Croatia

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Republic of Croatia

Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Lijepa naša domovino
Our beautiful homeland


Capital
(and largest city) Zagreb
16°0′E / 45.8, 16
Official languages Croatian¹
Demonym Croat/Croats
Croatian/Croatians
Government Parliamentary republic
 -  President Stjepan Mesić
 -  Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
 -  President of Parliament Luka Bebić
Establishment
 -  Founded First half of 7th century 
 -  Medieval duchy March 4, 852 
 -  Recognized by the Pope May 21, 879 
 -  Elevated to kingdom 925 
 -  Union with Hungary 1102 
 -  Joined Habsburg Empire January 1, 1527 
 -  Independence from Austria-Hungary
October 29, 1918 
 -  Joined Yugoslavia (co-founder)
December 1, 1918 
 -  Declared independence June 25, 1991 
Area
 -  Total 56,542 km² (126th)
21,831 sq mi 
 -  Water (%) 0.2
Population
 -  2008 estimate 4,453,500[1] (114th)
 -  2001 census 4,437,460 
 -  Density 81/km² (115th)
208/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
 -  Total $73,087 billion[2] 
 -  Per capita $16,754[2] (51st)
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
 -  Total $63.948 billion[2] 
 -  Per capita $14,414[2] 
Gini (2005) 29 (low) 
HDI (2006) ▲ 0.850 (high) (47th)
Currency kuna (HRK)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Drives on the right
Internet TLD .hr
Calling code 385
¹ Also Italian in Istria and languages of other national minorities (Serbian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, etc.) in residential municipalities of the national minorities.

Croatia /kroʊˈeɪʃə/ (help·info) (Croatian: Hrvatska IPA: [xr̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska listen (help·info)), is a Southeastern European country at the crossroads between the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. Croatia borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, and Montenegro to the far southeast. Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea, and it also shares a sea border with Italy in the Gulf of Trieste.

Croatia is a member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and is a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 term. The country is also a candidate for membership of the European Union and a NATO acceding member. Croatia is expected to formally join NATO in April 2009,[3] making it the second former Yugoslav nation to join the military alliance following Slovenia. Additionally, Croatia is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean upon its establishment in 2008.

History

Croats and other Slavs settled on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea and the Pannonian lands in the early 7th century, forming two principalities, Dalmatia and Pannonia. The establishment of the Trpimirović dynasty ca. 850 brought strengthening to the Dalmatian Croat duchy, which became a kingdom in 925.

In 1102, Croatia entered into a personal union with the Kingdom of Hungary. After the 1526 Battle of Mohács, the "Reliquiae reliquiarum olim inclyti Regni Croatiae" (the remains of the Kingdom of Croatia) became a part of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1527. In 1918 Croatia became a part of the Kingdom of SHS which is later renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

In 1941-1945, during World War II, an Axis puppet state known as the Independent State of Croatia existed. After the victory of Tito's People's Liberation Movement and the Allies, Croatia became a constitutive federal republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In 1991, Croatia proclaimed independence after holding the first democratic elections in the country. The demographic situation, along with inflammatory nationalist rhetoric on both sides, meant a long and bloody war against local Serbs opposed to independence (citing fear of similar^{[citation needed]} mistreatment they had experienced during the German^{[citation needed]} occupation) followed. This included a series of battles against the remainder of the Yugoslav People's Army between 1991 and 1992.^{[citation needed]}

Croatia was recognized on January 15, 1992, by the European Union and the United Nations. The first country to recognize Croatia was Iceland on December 19, 1991.[4]

Geography

Croatia is located between South-Central Europe and Middle Europe. Its shape resembles that of a crescent or a horseshoe, which flanks its neighbours Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. To the north lie Slovenia and Hungary; Italy lies across the Adriatic Sea. Its mainland territory is split in two non-contiguous parts by the short coastline of Bosnia and Herzegovina around Neum.

Its terrain is diverse, including:

• plains, lakes and rolling hills in the continental north and northeast (Central Croatia and Slavonia, part of the Pannonian Basin);
• densely wooded mountains in Lika and Gorski Kotar, part of the Dinaric Alps;
• rocky coastlines on the Adriatic Sea (Istria, Northern Seacoast and Dalmatia).

Phytogeographically, Croatia belongs to the Boreal Kingdom and is shared between the Central European and Illyrian provinces of the Circumboreal Region and the Adriatic province of the Mediterranean Region. According to the WWF, the territory of Croatia can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Pannonian mixed forests, Dinaric Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian deciduous forests.