.0) 10.6
(51.1) 15.4
(59.7) 18.9
(66.0) 21.7
(71.1) 21.7
(71.1) 18.0
(64.4) 14.1
(57.4) 9.6
(49.3) 6.7
(44.1) 13.0
(55.4)
Record low °C (°F) −9.0
(15.8) −8.1
(17.4) −6.6
(20.1) 0.3
(32.5) 4.8
(40.6) 9.1
(48.4) 13.0
(55.4) 11.2
(52.2) 8.8
(47.8) 3.8
(38.8) −4.5
(23.9) −6.3
(20.7) −9.0
(15.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 73.7
(2.90) 61.2
(2.41) 63.4
(2.50) 61.9
(2.44) 61.6
(2.43) 47.3
(1.86) 25.5
(1.00) 44.8
(1.76) 68.9
(2.71) 82.1
(3.23) 101.7
(4.00) 90.8
(3.57) 782.8
(30.82)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 10.6 9.5 9.6 10.9 9.4 8.7 5.3
5.4 7.9 9.6 11.5 11.5 109.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 133.3 152.6 186.0 210.0 272.8 306.0 347.2 319.3 246.0
192.2 135.0 130.2 2,630.6
Percent possible sunshine 47 55 54 56 65 72 81 79 70
61 50 48 63
Source: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service[45][46]
Average sea temperature:[45]
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
12.0 °C (53.6 °F) 11.5 °C (52.7 °F) 11.9 °C (53.4 °F) 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) 17.3 °C
(63.1 °F) 21.1 °C (70.0 °F) 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) 23.6 °C (74.5 °F) 21.7 °C (71.1 °F)
19.3 °C (66.7 °F) 16.4 °C (61.5 °F) 13.7 °C (56.7 °F) 17.1 °C (62.8 °F)
Demographics
Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1857 12,417 —
1869 14,587 +17.5%
1880 16,883 +15.7%
1890 18,483 +9.5%
1900 21,925 +18.6%
1910 25,103 +14.5%
1921 29,155 +16.1%
1931 40,029 +37.3%
1948 54,187 +35.4%
1953 64,874 +19.7%
1961 85,374 +31.6%
1971 129,203 +51.3%
1981 176,303 +36.5%
1991 200,459 +13.7%
2001 188,694 −5.9%
2011 178,102 −5.6%
2021 160,577 −9.8%
According to the 2021 census, the city of Split had 160,577 inhabitants.[2]
Ethnically, Croats make up 96.42% of the population, and 77.53% of the residents of
the city are Roman Catholics.[47]
The settlements included in the administrative area of the City (2011) are:[48]
Donje Sitno, population 313
Gornje Sitno, population 392
Kamen, population 1,769
Slatine, population 1,106
Split, population 167,121
Srinjine, population 1,201
Stobreč, population 4,978
Žrnovnica, population 3,222
The wider urban area of Split has 293,298 inhabitants, while there are 346,314
people in the Split metropolitan area.[citation needed] The urban area includes the
surrounding towns and settlements: Okrug, Seget, Trogir, Kaštela, Solin, Podstrana,
Dugi Rat and Omiš, while the metro area adds Marina, Primorski Dolac, Prgomet,
Lećevica, Klis, Dugopolje, Dicmo, Trilj and Sinj. The entire Split-Dalmatia County
has 454,798 residents, and the whole region of Dalmatia just under a million.[49]
City of Split: Population trends 1857–2021
population
12417
14587
16883
18438
21925
25103
29155
40029
54187
64874
85374
129203
176303
200459
188694
178102
160577
1857 1869 1880 1890 1900 1910 1921 1931 1948 1953 1961 1971 1981 1991
2001 2011 2021
Sources: Croatian Bureau of Statistics publications
v
Inhabitants
A "Morlach" (Vlaj) peasant in Split, 1864.
Although the inhabitants of Split (Splićani) may appear to be a homogeneous body,
they traditionally belong to three groups. The old urban families, the Fetivi,
(short for "Fetivi Splićani", "real Split natives") are generally very proud of
their city, its history and its distinctive traditional speech[50] (a variant of
the Chakavian dialect). The Fetivi, now a distinct minority, are sometimes referred
to (semi-derogatorily) as "Mandrili" - and are augmented by the so-called Boduli,
immigrants from the nearby Adriatic islands who mostly arrived over the course of
the 20th century.[51]
The above two groups are distinct, in the Mediterranean aspects of their ethnicity
and traditional Chakavian speech, from the more numerous Shtokavian-speaking
immigrants from the rural Zagora hinterland, referred to as the Vlaji (a term that
sometimes carries negative connotations). The latter joined the Fetivi and Boduli
as a third group in the decades since World War II, thronging the high-rise suburbs
that stretch away from the centre.[51] By now the Vlaji constitute a decided
majority of inhabitants, causing a distinct shift in the overall ethnic
characteristics of the city. Historically more influenced by Ottoman culture, their
population merges almost seamlessly at the eastern border with the Herzegovinian
Croats and southern Bosnia and Herzegovina in general.[50][51] Local jokes have
always condemned the Vlaji to playing the role of rural unsophisticates, although
it is often conceded that it was their hard work in the industries of the post-WWII
era that made modern-day Split what it is now.[51]
Economy
Juice carrier sitting on a slipway at Brodosplit
See also: Economy of Croatia and Croatian privatization controversy
Split's economy is still suffering the backlash from the recession caused by the
transfer to a market economy and privatization.[citation needed] In the Yugoslav
era, however, the city had been a highly significant economic centre with a modern
and diverse industrial and economic base, including shipbuilding, food, chemical,
plastics, textile, and paper industry, in addition to large revenues from tourism.
[citation needed] In 1981 Split's GDP per capita was 37% above the Yugoslav
average.[52] Today, most of the factories are out of business (or are far below
pre-war production and employment capacity)[citation needed] and the city has been
trying to concentrate on commerce and services, consequently leaving an alarmingly
large number of factory workers unemployed.
