• That the Dalmatian breed of dog originates from theses parts? In a small Franciscan monastery in Zaostrog there hangs painting dating from 1724 which contains the first know depiction of a Dalmatian dog.

• That Ivan Vučetić, inventor of dactyloscopy (identification through fingerprints) was born on the island Hvar?

• That Agatha Christie spent her honeymoon in Dubrovnik?

• That the griffon vulture is to be found in very few place in Europe, and one of those places is the island Cres?

• That Croatia won third place in the World Football Championships, and that Croatia’s Davor Šuker scored the most goals in    that event?

• That Croatia skier Janica Kostelić was the overall winner of the World Slalom Cup? Following a brilliant season in the slalom she achieved 8 successive victories, and at the age of 19 joined the elite company of the best woman skiers in the world. In Winter Olympic Games 2002 she won three gold and one silver medal. In the 2005 Janica Kostelić won 3 gold medals.

• That Jacques Cousteau bestowed upon Croatia’s sea the honorific of “ the cleanest sea in the word”?

• That red coral (Corallium rubum), highly valued for its beautiful colouring, grows in the Croatian Adriatic, and that divers bring it up from depth of over 80 m without the aid of an oxygen bottle?

• That a Croat by the name of Eduard Penkala registered his patent for the propelling pen (a penkala) and the fountain pen for the first time 1906?

• That the cravat comes form Croatia? Initially part of the uniform of Croatian soldiers it was adopted by the French in the 17th century. The word “cravat” derives from the word “Croata”.

• That Marco polo, famous world traveller and explorer, was moat probably born in 1254 on the island of Korčula? Event today there are people on the island who bear the same family name

• That school of dolphin travel up and down the coast, keeping company with ships and yachts? A special programme has been set up whose aim is the preservation of our dolphins.

• That Odysseus’s cave is located on the island Mljet? Legend has it that it was there that the adventure of the Ancient World ran aground and met the nymph Calypso. He fell in love and spent an unforgettable time with her.

• That the footprints of dinosaurs were discovered in Bale, near Rovinj, and on the Brijuni archipelago, while their bones have been found on the sea bed at a considerable depth?

• That around the year 1800 Dubrovnik maintained Consular offices in over 80 countries around the world. That this-time city-republic also had a fleet of 673, 250 of which sailed the seven seas?

• That Republic of Croatia is on a first place on Lonely Planet’s top destination search for season 2005. As Lonely Planet said: Croatia soared to the top of this year’s poll after a fourth-place finish last year. Croatia’s appeal was its unique combination of culture, history, cuisine, accessibility and affordability. As one staffer wrote, “ This is Croatia’s year. It appeals to a wide range of travellers with its rich diversity of attractions. And it has not yet been over-touristed, but it has developed an excellent tourism infrastructure-so that it suits both adventurous travellers and those who need a degree of comfort in their planning.” Another staffer wrote,” Croatia’s combination of easy accessibility (its within driving distance of a large chunk of Europe), relative affordability (especially compared to the beach countries like Spain and Italy), and high   quality will mean that it will be a “hot’ destination again this year.” Other staffers lounged its “stunning beaches and islands,” , “magnificent food” and “ wonderfully preserved town such as Dubrovnik.” Congratulations, Croatia!