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: 1,982 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 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: 25.82%
Permanent crops: 2.19%
Other: 71.99% (2005)

Irrigated land: 110 km² (2003)

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

Population: 4,491,543 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: -0.043% (2008 est.)

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 363,551/female 345,132)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 1,501,949/female 1,517,962)
65 years and over: 17% (male 295,229/female 467,720) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 40.8 years
Male: 38.9 years
Female: 42.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.043% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 9.64 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 11.66 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 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, 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: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

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: 0.63 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.49 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.51 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.46 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.13 years
Male: 71.49 years
Female: 78.97 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2004)

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)

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

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

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 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 - Stjepan MESIC 66%, Jadranka KOSOR 34% in the second round

Legislative branch
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 56, HNS 7, HSS 6, HDSSB 3, IDS 3, SDSS 3, other 9

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 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 [Vladimir JORDAN]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC]; 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) NSG OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA PFP SECI UN UN Security Council (temporary) 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: 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 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)

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. Since 2000 however Croatia's economic fortunes have begun 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $69.59 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 5.7% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $15,500 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.2%
Industry: 31.7%
Services: 61.2% (2007 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: 5.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 1.749 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 2.7%
By occupation industry: 32.8%
By occupation services: 64.5% (2004)

Unemployment rate: 11.8% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.4%
Highest 10: 24.5% (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 29 (2001)

Budget
Revenues: $22.56 billion
Expenditures: $23.92 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 47.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

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

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.33% (31 December 2007)

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

Market value of publicly traded shares: $29.01 billion (2006)

Current account balance: -$4.85 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $12.62 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: transport equipment textiles chemicals foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Italy 19.3% Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.9% Germany 10.2% Slovenia 8.4% Austria 6.2% (2007)

Imports: $25.99 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery transport and electrical equipment; chemicals fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs
Partners: Italy 16.1% Germany 14.4% Russia 10.1% China 6.2% Slovenia 6% Austria 5.3% (2007)

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

Debt external: $46.3 billion (30 June 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $23.13 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $3.161 billion (2007 est.)

Exchange rates: kuna (HRK) per US dollar - 5.3735 (2007) 5.8625 (2006) 5.9473 (2005) 6.0358 (2004) 6.7035 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 12.41 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 15.57 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 3.306 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Imports: 8.374 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 1.58 billion m³ (2006 est.)
Consumption: 2.73 billion m³ (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 1.103 billion m³ (2005)
Proven reserves: 28.54 billion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.825 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 5.035 million (2007)

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 (2007)

Internet
Country code: .hr
Hosts: 1.111 million (2008)
Users: 1.995 million (2007)

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

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 professional military service by 2010 (2006)

Airports: 68 (2007)
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 (2007)
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 (2007)

Heliports: 2 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 1556 km; oil 583 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 2,726 km
Standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 28,788 km (includes 877 km of expressways) (2006)

Waterways: 785 km (2007)

Merchant marine
Total: 80
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)

Disputes international: dispute remains with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small disputed 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 un-ratified 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 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (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