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Podgorje is in the zone of the overlapping nodal-functional regions of Rijeka and Zadar. Despite its central position in the geographical context of Adriatic Croatia, the Podgorje region is suffering very negative demographic processes and trends because it is an area of poor transportation accessibility. The aim of this research paper is to analyze the interdependency of transport accessibility of Podgorje and the neighboring leading regional centers, as well as the negative demographic processes and trends that have destabilized this region and converted it into a rural periphery of Adriatic Croatia. The processes of littoralization and industrialization of the coast of Podgorje failed, when they should have created the prerequisites for the development of a functional network of settlements, which would have in turn created and kept necessary functions and retained the population. The absence of these processes has led to the demographic decline of the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the local blue water footprint of tourism on the islands of Cres and Lošinj (Northern Adriatic, Croatia). The paper contains a case study of the specific environmental impact caused by exploitation of Lake Vrana to satisfy the needs of the population and economies of Cres and Lošinj. The hypothesis this paper is based on maintains that the local blue water footprint has predominantly been caused by tourism and that it has demonstrates annual fluctuations, closely linked to the number of tourists and non-residents present on the islands in question. The blue water footprints of residents, non-residents, and tourists were examined separately in the course of studying the environmental burden. To verify and compare the results for Cres and Lošinj, they were viewed in relation to similar tourist regions in Croatia (Crikvenica) and Spain (Mallorca). The paper is theoretically focused on singling out partial tourism footprints, while its practical aspect is visible in the calculation of the local blue water footprint, as the foundation for creating sustainable development strategies and spatial plans based on the real impact of human actions on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the geographical features and potential of memorial tourism development in the tourism region of Istria in Croatia. In the past century, Istria has had several political and socio-economic turning points, with far-reaching consequences for its overall development. For the most part, the historical turning points in the 20th century in Istria were marked by armed conflict, followed by individual and mass human casualties, terror, and the persecution of the population. The motive of travel in memorial tourism here is to visit the places where these tragic events occurred. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the geographical distribution of potential sites in Istria suitable for the development of memorial tourism. An additional objective was to propose thematic routes of memorial tourism in the areas of Istrian towns and municipalities. A secondary aim of this research was to provide a geographical contribution to the scientific evaluation of memorial tourism in Croatian tourism regions, with proposals for measures in the planning of the development of this form of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost half of a century, urban planning in Croatia took place under the socialist regime. During that time, it mostly played a role in addressing the pressing spacerelated issues of the development of socialist society, and in facilitating economic growth. In this paper, we examine urban planning in Croatia between 1944 and 1991 from eight aspects: the general roles of planning; legislation; relationship to societal planning; politicalinstitutional responsibility; urban planners and policy; plan execution; public participation; and environmental concerns. We analysed archival data and literature on urban, spatial and societal planning legislation and practices in the Socialist Republic of Croatia, including the planning journals Arhitektura and Čovjek i prostor, and planning legislation from the socialist period. We outlined the five evolutionary phases over which urban planning experienced decentralisation from the federal to the communal level, advancements in public participation, and the involvement of environmental considerations in the decision-making process. We also studied the evolution of planning tools, which originated in the socialist period but remains in use today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the socio-demographic profile of participants in the Croatian Islands' Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS), the first longitudinal study in Croatia to follow pregnant women and their children up to the age of two. The sample consisted of 286 pregnant women (145 from the islands of Brač and Hvar, and 141 from the mainland). The study aimed to: 1) summarise the main characteristics of the CRIBS study sample; 2) compare the sample with the general population of Croatia; 3) analyse the differences between the CRIBS participants according to place of residence (islands vs. mainland) and family type (nuclear vs. extended family). In comparison with women from the mainland, islander women had more often given birth to more than one child and finished only secondary school, while most of the women from the mainland had university degree. The prevalence of different family types also significantly differed between the islands and mainland, with islanders living in extended families and having lower average household income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with problems of demographic development in Split with an emphasis on in-migration. The analysis covers the central urban zone of Split (central city). Industrialisation after the Second World War had a decisive impact on the economic and demographic development of the city. This process attracted a large number of in-migrants from the neighbouring islands, from Zagora (i.e. the Dalmatian Hinterland) and from other parts of Dalmatia. This paper presents the results of research carried out in Split in 2002. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of geomorphometric parameters and drainage networks are widely used in many scientific and civilian branches and activities. They are created using the Earth's land surface data, which are today mostly represented by digital elevation models (DEMs). The main objective of this study is to create models of slope, aspect, and drainage networks for the first time for the entire continental part of the Republic of Croatia, using the most detailed DEMs. In this paper, developed models are described, compared, and analysed, giving insights into morphological characteristics and structures of topographic surface. The quality of the derived models has been validated using existing independent data. Furthermore, because models were derived using various global DEMs, the differences between output models have been addressed and studied. Drainage network models were further analysed depending on several available computation algorithms (single and multiple flow direction) and threshold values. The analysis of the sensitivity and influence of input parameters and models on output models has been assessed in order to create reliable drainage network models for the future for other local or regional areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first comprehensive nationwide trend detection of mean discharges in Croatia. Over the last 30 years, global climate change has manifested itself largely in the rise of the average annual temperature, which has resulted in the changes of evapotranspiration and precipitation patterns. The consequences of those changes have been varied spatial impacts on river discharge (flow). We analysed the changes in mean river discharges in Croatia at 53 gauging hydrological stations over the most recent period from 1990 to 2009. To assess the trend, the Kendall-Theil (Sen) non-parametric trend test was carried out for the yearly and seasonal mean discharge values. We found evidence of redistribution of discharge throughout the year, an increase in autumn and winter discharges (especially on the rivers dominantly fed by snowmelt) and a decrease in summer discharge values. Furthermore, we detected a change in the month of the appearance of mean discharge maxima and minima. In most cases the changes can be explained by the changes in the regime of climate elements (temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration) although that information should be treated with care because of the shortness of the time-series. The results are consistent with the ones from the upstream countries, i.e. Slovenia and Austria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the overall growth of the second home phenomenon in Croatia and worldwide, this phenomenon is still one of the less researched forms of leisure-related ways of mobility. Such unwarranted neglect of the research into the nature of the secondary dwelling and its implications frequently leads to mistakes in physical planning, which result in irredeemable consequences. The purpose of the paper is to propose the outline of the study of the second home phenomenon in the receiving area and provide guidelines for its future direction in local communities. It encompasses the following stages: the observation of the push and pull factors of the second home receiving area, an outline of the basic characteristics of the second home facilities, an analysis of second home mobilities, the establishment of the shape of the second home phenomenon concentration in the given geographical location, an analysis of geographical, economic and socio-cultural influences and consequences of the second home phenomenon as a basis for establishing the impact of the phenomenon in the regional development of the receiving area, and an evaluation of the present regulations pertaining to physical planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents a study of the quality of life in the City of Rijeka. The main research aim was to analyze whether significant differences exist in mean satisfaction with neighborhood among different groups of respondents according to selected variables. Overall neighborhood satisfaction was used as an indicator of the quality of neighborhood life. The main research method was a questionnaire survey conducted on a random sample of 365 households, chosen from five city neighborhoods. Statistical procedures used were t-test and one-way analysis of variance. The conducted analysis showed that respondents in analyzed neighborhoods of Rijeka do not differ significantly in neighborhood satisfaction regarding: gender, age, educational attainment, monthly household income, perceived property value, housing type and length of residence. On the other hand, significant difference in neighborhood satisfaction was found regarding respondents' tenure. Furthermore, it has been shown that a positive feeling towards place and community is linked with higher levels of neighborhood satisfaction. Respondents who meet their neighbors more often to discuss common neighborhood issues were also more satisfied with their neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early 1990s, Croatia and Slovenia, along with other Central and Eastern European countries, began a process of economic transition from centrally planned to market economy. The main goal of the paper is to compare developments of new forms of retail outlets in Zagreb and Ljubljana after 1990 and to explain similarities and differences in the trend of retail development in two capital cities. The second goal is to determine the level of development of social functions of retail centres and to determine similarities and differences in the function of retail centers in Zagreb and Ljubljana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the proposed conceptualization of Croatia's regional economic development, Koncepcija regionalnong gospodarskog razvitka Republike Hrvatske (1999), addresses the challenges of Croatia's uneven economic development. While the problems of Croatia's lagging regions have been addressed, the conceptualization contains controversies regarding what should be the guiding principles of regional policy — targeted or balanced regional economic development. The proposed conceptualization represents a mixture of neoliberal thinking about the key actors in regional economic development, principles of European Union regionalism and the socialist-era legacies. Consequently, it lacks clarity in several key aspects. A specific challenge is the existing multiciplicity of regional and socials interests as well as the limitations of regional economic development based on rigid administrative-territorial units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the basic processes of contemporary development of the Croatian population: total, natural and emigrational depopulation and demographic ageing. The causal connection between the processes of general and partial depopulation is explained and the results indicate their far-reaching unfavourable effects to the future development of Croatian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with cognitive maps among older elementary school pupils (in grades 5-8) in one of the post-conflict regions of Croatia. The methodology involved quantitative analysis of the respondents' hand-drawn maps and qualitative analysis of textual answers to questionnaire items. This led to conclusions in regard to a series of factors that influence the distortions and the selectivity of cognitive maps. A reconstruction was made of informal geographical knowledge of one's own region, as well as of the parameters through which the home region is experienced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper covers Croatia's transport position in the context of pan-European tranport corridors. National transport policy priorities, the main transit routes in Croatia and their compatibility with the needs of pan-European links are all considered. The basic features of Croatia's transport system and its compatibility with the development of different traffic modes are analyzed. The significance of the potential Adriatic-Ionian transport corridor is considered in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The closing scientific seminar of the international research project "Improving the Knowledge- Base for Sustainable Management of Recreational Resources", took place in Bulgaria from 10 to 15 May 2004. The scientists, mostly geographers, from Switzerland, Croatia, Bulgaria and Moldavia had worked and collaborated on that project for several years. The whole project, as well as the closing session of the collaborators, was financed by the "Swiss National Science Foundation", and its principal co-ordinator was Professor Martin Boesch from the university in Sankt Gallen. The project manager from Croatia was Professor Borna Fuerst-Bjeli&scarron; from the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science in Zagreb. The assistants Aleksandar Lukić and Vuk Tvrtko Opa&ccarron;ić collaborated as well. At the closing conference in Bulgaria, they represented the Croatian team by the report "Sustainable development of recreation and tourism in protected areas of Croatia: issues and indicators". The purpose of the project was to increase the knowledge level between highly developed and transition, post-socialist European countries, primarily by the experience exchange dealing with planning of tourism and recreation sustainable development, especially in protected areas. The principal goal was formulation of a unique indicator system applicable in planning of sustainable tourism and recreation. The conference, as well as the whole project, turned out to be very useful for further study of the sustainable development problems, and it could be the basis for future collaboration of geographers from the mentioned countries. We hope that the planned proceedings of the conference will, by its quality papers and editorial work, inform wider (geographic) public about these very important problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]