Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, located in central

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

, where the river Krka flows into the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatian self-governing cities on the

Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

, the capital and cultural, educational, administrative and economic center of

Šibenik-Knin County Šibenik-Knin County (; ) is a county in southern Croatia, located in the north-central part of Dalmatia. The biggest city in the county is Šibenik, which also serves as county seat. Other notable towns in the county are Knin, Vodice, Drniš a ...

, and is also the third-largest town in the Dalmatian region. As of 2021, the town has 31,115 inhabitants, while the municipality has 42,599 inhabitants.The seat is the Šibenik Diocese. It was first mentioned on

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

1066 in a grant of Peter Krešimir IV, so it is also called ''Krešimir's Town''. Until the plague pandemic in 17th century it was the largest city on the entire eastern coast of the Adriatic. Šibenik was the ''de facto'' capital of the

from December 1944 to May 1945. It is also significant as the place of foundation of the Croatian Navy. The Cathedral of St. James is the most significant architectural achievement of the 15th and 16th centuries on the soil of

. Due to its exceptional values, it was included in the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Cultural Heritage List in 2000, which was joined on that list by the Fortress of St. Nicholas.

History

Etymology

There are multiple interpretations of how Šibenik was named. In his fifteenth-century book ''De situ Illiriae et civitate Sibenici,'' Giorgio Sisgoreo describes the name and location of Šibenik. He attributes the name of the city to it being surrounded by a palisade made of ''šibe'' 'switches/twigs'. Some argue the name is of Illyrian origin, or derived from the family name of the Šubićs. Another interpretation is associated with the forest through the Latin

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...

''Sibinicum'', which covered a narrower microregion within Šibenik on and around the area of St. Michael's Fortress.

Early history

Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast, which were established by Greeks, Illyrians and Romans, Šibenik was founded by

Slavs The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...

.Foster, Jane (2004)
''Footprint Croatia''
, Footprint Handbooks, 2nd ed. p. 218. It was mentioned for the first time under its present name in 1066 in a Charter of the Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV and, for a period of time, it was a seat of this Croatian King. For that reason, Šibenik is also called "Krešimirov grad" (Krešimir's city). Between the 11th and 12th centuries, Šibenik was tossed back and forth among

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...

, and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. It was conquered by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

in 1116,Oliver, Jeanne (2007)
''Croatia''
. Lonely Planet 4th ed. p. 182. who held it until 1124, when they briefly lost it to the Byzantine Empire, and then held it again until 1133 when it was retaken by the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. It would change hands among the aforementioned states several more times until 1180. The city was given the status of a town in 1167 from

Stephen III of Hungary Stephen III (, ; ; summer of 11474 March 1172) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1162 and 1172. He was crowned king in early June 1162, shortly after the death of his father, Géza II. However, his two uncles, Ladislaus and Stephen, who ...

. It received its own

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

in 1298.

Under Venice and the Habsburgs

The city, like the rest of

, initially resisted the

Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

, but it was taken over after a three-year war in 1412. Under Venetian rule, Šibenik became in 1412 the seat of the main

customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

office and the seat of the salt consumers office with a

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...

on the salt trade in

Chioggia Chioggia (; , ; ) is a coastal town and (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Venice in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Geography The town is located on a small island at the southern entrance to the Venetian Lagoon about sou ...

and on the whole

. In August 1417, Venetian authorities were concerned with the "

Morlachs Morlachs ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Morlaci, Морлаци; ; ) is an exonym used for a rural Christian community in Herzegovina, Lika and the Dalmatian Hinterland. The term was initially used for a bilingual Vlach pastoralist community in the mountain ...

and other Slavs" from the hinterland, that were a threat to security in Šibenik. The

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

started to threaten Šibenik (known as ''Sebenico''), as part of their struggle against Venice, at the end of the 15th century, but they never succeeded in conquering it. In the 16th century, St. Nicholas Fortress was built and, by the 17th century, its fortifications were improved again by the fortresses of St. John (Tanaja) and Šubićevac (Barone). The

started settling Šibenik during the Cretan War (1645–69). The fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797 brought ''Sebenico'' under the authority of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

. Annexed by the French Empire and included in its

Illyrian Provinces The Illyrian Provinces were an autonomous province of France during the First French Empire that existed under Napoleonic Rule from 1809 to 1814. The province encompassed large parts of modern Italy and Croatia, extending their reach further e ...

during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, the town became (again) part of the

Austrian monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ( composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it ...

after the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

. The compromise of 1867 brought it in the Austrian side of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

, until 1918. During this Austrian period, it was the capital of the district of the same name, one of the 13 in the

Kingdom of Dalmatia The Kingdom of Dalmatia (; ; ) was a crown land of the Austrian Empire (1815–1867) and the Cisleithanian half of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918). It encompassed the entirety of the region of Dalmatia, with its capital at Zadar. History The Habs ...

. The Italian name ''Sebenico'' only was used until around 1871. In 1872, at the time in the

, Ante Šupuk became the town's first Croat mayor elected under universal suffrage. He was instrumental in the process of the modernization of the city, and is particularly remembered for the 1895 project to provide street lights powered by the early AC

Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant The Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant near Skradinski Buk waterfall on the Krka (Adriatic Sea), Krka River in central Dalmatia, Croatia. It is located within the Krka National Park. Built in 1895, the Krka–Šibenik ...

. On 28 August 1895, Šibenik became the world's first city with

alternating current Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time, in contrast to direct current (DC), which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in w ...

-powered street lights.

20th century

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the Austro-Hungarian navy used the port facilities of Šibenik, and the light cruisers and destroyers which escaped the Allied force after the battle of Cape Rodoni (or Gargano) returned to safety in the city, where some battleships were based. After the war Šibenik was occupied by the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

until 12 June 1921 within the framework of the occupation of the eastern Adriatic. As a result of the Treaty of Rapallo, the Italians gave up their claim to the city and it became a part of the

Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () has been its colloq ...

. After World War I, the exodus of the

Dalmatian Italians Dalmatian Italians (; ) are the historical Italian national minority living in the region of Dalmatia, now part of Croatia and Montenegro. Historically, Italian language-speaking Dalmatians accounted for 12.5% of population in 1865, 5.8% in 18 ...

from the city began. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Šibenik was annexed by

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and was part of the Italian

Governorate of Dalmatia The Governorate of Dalmatia (; ) was an administrative division of the Kingdom of Italy that existed during two periods, first from 1918 to 1920 and then from 1941 to 1943. The first Governorate of Dalmatia was established following the end of Wo ...

from 1941 to 1943 being part of the province of Zara. Communist partisans liberated Šibenik on 3 November 1944. After World War II it became a part of the

SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

until Croatia declared independence in 1991. During the

Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...

(1991–95), Šibenik was heavily attacked by the

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA/; Macedonian language, Macedonian, Montenegrin language, Montenegrin and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian language, Croatian and ; , J ...

and Serbian paramilitary troops. Although under-armed, the nascent

Croatian army The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threa ...

and the people of Šibenik managed to defend the city. The battle lasted for six days (16–22 September), often referred to as the " September battle". The bombings damaged numerous buildings and monuments, including the dome of the Šibenik Cathedral of St James and the 1870-built theatre building. In an August 1995

military operation A military operation (op) is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state or actor's favor. Operati ...

, the Croatian Army defeated the Serb forces and reconquered the occupied areas, which allowed the region to recover from the war and continue to develop as the centre of Šibenik-Knin county. Since then, the damaged areas of the city have been fully restored.

Climate

Šibenik has a

mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(''Csa''), with mild, humid winters and hot, dry summers. January and February are the coldest months, July and August are the hottest months. In July the average maximum temperature is around . The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

subtype for this climate is " Csa" (Mediterranean Climate). Since records began in 1949, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station at an elevation of was , on 10 August 2017. The coldest temperature was , on 10 February 1956.

Main sights

The central church in Šibenik, the Šibenik Cathedral of St James, is on the

UNESCO World Heritage list World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

. Several successive architects built it completely in stone between 1431 and 1536, both in Gothic and in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style. The interlocking stone slabs of the cathedral's roof were damaged when the city was shelled by Yugoslav forces in 1991. The damage has since been repaired.

Fortifications in Šibenik

In the city of Šibenik there are four fortresses, each of which has views of the city, sea and nearby islands. The fortresses are now tourist sightseeing destinations. * St. Nicholas Fortress () is a fortress located on the island of ''Ljuljevac'', at the entrance to the St. Anthony Channel, across from the

Jadrija Jadrija is a city district in Šibenik, Croatia. It is a popular seaside resort located on a man-made peninsula at the entrance of the St. Anthony Channel leading to Šibenik. Jadrija was logged into the registry of protected Croatian cultural her ...

beach lighthouse. It is included in

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

list as part of Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries: ''Stato da Terra'' – western ''Stato da Mar'' in 2017. * St. Michael's Fortress in historic town centre * St. John Fortress * Barone Fortress

Natural heritage

* Roughly north of the city is the Krka National Park, similar to the

Plitvice Lakes National Park Plitvice Lakes National Park (, colloquially ''Plitvice'', ) is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, for its outstanding and picturesque se ...

, known for its many waterfalls, flora, fauna, and historical and archaeological remains. * The

Kornati The Kornati archipelago () of Croatia, also known as the Stomorski islands, is located in the northern part of Dalmatia, south from Zadar and west from Šibenik, in the Šibenik-Knin County. With length and 89 islands, some large, some small, i ...

archipelago, west of Šibenik, consists of 150 islands in a sea area of about , making it the densest

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

Culture

The composer Jakov Gotovac founded the city's "Philharmonia Society" in 1922. The 19th-century composer Franz von Suppé was part of the city's cultural fabric, as he was a native of nearby

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

. Each summer, a number of concerts and events take place in the city, many of them in the St. Michael Fortress. Also, starting in 2016 on a nearby island of Obonjan ( southwest of the city), an annual music, art, health and workshop festival is being held. The annual Šibenik International Children's Festival (''Međunarodni Dječji Festival'') takes place every summer and hosts children's workshops, plays and other activities. From 2011 to 2013 the Terraneo festival (music festival) was held in August on a yearly basis on a former military area in Šibenik, and since 2014 Šibenik (and other nearby towns) are the home of its spiritual successor Super Uho festival. Šibenik hosts the Dalmatian Chanson Evenings festival (''Večeri Dalmatinske Šansone''), held in the second half of August.

Sports

As famous sports town, Šibenik is the hometown of many successful athletes: Aleksandar Petrović,

Dražen Petrović Dražen Petrović (; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s with Cibona and Real Madri ...

, Perica Bukić, Ivica Žurić, Predrag Šarić,

Dario Šarić Dario Šarić (; born 8 April 1994) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. He also represents the senior ...

, Vanda Baranović-Urukalo, Danira Nakić, Nik Slavica, Miro Bilan, Dražan Jerković, Petar Nadoveza, Krasnodar Rora, Dean Računica, Mladen Pralija, Ante Rukavina,

Duje Ćaleta-Car Duje Ćaleta-Car (; born 17 September 1996) is a Croatian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football)#centre-back, centre-back for club Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon and the Croatia national football ...

, Mile Nakić, Franko Nakić, Siniša Belamarić, Renato Vrbičić, Ivica Tucak,

Andrija Komadina Andrija Komadina (born 23 November 1977) is a Croatian former professional water polo player. He was a member of the Croatia men's national water polo team, played as a defender. He was a part of the Croatian team that won the fourth place at the ...

, Miro Jurić, Antonio Petković, Neven Spahija, Antonija Sandrić, Mate Maleš, Stipe Bralić, Franco Jelovčić, Nives Radić, Karmela Makelja, and many others.

Basketball

The famous multi-purpose Baldekin Sports Hall was the home arena of KK Šibenik, the famous basketball club which played in the final of the

FIBA Korać Cup The FIBA Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA Europe between the 1971–72 and 2001–02 seasons. It was the European professional club basketball system, third-tier level club competition in European basketball, a ...

twice, as well as in the final of the 1982–83 Yugoslav league championship. The team was led by then 19-year-old Dražen Petrović. The women's basketball club, ŽKK Šibenik, is among the most successful women's basketball clubs in Croatia, winning the Yugoslav league title in 1991,

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup (; ; , ), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup (; , and between 1947 and 1991 as the Marshal Tito Cup (; ; ; ), was one of two major association football, football competitions in Socialist Federal Re ...

title twice, Croatian league title four times, Croatian Cup four times,

Adriatic league The ABA League, renamed the ABA League First Division in 2017, is the top-tier regional men's professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, ...

five times, and the Vojko Herksel Cup four times. The dissolved men's basketball club, KK Jolly Jadranska Banka Šibenik, Jolly Jadranska banka, played in the play-offs semifinals of the Croatian league championship twice, as well as in the Krešimir Ćosić Cup final game in the 2016–17 season. The biggest success of GKK Šibenka, a club founded in 2010 following the dissolution of the famous KK Šibenik, came in the 2016–17 A-1 League, 2016–17 Croatian league championship season, when the club played the 2017 A1 League playoffs, play-offs semifinals against powerhouse KK Cibona, Cibona Zagreb. Šibenka lost to Cibona in the semifinals.

Football

Stadion Šubićevac, Šubićevac stadium, which is located in the neighbourhood of the same name, has been the home ground of the HNK Šibenik football club, which had played many years in the Yugoslav Second League, and later many years in the Croatian First Football League, Croatian First League. In the 2009–10 season, the club played in the 2009–10 Croatian Football Cup, Croatian Cup final, which they lost to powerhouse HNK Hajduk Split, Hajduk Split. As of 2021, the club again competes in the Croatian First League.

Mountaineering

The local chapter of the Croatian Mountaineering Association, HPS, ''HPD "Kamenar"'', was in renewal in 1937.

Water polo

The dissolved water polo club, VK Šibenik, is considered to be one of the best men's clubs in Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, former Yugoslavia, winning the second place in the 1986–87 domestic league season. It also played in the LEN Euro Cup final game of the 2006–07 season, but lost to Sintez Kazan, as well as the club played in the LEN Champions League in the 2008–09 LEN Euroleague, 2008–09 season, led both times by Ivica Tucak, today the head coach of the senior men's Croatia men's national water polo team, Croatian national team. Croatian water polo internationals, Perica Bukić and Renato Vrbičić, are Olympic medalists. They won gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Ivica Tucak has been the most successful coach of the senior men's Croatian national team ever.

Demographics

In the 2021 Croatian census, Šibenik's total city population was 42,599 which makes it the eleventh-largest city in Croatia, with 31,115 in the urban settlement. Of Šibenik's citizens, 94.19% were ethnic Croats. The administrative sections of the city are: * Baldekin I * Baldekin II - Škopinac * Baldekin III * Crnica * Građa *

* Mandalina, Šibenik, Mandalina * Meterize * Plišac * Ražine * Ražine Donje * Stari Grad, Šibenik, Stari Grad * Šubićevac * Varoš, Šibenik, Varoš * Vidici * Zablaće, Šibenik, Zablaće The list of naselja, settlements is as follows: * Boraja, population 221 * Brnjica, Croatia, Brnjica, population 57 * Brodarica, Šibenik, Brodarica, population 2,611 * Čvrljevo, Šibenik, Čvrljevo, population 51 * Danilo, Šibenik-Knin County, Danilo, population 319 * Danilo Biranj, population 416 * Danilo Kraljice, population 87 * Donje Polje, population 188 * Dubrava kod Šibenika, population 1,117 * Goriš, population 127 * Gradina, Šibenik-Knin County, Gradina, population 258 * Grebaštica, population 890 * Jadrtovac, population 171 * Kaprije, population 186 * Konjevrate, population 179 * Krapanj, population 166 * Lepenica, Croatia, Lepenica, population 62 * Lozovac, population 318 * Mravnica, Šibenik-Knin County, Mravnica, population 29 * Perković, Croatia, Perković, population 103 * Podine, population 20 * Radonić, Šibenik, Radonić, population 93 * Raslina, population 553 * Sitno Donje, population 457 * Slivno, Šibenik-Knin County, Slivno, population 95 * Šibenik, population 31,115 * Vrpolje, Šibenik, Vrpolje, population 731 * Vrsno, Croatia, Vrsno, population 58 * Zaton, Šibenik-Knin County, Zaton, population 929 * Zlarin, population 293 * Žaborić, population 552 * Žirje, Croatia, Žirje, population 147 The city belonged for centuries to the

within the so-called Venetian Dalmatia, and for this reason, there was a significant community of Italians in Šibenik, the

. According to the Austrian censuses they were 1,018 Dalmatian Italians (14.5% of the total population) in 1890, 858 (8.5%) in 1900 and 810 (6.4%) in 1910.Guerrino Perselli, ''I censimenti della popolazione dell'Istria, con Fiume e Trieste e di alcune città della Dalmazia tra il 1850 e il 1936'', Centro di Ricerche Storiche - Rovigno, Unione Italiana - Fiume, Università Popolare di Trieste, Trieste-Rovigno, 1993 Their number dropped drastically following the Istrian-Dalmatian exodus, which took place from 1943 to 1960. From the 2011 Croatian census, there are 16 Dalmatian Italians present in Šibenik, correspond to 0.03% of the total population.

Economy

Port

Šibenik is one of the best protected ports on the Croatian Adriatic and is situated on the estuary of the Krka (Croatia), Krka River. The approach channel is navigable by ships up to 50,000 tonnes deadweight tonnage, deadweight. The port itself has depths up to 40 m.

Transportation

Šibenik has a railway station which is a terminus of the local Perković, Croatia, Perković - Šibenik railway, a branch of M604 railway (Croatia), M604 railway connecting Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split via Knin. The train services are operated by Croatian Railways. Bus station Šibenik is connected by daily bus lines with the surrounding towns such as Vodice, Croatia, Vodice, Pirovac, Biograd na Moru. There are good connections to major cities across Croatia: Rijeka, Crikvenica, Zagreb, Osijek, Zadar, Split, Makarska, Dubrovnik.

International relations

Šibenik is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Civitanova Marche (since 2002) * San Benedetto del Tronto * Kreis Herford * Voiron * Vukovar (since 2011) * Pineto (since 2016) * Razlog (since 2016) * Veszprém

Image gallery

File:Kroatien Sibenik.jpg, Šibenik harbor File:Sunrise in Šibenik 001.jpg, Sunrise in Šibenik File:Trip to Croatia-Day 6-Zadar-Sibenik 9 (2241359812).jpg, Square of the Republic of Croatia File:St. Jacobuskathedraal ; Sibenik.jpg, Šibenik Cathedral File:Sibenik cannons.JPG, Cannons in Šibenik File:Šibenik - gradska Nova vrata.jpg, The City "New Gate" (16th century) File:City Hall sibenik.JPG, Town Hall File:Gradska knjižnica Šibenik.jpg, Šibenik City Library File:Šibenska gradska straža na smotri u Čakovcu.jpg, Šibenik City Guard, a historical military unit File:Kaštel-s-Baronea.jpg, St. Michael's Fortress File:Sibenik sunset.jpg, Šibenik sunset File:View from beach Banj to St. Anthony Channel.jpg, View from Banj beach to St. Anthony Channel File:Fountain in Sibenik park.jpg, Fountain located in the Robert Visiani Park File:Sibenik coast.jpg, Šibenik coast File:View of beach Banj and Sibenik bridge.jpg, Šibenik sea including Banj beach and Panorama Viewpoint#Šibenik Bridge, Šibenik Bridge File:Bell tower of St. John's Church.jpg, St. John's Church bell tower File:Church of St. Francis in Sibenik.jpg, Entrance to the church of St. Francis File:Palace Pelegrini.jpg, Pellegrini Palace File:Sunset-over-St-Anthony-Channel.jpg, alt=Sunset-over-St-Anthony-Channel, Sunset over St. Anthony Channel, St. Anthony's Channel File:Beach-Banj-traditional-New-Year's-Day-swimming.jpg, alt=Beach-Banj-traditional-New-Year's-Day-swimming, Banj beach's traditional New Year's Day swimming

References

External links

Official Šibenik City website

Croatian Tourist Board

Photo gallery of Šibenik
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sibenik Šibenik, Cities and towns in Croatia Kingdom of Dalmatia Populated coastal places in Croatia Spa towns in Croatia Port cities and towns of the Adriatic Sea Former capitals of Croatia Populated places in Šibenik-Knin County 11th-century establishments in Croatia 1066 establishments in Europe Ports and harbours of Croatia Territories of the Republic of Venice