Karlovac County

Karlovac County
Karlovačka županija (Croatian)
Karlovac County within Croatia
CountryCroatia
County seatKarlovac
Government
  Župan (Prefect)Martina Furdek-Hajdin (HDZ)
Area
  Total
3,626 km2 (1,400 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
  Total
112,195
  Density31/km2 (80/sq mi)
Area code047
ISO 3166 codeHR-04
HDI (2022)0.850
very high · 12th
Websitehttp://www.kazup.hr/

Karlovac County (Croatian: Karlovačka županija) is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac. It borders Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia.

The city of Karlovac is a fort from the times of the Military Frontier. It was built as a six-side star fort in the 16th century at the point of confluence of four rivers. The town blossomed in the 18th and 19th century after being made a free town, with the development of roads between Pannonian Basin to the Adriatic Sea, and waterways along the Kupa river. The city is making use of its crucial geostrategic point in Croatia.

The county itself extends towards the north to the water springs of Jamnica, and towards the south all the way down to the mountainous regions of Gorski Kotar and Lika, in particular to the Bjelolasica mountain which features the largest winter sport recreation center in the country.

County day is celebrated on the 25 April. Patron saint of the County is Saint Joseph, who is also patron of Karlovac.