Mongol invasion of EuropeFrom the 1220s into the 1240s, the Mongols conquered the Turkic states of Volga Bulgaria, Cumania and Iranian state of Alania, and various principalities in Eastern Europe. Following this, they began their invasion into Central Europe by launching a two-pronged invasion of then-fragmented Poland, culminating in the Battle of Legnica (9 April 1241), and the Kingdom of Hungary, culminating in the Battle of Mohi (11 April 1241).
IllyriansThe Illyrians (Ἰλλυριοί, Illyrioi; Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, along with the Thracians and Greeks. The territory the Illyrians inhabited came to be known as Illyria to later Greek and Roman authors, who identified a territory that corresponds to most of Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, much of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, western and central Serbia and some parts of Slovenia between the Adriatic Sea in the west, the Drava river in the north, the Morava river in the east and the Ceraunian Mountains in the south.
ZadarZadar (USˈzɑːdɑːr , zâdar; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ˈdzaːra; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serves as the seat of Zadar County and of the wider northern Dalmatian region. The city proper covers with a population of 75,082 , making it the second-largest city of the region of Dalmatia and the fifth-largest city in the country.
KotorKotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, kɔ̌tɔr), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ˈkattaro), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of Kotor Municipality. The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea.
KaštelaKaštela (kǎʃte̞la;) is a town and a suburb of Split, in Split-Dalmatia County. The town is an agglomeration of seven individual settlements which are administered as a single municipality with populations individually ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 residents. The town is located northwest of the city of Split, west of Solin and east of Trogir, on the central Dalmatian coast. With a total population of 37,794 census, it is the 14th largest town in the country.
Croatian literatureCroatian literature refers to literary works attributed to the medieval and modern culture of the Croats, Croatia, and Croatian. Besides the modern language whose shape and orthography was standardized in the late 19th century, it also covers the oldest works produced within the modern borders of Croatia, written in Church Slavonic and Medieval Latin, as well as vernacular works written in Čakavian and Kajkavian dialects. Croatian medieval prose is similar to other European medieval literature of the time.
BračBrač (Italian: Brazza) is an island in the Adriatic Sea within Croatia, with an area of , making it the largest island in Dalmatia, and the third largest in the Adriatic. It is separated from the mainland by the Brač Channel, which is wide. The island's tallest peak, Vidova gora, or Mount St. Vid, stands at , making it the highest point of the Adriatic islands. The island has a population of 13,931, living in twenty-two settlements, ranging from the main town Supetar, with more than 3,400 inhabitants, to Murvica, where less than two dozen people live.
Culture of CroatiaCulture of Croatia has historically been influenced by Central European, Mediterranean and other Balkan cultures. Croatia's unique culture and identity can be traced back to the historical llyricum, and the Dalmatae illyrian tribes of Dalmatia. The Croatian language is believed to have been formed in the 6th or 7th century, and the written language is present in Glagolitic texts from the 11th century. In terms of Croatian national emancipation, the 19th-century Illyrian movement was a significant period of national cultural history.
