Position, Population and Climate
The City of Rovinj-Rovigno land area covers 77.71 km2, which makes up 2.76% of the total surface of the Region of Istria.
According to official data of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Rovinj-Rovigno currently has 14,294 inhabitants, with population density of 180.94 inhabitants/km2 which considerably exceeds the average of the Region of Istria amounting to 73.4 inhabitants/km2 and the national average of 78.8 inhabitants/km2 for the respective period. The indigenous Italian national community is very important. It is entitled to the right to be represented and the right to bilingualism.
There are 8,963 accommodation units in the city area, of which 6,829 permanently occupied and 1,280 temporarily occupied apartments. Median age of Rovinj’s population is 43.
The City of Rovinj-Rovigno is part of the so-called “Red Istria” distinguished by fertile red soil and the karst landscape. A distinctive feature of Rovinj’s climate are as many as 22 islets whose length of coastline combined with the continental segment exceeds 50 km, which testifies to a high level of indentation of the coast, for the most part suited to swimming and enjoying various sea-related activities.
The climate of the City of Rovinj belongs to the Mediterranean type with sub-Mediterranean features. Summers are sunny and warm with clear skies, whereas winters are mild, with more cloudy skies and more humidity. The average annual temperature is 13˚C. The average annual insolation is 2,437 hours, i.e. 134 sunny days a year (Rovinj is the third sunniest city in the Adriatic, the city with the lowest number of cloudy days in the Adriatic).
A wealth of natural resources, a privileged geographical position and mild climate constitute the foundation of the overall development of the city of Rovinj. On account of the sea and the coastal area complete with the well-preserved leafy hinterland, the city of Rovinj is the right place to live and work.
Social features
The City of Rovinj-Rovigno gives particular importance to:
- preschool and school education: in fact, the past decade witnessed 88 million kunas invested in remodelling school buildings and increasing school standards, non-governmental organisations and associations and environmental protection so that children learn about waste separation, cultural and historic heritage and tradition from an early age,
- the third stage of life: since well-planned and quality programmes reduce social exclusion for persons aged 65 and over and secure a dignified ageing. Programmes are carried out paying full attention to personal, social and economic needs of senior citizens. The most frequent programmes are: the living room and clubs for senior citizens and full-time stay at the Domenico Pergolis Nursing Home in the city of Rovinj,
- non-governmental organisations and sports clubs: 80 non-governmental organisations, 39 sports clubs and associations performing their activity in the city territory are financed from the City budget,
- environmental protection: 30.5 km of sewer network built over the past 12 years, the first modern landfill with one third of waste recycled. Moreover, children learn about waste selection from preschool age, so that Rovinj can boast the first pilot project “Trees too have a beating heart” aimed at increasing the awareness of pre-school and school children of the need to separate waste and the related awareness of the importance of environmental protection through play and creative workshops.
The average annual budget of the City of Rovinj is around 120 million kunas.
Economy
In the Rovinj city area, inhabitants realise income performing numerous activities, mostly tourism-related, in addition to the ecologically acceptable processing industry, construction industry and agriculture.
Tourism is a branch of economy which is the main engine and generator of overall Rovinj’s economy. Consequently, each year witnesses an increase in the number of small and medium companies working in the tourism industry. The year 2015 marked 35,129 overnights, with Rovinj being the Croatian champion in the number of overnights for seven consecutive years with over 3.2 million realised stays.
Maistra d.d. tourism company launched a large development cycle in 2005 beginning with the reconstruction of almost all of its tourist facilities. The said cycle comprised the construction of new 5-star hotels Lone, Monte Moulini and Adriatic, development of resorts and campsites Amarin, Polari and Veštar, construction of swimming pool complexes, development of new beaches, most notably Monte Moulini beach. The year 2016 witnessed the construction of Hotel Amarin, the first family hotel, with the beginning of the reconstruction of Hotel Park scheduled for the end of 2016. It will be completely torn down and a new luxury 5-star hotel will be built on its site. Another tourism company absolutely worth mentioning is Valalta d.o.o., our largest tourism company after Maistra, managing one of the largest naturist campsites in the region.
The processing industry, primarily related to cigarette production in Kanfanar and TDR d.o.o. sold in 2015 to the multinational corporation BAT, plays an important role, as does the fishing industry, historically one of the main branches of Rovinj’s economy. In fact, Rovinj evolved into the most important centre of fishing and fish-processing industry in the entire region as early as the nineteenth century.
Most of the inhabitants of Rovinj used to have their own boat. Practically everyone was related to fisheries in one way or another, which in turn contributed to the creation of a vigorous, rich and specific tradition actively fostered in Rovinj to the present day, now that the fishing industry is no longer the main branch of economy.
While on the subject of the fishing industry, we must mention the Mirna d.d. factory established in 1877 as the factory for fishing and processing fish and fish products that is still in operation. Back in the day, Rovinj was the largest, the most developed Istrian city and the main maritime centre, with fisheries among the main sources of sustenance for the locals. In fact, Mirna is part of the history of tinned fish industry and one of the first of the kind in the world.
Today’s Mirna is a factory equipped with state-of-the art technology engaged in fishing, canning, deep freezing and preparation of sea fish ready meals. At the beginning of 2015, the company became the property of the food company Podravka d.d.
Crafts also feature among the leading economic activities in the city. A total of 751 artisans have been registered in 2015 in the Rovinj city area. On average, each craft is registered for performing two activities, mostly services, hospitality and tourism and trade.
Farming is the least represented in the city of Rovinj-Rovigno, although there has been an upward trend in recent years with more and more families turning to agriculture, horticulture, olive growing, production of olive oil, viticulture and winemaking. In fact, Istria has made a breakthrough in winemaking and the production of olive oil in the last decade. Agroudruga of the city of Rovinj is a member of the Olive Oil Cluster – the recipient of the status of protected designation for Istrian extra virgin olive oil. Some of the members have been awarded at national and international olive oil festivals (both as individuals and as a cooperative). Numerous winemakers from the Rovinj city area are recipients of numerous awards and recognitions.