Kraljevica (known as Porto Re in Italian language and literally translated as "King's cove" in English language) is a town in the Kvarner region of western Croatia, located between Rijeka and Crikvenica, approximately thirty kilometers from Opatija and near the entrance to the bridge to the island of Krk. It is part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
The town is known for its shipyard which has built a number of ships for the Croatian navy.
History
Kraljevica is a town that was written about as early as the 13th century. Today, in addition to having the oldest shipyard on the
Adriatic Sea,
Kraljevica's skyline is dominated by two medieval castles and a church of the Croatian nobles
Zrinski and
Frankopan. Kraljevica's shipyard employed Josip Broz Tito, the former leader of
Yugoslavia, during the first half of the 20th century in his early years of organizing for the Communist Party. After he became marshal of Yugoslavia following World War II, the shipyard took his name, until democratic changes in the 1990s. Kraljevica was the site of an Italian-run concentration camp during WW II.
In March 1873, the Primorska štediona savings bank opened in Kraljevica. It competed with the savings bank in Bakar (established 1876), but had to file bankruptcy in 1878.
Today Kraljevica is also a popular tourist destination on the Adriatic coast. The Krk Bridge is located nearby, in the southeast part of the city.
Climate
Between 1981 and 1986, the highest temperature recorded at the local weather station was , on 29 July 1983.
The coldest temperature was , on 7 January 1985.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, the total population of the township was 4,618, with the following
naselja:
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Bakarac, population 313
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Kraljevica, population 2,857
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Križišće, population 85
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Mali Dol, population 180
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Šmrika, population 988
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Veli Dol, population 195
In 1890, the obćina of Kraljevica (court at Kraljevica), with an area of , belonged to the kotar of Sušak (Bakar court and electoral district) in the županija of Modruš-Rieka (Ogulin court and financial board). There were 403 houses, with a population of 1689. Its sole village for taxation purposes made up its own porezna obćina, under the Bakar office. The only statistical market in Sušak kotar was in Kraljevica.
Infrastructure
In 1913, there were two
gendarmerie in Sušak kotar: Sušak and Kraljevica.
Further reading
History
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Online publication 2016-01-09.