The kingdom of Dalmatia, the southernmost crown-land of the
Austria-Hungarian Monarchy, belonging to Cis-Leithania, extends
from the Quarnerolo on the N. to the hills on the Lake of Scutari
on the S., while on the E. it is commanded by the Velebit Mts.,
the Dinarian Alps, and the mountainous region of the Herzegovina
and of Montenegro. The W. side of Dalmatia is washed by the Adria-
tic, the Seno Adriático of mariners, which from time immemorial
has been the highway of traffic between East and West. Coasting
vessels usually steer within the belt of islands which protect the
Dalmatian coast, while the opposite Italian coast is almost entirely
destitute of such shelter. The tide within these islands rises to
the unusual height of six feet. A constant current flows from
Corfù to Venice, causing in stormy weather the dangerous tides
of the Quarnero.

Covering an area of a little over 5000 sq. M., Dalmatia forms the
N.W. fringe of the Balkan peninsula, and consists of a coast deep-
ly indented with numerous bays and fjords, the entrances to which
are guarded by innumerable islands and reefs (scogli), while the
mainland is a mountainous region, culminating in the Velebit Mts.
(5770 ft.) and the Orjen near Cattaro (6218 ft.), and forming a lofty
plateau descending abruptly to the sea, with crests running almost
exclusively from N.W. to S.E., parallel with the Dinarian Alps.
The islands and peninsulas which have been formed by subsidence
of portions of the land also run in the same direction, except the
southern islands of Brazza, Lesina, and Curzola, which lie from
W. to E. The Dalmatians usually speak of east and west only,
ignoring the other points of the compass, the former being suso or
levante ('up'), the latter giù or ponente ('down'). The bleak and
sterile mountain-region is badly watered, being intersected, in its
length of 370 M., by only four rivers worthy of mention (Zermagna,
Kerka, Cetina, Narenta), which are torrents in their upper parts and