Istria
Istria (/ˈɪstriə/ IST-ree-ə; Croatian and Slovene: Istra; Italian and Venetian: Istria)[1] is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Kvarner Gulf. It is shared by three countries: Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy,[2][3] with 87% of surface area being part of Croatia.[4] Croatia encapsulates most of the Istrian peninsula within Istria County.[5]
For other uses, see Istria (disambiguation).
Name[edit]
The name Istria (Ἰστρία) is derived from the river Ister (Ἴστρος) (modern Danube), because the Greeks erroneously believed, at the very early period, that one branch or arm of the Danube flowed into the Adriatic sea in that area. In addition, the Greeks called the inhabitants of the area Histri (Ἴστροι) and if this was their native name, it may have initially led the Greeks to assume their connection with the river Ister.[7]
Traditional folk costume of Istrian Croats
Vineyards of Istria
This list includes towns and municipalities of Istria with populations estimated to be higher than 8,000 people.[51]