Dalmatian Pelican - Croatia

Croatia is divided into 21 administrative districts; 20 counties and 1 capital city zone. The southern most county, Dubrovnik-Neretva is split into two sections by a small strip of land belonging to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dubrovnik, the capital of Dubrovnik-Neretva county once served as the capital of the Republic of Ragusa.

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Pelecanus crispus - The Dalmatian pelican is the largest of the 8 extant pelican species and one of the largest birds in the world. Pelicans are distinguished by their long bills and fleshy throat pouches used for catching and storing food. The Dalmatian pelican can reach a height of 180 centimeters, weigh up to 15 kilos and has a wingspan of almost 350 centimeters; the largest wingspan of any bird. It is found in Southeastern Europe, India, and China. The Dalmatian pelican prefers habits of shallow lakes or swampy areas.

Snake's Head Lily - Croatia

Fritillaria meleagris - The snake’s head lily derives its name from the bobbing flower on the plant’s stem resembling a snake’s head when not fully open. The flowers are a dark purple chequered pattern; on rare occasions, the flowers are white. It is native to Europe, cultivated in gardens, and not easy to find growing in the wild. The bulbs are alkaloid and highly poisonous. Being a hermaphrodite plant, the snake’s head has the capability to self-pollinate, but is usually pollinated by bees.

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Evidence of pre-Neandertal remains have been found in several areas of Croatia. Flints made by palaeolithic humanoids were unearthed in Šandalja Cave, a site near the village of Punikve. Teeth and bone fragments of Neandertals have been recovered from the Hušnjakovo site located near Krapina. These discoveries were found in 1899 and have been dated to 130,000 years ago. The recovered remains are referred to as Homo krapiniensis. Findings also included tools and evidence of a hearth.

Cities in Europe

Celtic people known as the Parisi founded Paris in the middle of the 13th century. The location, along the River Seine, was ideal in taking advantage of trade developing between Northern and Southern Europe. The town grew into a thriving city, bringing on unwanted attention from Romans and Vikings. Clovis the Frank, the first king to unite the Frankish tribes, made Paris the capital of his unified kingdom in 508.

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In 1095, Hungarian King Ladislaus I established a diocese in an area featuring two prominent hills; Gradec and Kaptol. The diocese was built on Kaptol and a small village took shape on Gradec. The two communities suffered invasions, fires, and the plague. They often resorted to violence in resolving their own petty differences, but agreed to merge in 1609, resulting in the formation of Zagreb.

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Wien was founded by Celtic people and can trace its history back to 500 BC. The Romans called the settlement Vindobona and built it into a fortified city to guard their northern border. The city and surrounding area became part of the Duchy of Austria, a state in the Holy Roman Empire. By 1440, Wien became the resident city of the Hapsburg Dynasty and served as the capital for the Holy Roman Empire.