| Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 72,718 (2006). It is the fifth largest Croatian city. 93% of its citizens are ethnic Croats (2001 census).
It is the centre of modern Croatia's Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Zadar is located opposite the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, from which it is separated by the narrow Zadar Strait.
The promontory on which the old city stands used to be separated from the mainland by a deep moat which has since become a landfill. The harbor, to the north-east of the town, is safe and spacious.
Zadar is the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishop.
In the 20th century, roads became more important than sea routes, but Zadar remained an important traffic point. The main road along the Adriatic passes through the city. In the immediate vicinity, there is the Zagreb-Split highway, finished in 2005. Since 1966, a railroad has linked it with Knin, where it joins the main railroad from Zagreb to Split. It has an international sea line to Ancona in Italy. The Zadar Airport is located in Zemunik, around 14 km to the east. It is planned to build a semi-highway from the port of Gaženica in Zadar to the highway hub of Zemunik. Another plan is the "Adriatic railroad" linking Gospic with Zadar and Split.
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