Map of Croatia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918 the Croats Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II Yugoslavia became a federal 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. In January 2008 Croatia assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2008-09 term and in April 2008 it joined NATO. Croatia is a candidate for eventual EU accession.


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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: 56,594 km²
Rank: 126
Land: 55,974 km²
Water: 620 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1982 km
Border countries: (5) Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km; Hungary 329 km; Serbia 241 km; Montenegro 25 km; Slovenia 455 km

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

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

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 1830 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 25.82%
Permanent crops: 2.19%
Other: 71.99% (2005)

Irrigated land: 110 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 105.5 km³ (1998)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

Geography
Note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1200 islands islets ridges and rocks


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Population: 4,489,409 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 121
Growth rate: -0.052% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 210
Below poverty line: 11% (2003)

Nationality
Noun: Croat Croatian
Adjective: Croatian

Ethnic groups: Croat 89.6% Serb 4.5% other 5.9% (including Bosniak Hungarian Slovene Czech and Roma) (2001 census)

Languages: Croatian 96.1% Serbian 1% other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian Hungarian Czech Slovak and German) (2001 census)

Religions: Roman Catholic 87.8% Orthodox 4.4% other Christian 0.4% Muslim 1.3% other and unspecified 0.9% none 5.2% (2001 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.6%
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 1,506,364/female 1,522,789)
65 years and over: 17% (male 295,960/female 465,838) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 41 years
Male: 39.1 years
Female: 42.8 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.052% (2009 est.)
Rank: 210

Birth rate: 9.64 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 200

Death rate: 11.75 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 40

Net migration rate: 1.59 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 57% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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-Nitrogen Oxides Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.37 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 178
Male: 6.42 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.33 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.35 years
Rank: 79
Male: 71.72 years
Female: 79.18 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.42 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 191

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 155
People living with hivaids: 200 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 158
Deaths: fewer than 10 (2001 est.)
Deaths rank: 155

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible r

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2004)
Rank: 89

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.1%
Male: 99.3%
Female: 97.1% (2001 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

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
Former: People's Republic of Croatia Socialist Republic of Croatia

Government type: presidential/parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Zagreb
Geographic coordinates: 45 48 N 16 00 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Independence Day 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully Parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia

Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000 2001

Legal system: based on Austro-Hungarian law system with Communist law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Stjepan MESIC (since 18 February 2000)
Head of government: Prime Minister Jadranka KOSOR (since 6 July 2009); Deputy Prime Ministers Bozidar PANKRETIC (since 6 July 2009) Damir POLANCEC (since 15 February 2005) Djurdja ADLESIC (since 12 January 2008) Slobodan UZELAC (since 12 January 2008)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the parliamentary assembly
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 January 2005 (next to be held in January 2010); the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the assembly
Election results: Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote in the second round - Stjepan MESIC 66% Jadranka KOSOR 34%

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Sabor (153 seats; members elected from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 25 November 2007 (next to be held in November 2011)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by party - HDZ 66 SDP 57 HNS 6 HSS 6 HDSSB 3 IDS 3 SDSS 3 other 9

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

Political parties and leaders: Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Vladimir SISLJAGIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of the Right or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Silvano HRELJA]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Radimir CACIC]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Djurdja ADLESIC]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Zoran MILANOVIC]

International organization participation: ACCT (observer) Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CE CEI EAPC EBRD FAO IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURSO MINUSTAH NAM (observer) NATO NSG OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA SECI UN UNCTAD UNDOF UNESCO UNFICYP UNIDO UNIFIL UNMIL UNMIS UNMOGIP UNOCI UNOMIG UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC
In the us chancery: Suite F13 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 consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Robert A. BRADTKE
From the us embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street 10,010 Zagreb
From the us mailing address: use street address
From the us telephone: [385] (1) 661-2,200
From the us fax: [385] (1) 661-2,373

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and blue superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Once one of the wealthiest of the Yugoslav republics Croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war as output collapsed and the country missed the early waves of investment in Central and Eastern Europe that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Between 2000 and 2007 however Croatia's economic fortunes began to improve slowly with moderate but steady GDP growth between 4% and 6% led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending. Inflation over the same period has remained tame and the currency the kuna stable. Nevertheless difficult problems still remain including a stubbornly high unemployment rate a growing trade deficit and uneven regional development. The state retains a large role in the economy as privatization efforts often meet stiff public and political resistance. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely been achieved structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform. While long term growth prospects for the economy remain strong Croatia will face significant pressure as a result of the global financial crisis. Croatia's high foreign debt anemic export sector strained state budget and over-reliance on tourism revenue will result in higher risk to economic stability over the medium term.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 73
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 146

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 67
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6%
Industry: 27.7%
Services: 66.3% (2008 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat corn sugar beets sunflower seed barley alfalfa clover olives citrus grapes soybeans 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% (2008 est.)
Rank: 112

Labor force: 1.731 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 123
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 31.3%
By occupation services: 63.6% (2008)

Unemployment rate: 11.8% (2007 est.)
Rank: 147

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 11% (2003)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.6%
Highest 10: 23.1% (2005 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 29 (1998)
Rank: 119

Budget
Revenues: $26.86 billion
Expenditures: $28.54 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 41.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 48

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.5% (2007 est.)
Rank: 102

Central bank discount rate: 9% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 49

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 10.07% (31 December 2008)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $45.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 48

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 55

Current account balance: -$4.447 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 162

Exports: $12.62 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 78
Commodities: transport equipment machinery textiles chemicals foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Italy 18.9% Bosnia and Herzegovina 15.3% Germany 10.7% Slovenia 7.7% Austria 5.7% (2008)

Imports: $25.56 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 63
Commodities: machinery transport and electrical equipment; chemicals fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs
Partners: Italy 17.1% Germany 13.4% Russia 10.5% China 6.1% Slovenia 5.6% Austria 4.9% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $13.67 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 61

Debt external: $48.93 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 50

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $23.17 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 60

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $3.124 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 61

Exchange rates: kuna (HRK) per US dollar - 4.98 (2008 est.) 5.3735 (2007) 5.8625 (2006) 5.9473 (2005) 6.0358 (2004)


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Electricity
Production: 11.47 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 87
Consumption: 15.42 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 72
Exports: 2.14 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 8.249 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 1.58 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 59
Consumption: 2.84 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 75
Exports: 310 million m³ (2007)
Exports rank: 39
Imports: 1.26 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 51
Proven reserves: 30.58 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 69

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.851 million (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 60
Mobile cellular: 5.924 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 80

Telephone system
General assessment: the telecommunications network has improved steadily since the mid-1990s; the number of fixed telephone lines holding steady at about 40 per 100 persons; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions exceeds the population
Domestic: more than 90 percent of local lines are digital
International: country code - 385; 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 2 fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2008)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .hr
Hosts: 1.23 million (2009)
Hosts rank: 38
Users: 1.88 million (2008)
Users rank: 71

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.39% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 71

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript service obligation; full conversion to voluntary military service by 2010 (2006)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 68 (2009)
Rank: 73
With paved runways total: 23
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: 9 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 45
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 37 (2009)

Heliports: 1 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 1327 km; oil 583 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 2,722 km
Rank: 62
Standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (980 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways
Total: 28,788 km (2006)
Rank: 99

Waterways: 785 km (2008)
Rank: 74

Merchant marine
Total: 80
Rank: 54
By type: bulk carrier 25 cargo 11 chemical tanker 3 passenger/cargo 30 petroleum tanker 8 refrigerated cargo 1 roll on/roll off 2
Registered in other countries: 30 (Bahamas 1 Belize 2 Liberia 2 Malta 9 Marshall Islands 6 Panama 3 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Omisalj Ploce Rijeka Sibenik Vukovar (on Danube River)


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Disputes international: dispute remains with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia remains unratified and in dispute; Slovenia also protests Croatia's 2003 claim to an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic; as a European Union peripheral state Slovenia imposed a hard border Schengen regime with non-member Croatia in December 2007

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 2,900-7,000 (2007)

Illicit drugs: transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe (2008)