The distinctive contrast of , on the one hand , a barren and desert-like karstic environment above sea level and , on the other hand , an extremely rich ; biologically and geologically diverse world beneath the sea provides the fundamental characteristic of this region .
Osebujni kontrast škrtog , gotovo polupustinjskog krševitog nadmorja s jedne strane i biološki i geomorfološki iznimno bogatog i raznolikog podmorja s druge strane , temeljna je odlika ovog prostora .