Croatia is situated between the Balkans and central Europe with a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Encompassing more than a thousand islands it is also crossed by the Dinaric Alps and is geographically diverse, featuring craggy peaks, caverns, river canyons, waterfalls and picturesque lakes. The country covers an area of 56,600 square kilometres and has a population of more than 4.5 million. Croatia has a rich cultural legacy which is well in evidence in its largest and capital city, Zagreb, the historic coastal city of Dubrovnik and the Roman ruins of the ancient port city of Split. Croatian is the official language but English is commonly spoken throughout the country. The local currency is the Euro (EUR)