Map of Croatia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: In 1918 the Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II Yugoslavia became an independent communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 it took four years of sporadic but often bitter fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.


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Location: Southeastern Europe bordering the Adriatic Sea between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates: 45 10 N 15 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 56,542 km²
Land: 56,414 km²
Water: 128 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 2,028 km
Border countries: (4) Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km; , Hungary 329 km; , Yugoslavia 266 km; , Slovenia 501 km

Coastline: 5,835 km (mainland 1777 km islands 4,058 km)

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters dry summers along coast

Terrain: geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

Natural resources: oil some coal bauxite low-grade iron ore calcium natural asphalt silica mica clays salt hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 20%
Forests and woodland: 38%
Other: 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

Geography
Note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits


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Population: 4,334,142 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.48% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: 4% (1999 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Croat
Adjective: Croatian

Ethnic groups: Croat 78.1% Serb 12.2% Bosniak 0.9% Hungarian 0.5% Slovenian 0.5% Czech 0.4% Albanian 0.3% Montenegrin 0.3% Roma 0.2% others 6.6% (1991)

Languages: Croatian 96% other 4% (including Italian Hungarian Czech Slovak and German)

Religions: Roman Catholic 76.5% Orthodox 11.1% Muslim 1.2% Protestant 0.4% others and unknown 10.8% (1991)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.16% (male 403,722; female 383,151)
15-64 years: 66.61% (male 1,452,872; female 1,434,086)
65 years and over: 15.23% (male 245,727; female 414,584) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.48% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 12.82 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 11.41 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 13.37 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 7.21 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.9 years
Male: 70.28 years
Female: 77.73 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 350 (1999 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 99%
Female: 95% (1991 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
Conventional short form: Croatia
Local long form: Republika Hrvatska
Local short form: Hrvatska

Government type: presidential/parliamentary democracy

Capital: Zagreb

Administrative divisions: 20 counties (zupanije zupanija - singular) 1 city (grad -singular)*: Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija Brodsko-Posavska Zupanija Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija Istarska Zupanija Karlovacka Zupanija Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija Licko-Senjska Zupanija Medimurska Zupanija Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija Varazdinska Zupanija Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija Zadarska Zupanija Zagreb* Zagrebacka Zupanija

Dependent areas

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Republic Day/Statehood Day 30 May (1990)

Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990

Legal system: based on civil law system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age if employed)

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since 27 January 2000), Zeljka ANTUNOVIC (since 27 January 2000), Slavko LINIC (since 27 January 2000)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the House of Representatives
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 7 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister nominated by the president in line with the balance of power in the Assembly
Election results: Stjepan MESIC elected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 56%, Drazen BUDISA (HSLS) 44%
Note: government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS, IDS

Legislative branch
Elections: House of Counties - last held 13 April 1997; House of Representatives - last held 2-3 January 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
Election results: House of Counties - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HDZ 42, HSLS/HSS 11, HSS 2, IDS 2, SDP/PGS/HNS 2, SDP/HNS 2, HSLS/HSS/HNS 1, HSLS 1; note - in some districts certain parties ran as coalitions, while in others they ran alone; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HDZ 46, SDP 44, HSLS 24, HSS 17, HSP/HKDU 5, IDS 4, HNS 2, independents 4, minority representatives 5

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic which is elected by the House of Representatives

Political parties and leaders
Note: the Social Democratic Party or SDP and the Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS formed a coalition as did the HSS, HNS, LP, and IDS, which together defeated the Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ in the 2000 lower house parliamentary election

International organization participation: BIS CCC CE CEI EAPC EBRD ECE FAO IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU NAM (observer) OAS (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan GRDESIC
In the us chancery: 2,343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 588-5,899
In the us fax: [1] (202) 588-8,936
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence G. ROSSIN
From the us embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, 100,000 Zagreb
From the us mailing address: use street address
From the us telephone: [385] (1) 455-55-00
From the us fax: [385] (1) 455-85-85

Flag description: red white and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia the Republic of Croatia after Slovenia was the most prosperous and industrialized area with a per capita output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average. Croatia faces considerable economic problems stemming from: the legacy of longtime communist mismanagement of the economy; damage during the internecine fighting to bridges factories power lines buildings and houses; the large refugee and displaced population both Croatian and Bosnian; and the disruption of economic ties. Stepped-up Western aid and investment especially in the tourist and oil industries would help bolster the economy. The economy emerged from its mild recession in 2000 with tourism the main factor. Massive unemployment remains a key negative element. The government's failure to press the economic reforms needed to spur growth is largely the result of coalition politics and public resistance particularly from the trade unions to measures that would cut jobs wages or social benefits.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.2% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10%
Industry: 19%
Services: 71% (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat corn sugar beets sunflower seed alfalfa clover olives citrus grapes soy beans potatoes; livestock dairy products

Industries: chemicals and plastics machine tools fabricated metal electronics pig iron and rolled steel products aluminum paper wood products construction materials textiles shipbuilding petroleum and petroleum refining food and beverages; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 1.7% (2000)

Labor force: 1.68 million (October 2000)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 22% (October 2000)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 4% (1999 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $6 billion
Expenditures: $4.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6% (2000 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $4.3 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: transport equipment textiles chemicals foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Italy 18% Germany 15.7% Bosnia and Herzegovina 12.8% Slovenia 10.6% Austria 6.2% (1999)

Imports: $7.8 billion (c.i.f. 1999)
Commodities: machinery transport and electrical equipment chemicals fuels and lubricants foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 18.5% Italy 15.9% Russia 8.6% Slovenia 7.9% Austria 7.1% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $9.9 billion (December 1999)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: kuna per US dollar - 8.089 (January 2001) 8.277 (2000) 7.112 (1999) 6.362 (1998) 6.101 (1997) 5.434 (1996)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 10.96 billion kWh (1999)
By source fossil fuel: 40.89%
By source hydro: 59%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0.11% (1999)

Electricity consumption: 13.643 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity exports: 1 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity imports: 4.45 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 187,000 (yearend 1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be included in the plan for the main trunk
International: digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project which consists of two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece (2000)

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .hr

Internet users: 100,000 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $575 million (2000)
Percent of gdp: 3.8% (2000)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 67 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 22
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 45
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 22
Over 3047 m: 2
2438 to 3047 m: 6
15-24 to 2437 m: 2
914 to 1523 m: 4
Under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 45
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 8
Under 914 m: 36 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2000 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 670 km; petroleum products 20 km; natural gas 310 km (1992)

Railways
Total: 2,296 km
Standard gauge: 2,296 km 1.435-m gauge (983 km electrified) (2000)

Roadways

Waterways
Note: (perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris)

Merchant marine
Total: 53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 631,853 GRT/969,739 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 18, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 5, container 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 3 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Croatia and Italy made progress toward resolving a bilateral issue dating from World War II over property and ethnic minority rights; progress with Slovenia on discussions of adjustments to land boundary but problems remain in defining maritime boundary in Gulf of Piran; Croatia and Yugoslavia are negotiating the status of the strategically important Prevlaka Peninsula which is currently under a UN military observer mission (UNMOP)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs