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 along with a majority of Croatia's ethnic Serb population. Under UN supervision the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998. The country joined NATO in April 2009 and the EU in July 2013.

Geographic coordinates: 45 10 N 15 30 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 56,594 km²
Land: 55,974 km²
Water: 620 km²
Rank: 127
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 2,237 km
Border countries: (5) Bosnia and Herzegovina 956 km; Hungary 348 km; Montenegro 19 km; Serbia 314 km; Slovenia 600 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 1831 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 23.7%
Forest: 34.4%
Other: 41.9%

Irrigated land: 36.27 km² (2010)

Total renewable water resources: 105.5 km³ (2011)

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: 4,464,844 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 126
Growth rate: -0.13% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 209
Below poverty line: 19.5% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Croat Croatian
Adjective: Croatian

Ethnic groups: Croat 90.4% Serb 4.4% other 4.4% (including Bosniak Hungarian Slovene Czech and Roma) unspecified 0.8% (2011 est.)

Languages: Croatian (official) 95.6% Serbian 1.2% other 3% (including Hungarian Czech Slovak and Albanian) unspecified 0.2% (2011 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 86.3% Orthodox 4.4% Muslim 1.5% other 1.5% unspecified 2.5% not religious or atheist 3.8% (2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.42%
15-24 years: 11.92%
25-54 years: 40.88%
55-64 years: 14.55%
65 years and over: 18.23% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.1%
Youth dependency ratio: 22.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.6%
Potential support ratio: 3.5%

Median age
Total: 42.63 years
Male: 40.5 years
Female: 44.1 years

Population growth rate: -0.13% (2015 est.)
Rank: 209

Birth rate: 9.45 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 203

Death rate: 12.18 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 25

Net migration rate: 1.39 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 57

Urbanization
Urban population: 59% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: ZAGREB (capital) 687,000 (2015)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.93 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.77 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.91 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.62 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 168

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.61 years
Male: 73.02 years
Female: 80.4 years
Rank: 80

Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 201

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.84 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 5.9 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 25.6% (2014)
Rank: 66

Education expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 99

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.3%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 98.9%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years

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: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Name: Zagreb
Geographic coordinates: 45 48 N 16 00 E
Time difference: UTC+1
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) with special county status; Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska(Bjelovar-Bilogora) Brodsko-Posavska (Brod-Posavina) Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva) Istarska (Istria) Karlovacka (Karlovac) Koprivnicko-Krizevacka (Koprivinica-Krizevci) Krapinsko-Zagorska (Krapina-Zagorje) Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj) Medimurska (Medimurje) Osjecko-Baranjska (Osijek-Baranja) Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia) Primorsko-Goranska (Primorje-Gorski Kotar) Sibensko-Kninska (Sibenik-Knin) Sisacko-Moslavacka (Sislak-Moslavina) Splitsko-Dalmatinska (Split-Dalmatia) Varazdinska (Varazdin) Viroviticko-Podravska (Virovitica-Podravina) Vukovarsko-Srijemska (Vukovar-Syrmia) Zadarska (Zadar) Zagreb* Zagrebacka (Zagreb county)

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Independence Day 8 October (1991) and Statehood Day 25 June (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: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990; amended several times last in December 2013 by referendum

Legal system: civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age 16 if employed; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC
Head of government: Prime Minister Zoran MILANOVIC ; First Deputy Prime Minister Vesna PUSIC (since 16 November 2012)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 10 January 2010 (next to be held in December 2014); the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly
Election results: Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC elected president; percent of vote in the second round - Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC 50.7% Ivo JOSIPOVIC 49.3%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly or Hrvatski Sabor
Elections: last held on 4 December 2011
Election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - Kukuriku 40.0% HDZ-led Coalition 23.8% Croatian Laborists-Labor Party 5.1% HSS 3.0% HDSSB 2.9% Independent list of Ivan Grubisic 2.8% HCSP-HSP AS 2.8% other 19.6%; number of seats by party/coalition - Kukuriku 80 HDZ-led coalition 47 (HDZ 44 HGS 2 DC 1) Croatian Laborists-Labor Party 6 HDSSB 6 SDSS 3 Independent list of Ivan Grubisic 2 HSS 1 HCSP-HSP AS 1 other 5
Note: seats by party as of 3 April 2015 - SDP 56 HDZ 41 HNS 11 HDSSB 7 HSU 4 Croatian Laborists - Labor Party 3 Reformists 3 SDSS 3 HGS 2 IDS 2 BDSH 1 DC 1 HSS 1 HSP AS 1 ORaH 1 New Wave 1 independents 13

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court
Judge selection and term of office: president of Supreme Court nominated by president of Croatia and elected by Croatian Sabor for a 4-year term; other Supreme Court justices appointed by National Judicial Council; all judges serve until age 70
Subordinate courts: Administrative Court; county municipal and specialized courts; note - there is an 11-member Constitutional Court with jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues but is outside Croatia's judicial system

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC (observer) CD CE CEI EAPC EBRD ECB EMU EU FAO G-11 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINURSO NAM (observer) NATO NSG OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PCA SELEC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNMIL UNMOGIP UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Josip 'Josko' PARO
In the us chancery: 2,343 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 588-5,899
In the us FAX: [1] 588-8,936
In the us consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth MERTEN
From the us embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street 10,010 Zagreb
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [385] 661-2,200
From the us FAX: [385] 661-2,373

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and blue - the Pan-Slav colors - superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms; the coat of arms consists of one main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields) surmounted by five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield; the five small shields represent five historic regions they are (from left to right): Croatia Dubrovnik Dalmatia Istria and Slavonia
Note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia

National symbols: red-white checkerboard; national colors: red white blue

National anthem
Name: 'Lijepa nasa domovino'
Lyrics and music: Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN
Note: adopted 1972; 'Lijepa nasa domovino' whose lyrics were written in 1835 served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891

Economy overview: Though still one of the wealthiest of the former Yugoslav republics Croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war. The country's output during that time collapsed and Croatia 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 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 remained tame and the currency the kuna stable. Croatia experienced an abrupt slowdown in the economy in 2008 and has yet to recover; economic growth was stagnant or negative in each year since 2009. Difficult problems still remain including a stubbornly high unemployment rate uneven regional development and a challenging investment climate. Croatia continues to face reduced foreign investment. On 1 July 2013 Croatia joined the EU following a decade-long application process. Croatia will be a member of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism until it meets the criteria for joining the Economic and Monetary Union and adopts the euro as its currency. EU accession has increased pressure on the government to reduce Croatia’s relatively high public debt which triggered the EU’s excessive deficit procedure for fiscal consolidation. Zagreb has cut spending since 2012 and the government also raised additional revenues through more stringent tax collection and by raising the Value Added Tax. The government has also sought to accelerate privatization of non-strategic assets with mixed success.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 86

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 208

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 81

Gross national saving:
Rank: 67

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 60.2%
Government consumption: 19.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.2%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 46.5%
Imports of goods and services: -44.4%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.5%
Industry: 26.6%
Services: 68.9%

Agriculture products: arable crops (wheat corn barley sugar beet sunflower rapeseed alfalfa clover); vegetables (potatoes cabbage onion tomato pepper); fruits (apples plum mandarins olives) grapes for wine; livestock (cattle cows pigs); 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: 1.2% (2014 est.)
Rank: 164

Labor force: 1.725 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 126
By occupation agriculture: 1.9%
By occupation industry: 27.6%
By occupation services: 70.4%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 164

Population below poverty line: 19.5% (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.3%
Highest 10: 27.5%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 109

Budget
Revenues: $19.85 billion
Expenditures: $22.3 billion
Surplus or deficit: -4.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 162

Taxes and other revenues: 34.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 44

Public debt:
Rank: 40

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 22

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 44

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 110

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 78

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 71

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 61

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 64

Current account balance:
Rank: 51

Exports:
Rank: 83
Commodities: transport equipment machinery textiles chemicals foodstuffs fuels
Partners: Italy 13.7% Bosnia and Herzegovina 12% Slovenia 11.2% Germany 11.1% Austria 6% Serbia 5% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 76
Commodities: machinery transport and electrical equipment; chemicals fuels and lubricants; foodstuffs
Partners: Germany 15.1% Italy 14.1% Slovenia 10.7% Austria 8.6% Hungary 6.5% Russia 5% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 62

Debt external:
Rank: 56

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 60

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 64

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 13.38 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 86
Consumption: 16.97 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 76
Exports: 2.866 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 35
Imports: 6.592 billion kWh (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 36
Installed generating capacity: 4.206 million kW (2013 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 80
Generation sources fossil fuels: 37.1% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 156
Generation sources nuclear: 7.7% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 107
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 48.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 48
Generation sources other renewable sources: 6.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 61

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 11,070 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 78
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 128
Crude oil imports: 37,300 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 57
Crude oil proven reserves: 71 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 77

Refined petroleum
Products production: 56,650 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 79
Products consumption: 52,550 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 83
Products exports: 29,060 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 68
Products imports: 32,890 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 95

Natural gas
Production: 1.805 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 57
Consumption: 2.81 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 73
Exports: 422 million m³ (2014 est.)
Exports rank: 42
Imports: 1.079 billion m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 58
Proven reserves: 24.92 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 72

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 5.598 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 125

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.57 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35
Fixed lines rank: 66
Mobile cellular total: 4.5 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 100
Mobile cellular rank: 123

Telephone system
General assessment: the telecommunications network has improved steadily since the mid-1990s covering much of what were once inaccessible areas; local lines are digital
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity holding steady at about 40 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions exceed the population
International: country code - 385; digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe 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 (2011)

Broadcast media: the national state-owned public broadcaster Croatian Radiotelevision operates 4 terrestrial TV networks a satellite channel that rebroadcasts programs for Croatians living abroad and 6 regional TV centers; 2 private broadcasters operate national terrestrial networks; roughly 25 privately owned regional TV stations; multi-channel cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; state-owned public broadcaster operates 3 national radio networks and 9 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks and more than 170 regional county city and community radio stations (2012)

Internet
Country code: .hr
Users total: 2.9 million
Users percent of population: 65.1%
Users rank: 86

Military expenditures:
Rank: 51

Military service age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service; 6-month service obligation (2012)

Airports: 69 (2013)
Rank: 72
With paved runways total: 24
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 10
With unpaved runways total: 45
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With unpaved runways: 38 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 2,410 km; oil 610 km (2011)

Railways
Total: 2,722 km
Standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 62

Roadways
Total: 26,958 km (2015)
Rank: 97

Waterways: 785 km (2009)
Rank: 73

Merchant marine
Total: 77
By type: bulk carrier 24 cargo 7 chemical tanker 8 passenger/cargo 27 petroleum tanker 10 refrigerated cargo 1
Foreign owned: 2
Registered in other countries: 31 (2010)
Rank: 57

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Ploce Rijeka Sibernik Split
River port: Vukovar
Oil terminal: Omisalj

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; since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s Croatia and Slovenia have each claimed sovereignty over Pirin Bay and four villages and Slovenia has objected to Croatia's claim of an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea; in 2009 however Croatia and Slovenia signed a binding international arbitration agreement to define their disputed land and maritime borders which led to Slovenia lifting its objections to Croatia joining the EU; Slovenia continues to impose a hard border Schengen regime with Croatia which joined the EU in 2013 but has not yet fulfilled Schengen requirements

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 2,886

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)