>>216473591
Istria is the only region of Croatia that was part of HRE and later the Habsburg realm, besides permanent Venetian rule on the west coast, it was continuously part of the same country as Slovenia and Austria unlike Croatia which was with Hungary. Even today Croats there often have last names which sound more Slovenian and sometimes German along side Italian of course which are very common among given first names.
The Istrian mentality is closer to Slovenian than to Dalmatian, Montenegrin or anything else on the Adriatic, similar to North Italian which is also German influenced.
Istria is med but also very "central", I'd go as far as to say the truest Central European part of Croatia.
Dalmatia is med but also very balkan with Ottoman influence and Vlach, Serb and Herzegovinian immigrants.