Primorsko-Goranska County is located in the west of Croatia, s 3.588 km² land surfaces. It includes the area of the city of Rijeka, the northeastern part of the Istrian peninsula, the Kvarner islands, the Croatian coast and Gorski kotar. Its seat is Rijeka, the third largest Croatian city. The Primorje-Gorski Kotar County consists of 14 cities, 22 municipalities and 511 settlements in the composition of cities and municipalities. The length of the coast in the county is 1.065 km.
According to the 2021 population census, the county had 266.503 inhabitants (6,85% of the total population of Croatia) with an average population density of 74,28 inhabitants/km2.
It was precisely the geographical location and diverse features - the sea, the richly indented coast with islands and the heavily forested Gorski Kotar - that determined the economic development of the County.
The extremely favorable geo-traffic position (intersection of important European land and sea routes) influenced the fact that the population opted for shipping and other economic activities related to the sea since ancient times.
That is why this area, and especially Rijeka as the county center, has developed into a strong maritime center with a developed port, maritime transport, shipbuilding and tourist activities of significance for the whole of Croatia, and Gorski kotar into a traditionally strong forestry and wood processing economic area.