Zadar is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. The city serves as the seat of Zadar County and the wider northern Dalmatian region. The district of present-day Zadar has been populated since prehistoric times. Conquered or occupied by the Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Napoleonic France, Italy and Nazi Germany, all have left their mark.