Geography

By its size, location and natural characteristics Velebit is the most significant and interesting mountain in Croatia. In 1978 the Velebit Mountain got the international recognition, a document signed by UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, according to which the Velebit Mountain is recognized as part of the international network of Biosphere Reserves within the scientific Programme on Man and the Biosphere. It is understood that the document itself implies the obligation to preserve and put into best use all the natural assets of this mountain. The Velebit Mountain stretches from Senj to Zrmanja in the lenght of 145 kilometers and its width is 10 to 30 kilometers. Its total ares is 2274 square kilometers. It is a mountain containing limestone mainly. Climate and weather conditions of the area: Conditions of temperatures vary and are subject to extreme and sudden changes.

Croatian spelaeologists, together with Slovakia spelaeologists have recently founda completely unexplored, 707 meters deep pit, which makes it the third deepest pit in Croatia. After they started studying the pit carefully, they found out that beyond the depth of 250 meters, there lay a vertical descent 450 meters deep, which means that they discovered a pit with the longest inner vertical in the world! According to the tradition spelaelogists who discover a pit first share the honor of giving it a name, so they named this one Medusa.