Croatia extends from the furthest eastern edges of the Alps in the north-west to the Pannonian lowlands and the banks of the Danube in the east. Its central region is covered by the Dinara mountain range, and its southern parts extend to the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Zagreb is Croatia's capital and its largest city and, from the aspect of demography, economy, science and culture, it is the most significant urban agglomeration which connects central to southeastern Europe. Zagreb is the political and administrative centre of Croatia; it is the seat of the Croatian parliament, the President and the government. It is located on the southwestern rim of the Pannonian basin. There are many beautiful islands in Croatia, like Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo, Hvar and Brac, which has one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean - Zlatni rat - which is also a windsurfing paradise. The most visited island is Krk, but in the Kvarner there are also Cres, Losinj, Rab, Pag. To see these beautiful islands and cities, that stretches through the whole country, you should rent a car; you have that option in every lager airport in Croatia, for example in Dubravnik, Zagreb and Zadar. Croatia has seven National parks: The mountain of Risnjak is a national park, situated relatively close to the coast, in the region of Gorski Kotar. The Plitvice Lakes are situated in the continental region of Lika, half way between Zagreb and Sibenik. The beauty of the virgin nature and the abundance of animal and plant life, were the reasons why the area was designated a national park in 1949 and why UNESCO put Plitvice lakes on its list of world natural heritage in 1979. The Paklenica Canyon, located in the vicinity of Zadar, is also protected as a national park. The Krka River, probably the most wonderful of all the rivers in the Croatia, is also in a national park.