Istria is the Adriatic peninsula shared mainly by Croatia and Slovenia and including the city of Pula.
The peninsula projects southward into the northern Adriatic. Most of its territory belongs to Croatia’s Istria County, a small northern section belongs to Slovenia, and a tiny area is part of Italy. The region’s largest city, Pula, stands near the southern tip.
Pula is famous for its exceptionally preserved Roman amphitheater, built during the first century CE. Other historic towns, including Rovinj and Poreč, reflect Roman, Venetian, Austrian, and Yugoslav periods of rule.
Istria is often confused with Dalmatia, another Croatian coastal region farther southeast. Dalmatia is a long mainland-and-island region along the eastern Adriatic, whereas Istria is the broad peninsula at the Adriatic’s northern end.