Split

See stock split for the investing term.

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

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 are not reachable except through Split's harbour (usually with the Jadrolinija ferries). This includes both the closer islands of Brač, Hvar and Šolta, but also Vis and Lastovo which are more distant. The Split airport in Divulje is often the first stop for most of the tourists to this region.

Split is known for Diocletian's Palace and its Dome. Up to this day Split is the seat of an archbishop. Despite the existence of the ancient Salona (today's Solin) just north of today's Split, the construction of the palace marks the beginning of the city. Roman Emperor Diocletian who ruled between 284 and 305 ordered it built around the year 300. 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, inserted on the corridors and floors of the former palace, 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. The province Dalmatia was later joined with Croatia and Split remained in Croatia (at times as Yugoslavia) until the present day. During the Second World War, part of the port facilities were bombed.

Sport

Split's most famous resident is former tennis star Goran Ivanišević. Also from Split is rising tennis star, "Little Goran", Mario Ančić. The local football team is Hajduk Split. Basketball is also popular, with notable players such as Toni Kukoč. Split was the see of the Mediterranean Games in 1976.

Picigin is a local sport found on several of the city beaches (Bačvice etc). It is played on shallow water with a small ball.

External link

• Official Split web page
• Diocletian palace - in English

Referenced By