Croatia

Republic of CroatiaRepublika Hrvatska

presidential/parliamentary democracyIndependence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Croatia as the 2007 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 132 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalZagreb, UTC+1
Position45 10 N, 15 30 E
Area56,542 sq km
LocationSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
2007

Every edition of Croatia

Populationas each edition published it
4.49 million July 2007 est. · 4.78m in 1992
Population growth% a year
-0.035% 2007 est. · 0.07% in 1993
Median ageyears
40.6 years 2007 est. · 38.9 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
74.9 years 2007 est. · 73.19 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.41 children per woman 2007 est. · 1.66 in 1993
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
6.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 2007 est. · 10 in 1992
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$13,400 2006 est. · $5,600 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.8% 2006 est. · -25% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

18 fields

Land useshare of 56,542 sq km

arable land 25.82%permanent crops 2.19%other 71.99% (2005)irrigated 110 sq km (2003)
Area
56,542sq km
land: 56,414 sq kmwater: 128 sq kmslightly smaller than West Virginia
Coastline
5,835km
(mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)territorial sea: 12 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Highest point
1,830m
Dinaralowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Land boundaries
2,197km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 670 km

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates

45 10 N, 15 30 E

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

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note

  • controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits;
  • the vast majority of Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks

People

19 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2007 est.)

292,526
65 and over16.9%
467,158
1,499,354
15-6467.1%
1,515,932
368,639
0-1416%
349,703
MaleFemale
Population
4,493,312
(July 2007 est.)growth rate: -0.035% (2007 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2007 est.)

Birth
9.63Death
11.57Net migration
1.58

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2007 est.)74.9
71.26 · 78.75Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)6.6
6.6 · 6.6
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2001 census)98.1%
99.3% · 97.1%Median age years (2007 est.)40.6
38.6 · 42.3
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(2001 census)

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

Religions(2001 census)

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

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.054 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.989 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.626 male(s)/female
total population:
0.926 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.41 children born/woman (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 10 (2001 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Croat(s), Croatian(s)
adjective:
Croatian

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 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

66%
Stjepan MESIC 66%Jadranka KOSOR in the second round 34%election last held 16 January 2005 (next to be held in January 2010)

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 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

  • 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

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)
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

unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 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 - HKDU 66, SDP 56, HSS-HSLS 8, HNS 7, HDSSB 3, IDS 3, other 9

note: minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS; note - the Democratic Center party or DC withdrew from the government in February 2006

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 Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Branimir GLAVAS];
  • Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER];
  • Croatian Party of Rights 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] (in 2005 party merged with Libra to become Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD);
  • Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Djurdja ADLESIC];
  • 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];
  • Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]

International organization participation

ACCT (observer), 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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 Robert A. BRADTKE
embassy:
2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb
mailing address:
use street address
telephone:
[385] (1) 661-2200
FAX:
[385] (1) 661-2373

Flag description

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

Economy

49 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$60.38billion
(2006 est.)official exchange rate: $37.49 billion (2006 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$13,400
(2006 est.)
Real growth rate
4.8%
(2006 est.)industrial production growth: 5% (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2006 est.)

agriculture 7.4%industry 31.8%services 60.8% (2006 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

23.1%
Italy
16.7%
10.4%
Germany
14.5%
12.7%
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Russia
9.7%
8.3%
Slovenia
6.8%
6.1%
Austria
5.4%
China
5.3%
Exports $10.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)Imports $21.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)(2006)

Budget

Revenues
$17.94 billionExpenditures
$19.24 billion (2006 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
11.99 billion (2005)Electricity consumption
14.97 billion (2005)Electricity exports
3.634 billion (2005)Electricity imports
8.746 billion (2005)

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 5% 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.

Labor force

1.72 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:
2.7%
industry:
32.8%
services:
64.5% (2004)

Unemployment rate

17.2% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment around 14% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
3.4%
highest 10%:
24.5% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

30.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Public debt

46.1% of GDP (2006 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

Oil - production

20,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

93,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves

75.28 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Natural gas - production

1.477 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

2.58 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.103 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves

27.16 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance

$-3.175 billion (2006 est.)

Exports

$10.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Imports

$21.12 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

  • machinery, transport and electrical equipment;
  • chemicals, fuels and lubricants;
  • foodstuffs

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $125.4 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$11.49 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$33.89 billion (2006 est.)

Currency (code)

kuna (HRK)

Exchange rates

kuna per US dollar - 5.8625 (2006), 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003), 7.8687 (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
4.47 million
(2006)
Internet users
261,954
(2007)
Fixed lines
1.832 million
(2006) · country code .hr

Telephone system

general assessment:
  • the telecommunications network has improved steadily since the mid-1990s;
  • the number of fixed telephone lines has increased to about 40 per 100 persons;
  • virtually 100 mobile cellular telephones per 100 persons
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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

36 (plus 321 repeaters) (1995)

Internet users

1.576 million (2006)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2
over 3,047 m
6
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
4
914 to 1,523 m
7
9
under 914 m
37
Paved 23Unpaved 45

Networkskm

Roadways
28,436Railways
2,726Waterways
785 (2007)
Roadways: paved: 28,436 km (includes 792 km of expressways) (2006) · Railways: standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2006)

Airports

68 (2007)

Heliports

2 (2007)

Pipelines

gas 1,340 km; oil 583 km (2006)

Railways

total:
2,726 km
standard gauge:
2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (1,199 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways

total:
28,436 km
paved:
28,436 km (includes 792 km of expressways) (2006)

Merchant marine

total:
75 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,165,409 GRT/1,867,160 DWT
by type:
bulk carrier 21, cargo 12, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 28, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned:
2 (Bermuda 2)
registered in other countries:
36 (Bahamas 1, Belize 1, Liberia 5, Malta 12, Marshall Islands 4, Panama 6, St Vincent and The Grenadines 7) (2007)

Ports and terminals

Omisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube)

Military

6 fields

Military branches

  • Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (Oruzane Snage Republike Hrvatske, OSRH), consists of five major commands directly subordinate to a General Staff:
    • Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV),
    • Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna Mornarica, HRM),
    • Air Force,
    • Joint Education and Training Command,
    • Logistics Command
    ;
  • Military Police Force supports each of the three Croatian military forces (2007)

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)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49:
1,005,058
females age 18-49:
1,008,511 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49:
725,914
females age 18-49:
823,611 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49:
29,020
females age 18-49:
27,897 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

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, 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: 4,200-7,000 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (2006)

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Croatia.” The World Factbook 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/croatia/2007.

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