Dalmatia is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria.Dalmatia is a narrow coastal region, stretching from the island of Rab in the north to the Bay of Kotor in the south.

The hinterland (Dalmatian Zagora) ranges in width from fifty kilometers in the north, to just a few kilometers in the south; it is mostly covered by rugged Dinaric Mountains.

Seventy-nine islands (and about five hundred islets) run parallel to the coast, the largest (in Dalmatia) being Brač, Pag and Hvar.

The largest city is Split, followed by Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Šibenik.The name of the region stems from an Illyrian tribe called the Dalmatae, who lived in the area in during classical antiquity.

Later it became a Roman province, and as result a Romance culture emerged, along with the now-extinct Dalmatian language, later largely replaced with related Venetian.

With the arrival to the area in the eighth century of Slavs, who occupied most of the hinterland, Slavic and Romance elements began to intermix in language and the culture.During the Middle Ages, its cities are often conquered by, or switch allegiance to, the kingdoms of the region.

The longest-lasting rule is the one of the Republic of Venice, which controls most of Dalmatia between 1420 and 1797, with the exception of the small but stable Republic of Ragusa (1358–1808) in the south.

Between 1815 and 1918, it is as a province of Austrian Empire known as the Kingdom of Dalmatia.

After the Austro-Hungarian defeat in the First World War.

Dalmatia is split between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes which controls most of it, and the Kingdom of Italy which holds several smaller parts.

After the Second World War, SFR Yugoslavia took control over the complete area.

The entirety of Dalmatia is now part of modern Croatia.

Rich historical heritage, clean waters of the Adriatic sea, and mild Mediterranean climate make the area a popular tourist destination.