Croatia
Republic of CroatiaRepublika Hrvatska
presidential/parliamentary democracyIndependence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
Croatia as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 129 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 56,542 sq km
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
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
Natural resources
oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
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
Environment - 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
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
People
19 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2001 census)
Religions(2001 census)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.61 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Languages
Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)
Government
Presidential/parliamentary democracy; President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000); Prime Minister Ivo SANADER (since 9 December 2003)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
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
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
National holiday
- Independence Day, 8 October (1991);
- note - 25 June 1991 is the day the Croatian Parliament voted for independence;
- following a 3-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
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 POLANEC (since NA February 2005)
- 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);
- 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 (HNS) 66%, Jadranka KOSOR (HDZ) 34%
Legislative branch
unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was added in the November 2003 parliamentary elections; members elected from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- 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] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [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 STANIMIROVIC];
- Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC];
- Liberal Party or LS [Zlatko BENASIC];
- Party of Liberal Democrats or Libra [Jozo RADOS] (in 2005 merged with HNS);
- 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
- chancery:
- 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 588-5899
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 588-8936
- consulate(s) general:
- Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ralph FRANK
- embassy:
- 2 Thomas Jefferson, 10010 Zagreb
- mailing address:
- use street address
- telephone:
- [385] (1) 661-2200
- FAX:
- [385] (1) 661-2373
Flag description
red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)
Economy
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.
45 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2004 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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 about 14 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 about 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.
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
Imports - commodities
machinery, transport and electrical equipment, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs
Exchange rates
kuna per US dollar - 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003), 7.8687 (2002), 8.34 (2001), 8.2766 (2000)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Merchant marine
- total:
- 73 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 750,579 GRT/1,178,786 DWT
- by type:
- bulk carrier 25, cargo 12, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 25, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4
- foreign-owned:
- 1 (Denmark 1)
- registered in other countries:
- 31 (2005)
Military
Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO)
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for compulsory military service, with 6-month service obligation;
- 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service;
- Croatian Military Police planning to end conscription in 2005 (December 2004)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
- discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small disputed sections of the boundary;
- 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;
- as a European Union peripheral state, neighboring Slovenia must conform to the strict Schengen border rules to curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia
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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Croatia.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/croatia/2005.