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.

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: 2,197 km
Border countries: (4) Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km; , Hungary 329 km; , Serbia and Montenegro (north) 241 km; , Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km; , Slovenia 670 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 1,830 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 26.09%
Permanent crops: 2.27%
Other: 71.65% (2001)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

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

Population: 4,496,869 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: -0.02% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Croat, Croatian
Adjective: Croatian

Ethnic groups: Croat 89.6% Serb 4.5% Bosniak 0.5% Hungarian 0.4% Slovene 0.3% Czech 0.2% Roma 0.2% Albanian 0.1% Montenegrin 0.1% others 4.1% (2001)

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 87.8% Orthodox 4.4% Muslim 1.3% Protestant 0.3% others and unknown 6.2% (2001)

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.6% (male 383,729; female 364,287)
15-64 years: 67% (male 1,497,525; female 1,515,956)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 277,616; female 457,756) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.7 years
Male: 37.7 years
Female: 41.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.02% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 9.51 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 11.3 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

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-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male/female
Total population: 0.92 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.96 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 7.03 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.9 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.14 years
Male: 70.21 years
Female: 78.29 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.39 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 200 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 10 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.5%
Male: 99.4%
Female: 97.8% (2003 est.)

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: Zagreb

Administrative divisions: 20 counties (zupanije zupanija - singular) and 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

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Statehood Day 25 June (1991)

Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000 2001

Legal system: based on civil law system

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 Ivo SANADER (since 9 December 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Jadranka KOSOR (since 23 December 2003) and Andrija HEBRANG (since 23 December 2003)
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; election last held 16 January 2005 (next to be held January 2010); prime minister nominated by the president in line with the balance of power in the Assembly
Election results: Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 66%, Jadranka KOSOR (HDZ) 34%

Legislative branch
Elections: Assembly - last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
Election results: Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; number of seats by party - HDZ 66, SDP 34, HSS 10, HNS 10, HSP 8, IDS 4, Libra 3, HSU 3, SDSS 3, other 11
Note: minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS

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 Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Ivan CEHOK]; Croatian True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STRANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal Party or LS [Zlatko BENASIC]; Party of Liberal Democrats or Libra [Jozo RADOS]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]

International organization participation: ABEDA BIS CE CEI EAPC EBRD FAO IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MIGA MINURSO MINUSTAH NAM (observer) OAS (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA PFP UN UNAMSIL UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNIDO UNMEE UNMIL UNMOGIP UNOCI UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Neven JURICA
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, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph FRANK
From the us embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson, 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: red white and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)

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. The economy emerged from a mild recession in 2000 with tourism banking and public investments leading the way. Unemployment remains high at over 13 percent with structural factors slowing its decline. 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. Growth while impressively over 4% for the last several years has been achieved through high fiscal and current account deficits. The government is gradually reducing a heavy back log of civil cases many involving land tenure. The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform.

Real gdp growth rate: 4.3% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,600 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.9%
Industry: 30%
Services: 62.1% (2003 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: 3.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 1.69 million (2003)
By occupation agriculture: 13.2%
By occupation industry: 25.4%
By occupation services: 46.4% (2002)

Unemployment rate: 19.5% (2003)

Population below poverty line: NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.7%
Highest 10: 23.3% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 29 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $12.76 billion
Expenditures: $14.31 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 69.1% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.8% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $-2.039 billion (2003)

Exports: $6.355 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: transport equipment textiles chemicals foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Italy 26.1% Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.6% Germany 12% Slovenia 8.3% Austria 7.9% (2003)

Imports: $12.86 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery transport and electrical equipment chemicals fuels and lubricants foodstuffs
Partners: Italy 17.9% Germany 15.7% Slovenia 7.4% Austria 6.6% France 5.3% Russia 4.7% (2003)

Debt external: $23.56 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: kuna per US dollar - 6.7035 (2003) 7.8687 (2002) 8.34 (2001) 8.2766 (2000) 7.1124 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 12.12 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 14.27 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 386 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 3.386 billion kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 1.76 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 2.84 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 1.08 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 34.36 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.825 million (2002)
Mobile cellular: 2.553 million (2003)

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: 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 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)

Internet
Country code: .hr
Hosts: 29,644 (2004)
Users: 1.014 million (2003)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $520 million (2002 est.)
Percent of gdp: 2.39% (2002 est.)

Airports: 68 (2003 est.)
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 (2004 est.)
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 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: gas 1340 km; oil 583 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 2,726 km
Standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (984 km electrified) (2003)

Waterways: 785 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 750,579 GRT/1,178,786 DWT
By type: bulk 16, cargo 14, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 5, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea/passenger 3
Foreign owned: Hong Kong 3, Russia 1
Registered in other countries: 44 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over disputed territory around Kostajnica on the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Pljesevica; 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 controversial has not been ratified and has been complicated by Croatia's declaration of an ecological-fisheries zone in the Adriatic Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 12,600 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-1995 war) (2004)

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