Misplaced Pages

Croatia: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 13:38, 4 March 2006 view source194.106.187.23 (talk) History -because Serbs and Croats have come, or you shouls say Slavic tribes← Previous edit Latest revision as of 12:52, 22 December 2024 view source John Pontifex (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,522 edits Military 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Country in Central and Southeast Europe}}
The '''Republic of Croatia''' is a crescent-shaped country in ] bordering the ] to the South, ] to the North and the ] to the Southeast. Its ] is ]. In recent ], it was a ] in the ], but it achieved independence in ]. It is a ] for ] of the ].<!--BEGIN INFOBOX
{{other uses}}

{{pp|small=yes}}
To change the text of the article, just go below the Infobox. The Infobox represents the informations given in the table on the right.
{{pp-move|small=yes}}
-->
{{Use British English|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox_Country|
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
native_name = Republika Hrvatska<br>Republic of Croatia |
{{Infobox country
common_name = Croatia |
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Croatia
image_flag = Flag_of_Croatia.svg |
| common_name = Croatia
image_coat = Croatian_Coat_of_Arms.svg |
| native_name = {{native name|hr|Republika Hrvatska}}{{efn|In the recognised ] and the most spoken second languages:
image_map = LocationCroatia.png |
:* {{langx|cs|Chorvatská republika}}
national_motto = none |
:* {{langx|de|Republik Kroatien}}
national_anthem = ] |
:* {{langx|fr|République de Croatie}}
official_languages = ]<sup>1</sup>|
:* {{langx|hu|Horvát Köztársaság}}
capital = ] |
:* {{langx|it|Repubblica di Croazia}}
latd=45|latm=48|latNS=N|longd=16|longm=0|longEW=E|
:* {{langx|rue|Републіка Хорватія}}
largest_city = ] |
:* {{langx|sr|Република Хрватска}}
government_type= Democratic ] |
:* {{langx|sk|Chorvátska republika}}
leader_titles = ]<br>]|
:* {{langx|sl|Republika Hrvaška}}
leader_names = ] <br> ] |
:* {{langx|uk|Респу́бліка Хорва́тія}}
area_rank = 124th |
}}
area_magnitude = 1_E10 |
| image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
area=56,542 |
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
areami² = 21,831 | <!-- Do not remove per ] -->
| coa_size = 70
percent_water = 0.01 |
| anthem = "]"<br />("Our Beautiful Homeland")<br /><div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">]</div>
population_estimate = 4,496,869 |
| image_map = {{Switcher|]|upright=1.15|Show globe|]|Show map of Europe|default=1}}
population_estimate_year = July 2004 |
| map_caption = {{map caption |location_color=dark green |region=Europe |region_color=dark grey |subregion=the ] |subregion_color=green}}
population_estimate_rank = 117th |
| capital = ]
population_census = 4,437,460|
| coordinates = {{Coord|45|48|47|N|15|58|39|E|type:city}}
population_census_year = 2001|
| largest_city = capital
population_density = 83 |
| official_languages = ]{{efn|Apart from Croatian, ] have ] that are used for official government business and commercially. The most notable minority languages in Croatia are ], ] and ]. Other recognized minority languages include: ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].}}
population_densitymi² = 215 | <!-- Do not remove per ] -->
| languages_type = ]
population_density_rank = 116th |
| languages = ]{{efn|The writing system of Croatia is legally ].}}
GDP_PPP_year=2005 |
| ethnic_groups = {{Unbulleted list |91.6% ] |3.2% ]
GDP_PPP = $55,638 million |
|5.2% ]}}
GDP_PPP_rank = 72nd |
| ethnic_groups_year = 2021
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $12,364 |
| religion = {{ublist |item_style=white-space;
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 56th |
|{{Tree list}}
HDI_year = 2003 |
*87.4% ]
HDI = 0.841 |
**79.0% ]
HDI_rank = 45th |
**3.3% ]
HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font> |
**5.1% other ]
sovereignty_type = ] |
{{Tree list/end}}
established_events = |
|6.4% ] |2.3% ] |3.9% undeclared<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/share-of-croats-in-croatia-increases-as-census-results-published/ | title=Share of Croats in Croatia increases as census results published | date=22 September 2022 }}</ref>}}
established_dates = ], ] |
| religion_year = 2021
currency = ]&nbsp; |
| demonym = {{hlist|]ian}}
currency_code = HRK |
| government_type = ]
time_zone= ] |
| leader_title1 = ]
utc_offset= +1 |
| leader_name1 = ]
time_zone_DST= ] |
| leader_title2 = ]
utc_offset_DST= +2 |
| leader_name2 = ]
cctld= ] |
| leader_title3 = ]
calling_code = 385 |
| leader_name3 = ]
footnotes= <sup>1</sup>Locally also ] in ]. |
| legislature = ]
| sovereignty_type = ]
| established_event1 = ]
| established_date1 = 7th century
| established_event2 = ]
| established_date2 = 925
| established_event3 = ]
| established_date3 = 1102
| established_event4 = Joined ]
| established_date4 = 1 January 1527
| established_event5 = Secession from<br />]
| established_date5 = 29 October 1918
| established_event6 = ]
| established_date6 = 4 December 1918
| established_event7 = ]
| established_date7 = 25 June 1991
| established_event8 = Joined ]
| established_date8 = 1 April 2009
| established_event9 = Joined the ]
| established_date9 = 1 July 2013
| area_km2 = 56,594
| area_rank = 124th
| area_sq_mi = 21,851
| percent_water = 1.09
| population_estimate = {{decreaseNeutral}} 3,861,967<ref>{{cite web |url = https://podaci.dzs.hr/hr/|title = POPULATION ESTIMATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2023 |website = podaci.dzs.hr |date = 8 Sep 2023 |access-date = 1 July 2024}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2023
| population_estimate_rank = 128th
| population_census = {{decreaseNeutral}} 3,871,833<ref name="Census 2021">{{Croatian Census 2021|M}}</ref>
| population_census_year = 2021
| population_census_rank = 128th
| population_density_km2 = 68.4
| population_density_sq_mi =
| population_density_rank = 152nd
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $187.19&nbsp;billion<ref name="IMFWEO.HR">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/October/weo-report?c=960,&s=NGDP_RPCH,NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2022&ey=2029&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Croatia) |publisher=] |website=www.imf.org |date=22 October 2024 |access-date=22 October 2024}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2024
| GDP_PPP_rank = 79th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $48,811<ref name="IMFWEO.HR" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 41st
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $89.67&nbsp;billion<ref name="IMFWEO.HR" />
| GDP_nominal_year = 2024
| GDP_nominal_rank = 74th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $23,380<ref name="IMFWEO.HR" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 51st
| Gini = 28.3
| Gini_year = 2020
| Gini_change = decrease <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini_ref = <ref name=eurogini>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tessi190/default/table?lang=en |title=Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey|publisher=] |website=ec.europa.eu |access-date=9 August 2021}}</ref>
| Gini_rank =
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI = 0.878 <!--number only-->
| HDI_ref = <ref name="HDI">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24overviewen.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2023/2024|publisher=]|date=14 March 2024|access-date= 19 March 2024}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 39th
| currency = ] (])
| currency_code = EUR
| time_zone = ]
| utc_offset = +1
| utc_offset_DST = +2
| time_zone_DST = ]
| calling_code = ]
| patron_saint = ]<ref name="Hrvatski sabor - Povijest">{{cite web|url=http://www.sabor.hr/sv-josip-zastitnik-hrvatske-domovine|access-date=10 March 2018|title=Hrvatski sabor – Povijest|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306022924/http://www.sabor.hr/sv-josip-zastitnik-hrvatske-domovine|archive-date=6 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| cctld = {{vunblist| ] and ]}}
}} }}


'''Croatia''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Croatia.ogg|k|r|oʊ|ˈ|eɪ|ʃ|ə}}, {{respell|kroh|AY|shə}}; {{langx|hr|Hrvatska}}, {{IPA|hr|xř̩ʋaːtskaː|pron}}), officially the '''Republic of Croatia''' ({{langx|hr|Republika Hrvatska|links=no}} {{pronunciation|Hr-Republika Hrvatska.oga|listen|help=no}}),{{efn|IPA transcription of "''Republika Hrvatska''", {{IPA|hr|ˈrepǔblika ˈxř̩ʋaːtskaː|pron}}.}} is a country in ] and ], on the coast of the ]. It borders ] to the northwest, ] to the northeast, ] to the east, ] and ] to the southeast, and shares a ] with ] to the west. Its capital and largest city, ], forms one of the country's ], with ]. Other major urban centers include ], ] and ]. The country spans {{convert|56594|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}}, and has a population of nearly 3.9 million.
<!-- END INFOBOX -->


The ] arrived in modern-day Croatia in the late 6th century, then part of ]. By the 7th century, they had organized the territory into ]. Croatia was first internationally recognized as independent on 7 June 879 during the reign of Duke ]. ] became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a ]. During the succession crisis after the ] ended, Croatia ] a ] with ] in 1102. In 1527, faced with ], the ] elected ] to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, the ], independent from the ], was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918, it ] into the ]. Following the Axis ] in April 1941, most of Croatia was incorporated into a Nazi-installed puppet state, the ]. A ] led to the creation of the ], which after the war became a founding member and constituent of the ]. On 25 June 1991, Croatia ], and the ] was successfully fought over the next four years.


Croatia is a ] and has a ]. It is a member of the ], the ], the ], ], the ], the ], the ], the ], a founding member of the ], and is currently in the process of joining the ]. An active participant in ], Croatia contributed troops to the ] and was elected to fill a non-permanent seat on the ] in the ] for the first time.
== Name ==


Croatia is a ] with an advanced ] and ranks highly in the ].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/April |title=IMF World Economic Outlook |access-date=14 April 2023}}</ref> ], ], and ] dominate the ]. ] is a significant source of revenue for the country, with nearly 20 million tourist arrivals as of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Croatia tourist arrivals 2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/413226/number-of-arrivals-spent-in-short-stay-accommodation-in-croatia/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?locations=HR&most_recent_value_desc=true |title=International tourism, The World Bank |access-date=14 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/top-countries-in-the-world |title=Condé Nast Traveler, Top Countries in the World |access-date=14 April 2023}}</ref> Since the 2000s, the ] has heavily invested in infrastructure, especially ] along the ]. Croatia has also positioned itself as a regional energy leader in the early 2020s and is contributing to the diversification of Europe's energy supply via its floating ] import terminal off ] island, ].<ref name="lng">{{cite news|url=https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-croatia/ |title=U.S. Department of State factsheet |access-date=24 April 2023}}</ref> Croatia provides ], ], and tuition-free ] while supporting ] through public institutions and corporate investments in ] and ].
''Croatia'' is the ]ized version of the native name of the country: '''Hrvatska''' {{Audio|Hrvatska.ogg|listen}}. The letter "r" in the first syllable "hrv" is ''rolled'' or ].


== Etymology ==
However, instead of the Latinized version, many languages use a form more similar to the native one. Various forms are .
{{main|Names of the Croats and Croatia}}
Croatia's ] ] derives from ] {{lang|la-x-medieval|Croātia}}, itself a derivation of ] {{lang|zlw|*Xərwate}}, by ] from Common Slavic period ''*Xorvat'', from proposed ] '']'' which possibly comes from the 3rd-century ] form attested in the ] as {{lang|grc|Χοροάθος|italic=no}} (''{{lang|grc-latn|Khoroáthos}}'', alternate forms comprise {{Lang|grc-latn|Khoróatos}} and ''{{lang|grc-latn|Khoroúathos}}'').<ref name="Gluhak-1993">{{cite book|first=Alemko|last=Gluhak|title=Hrvatski etimološki rječnik|trans-title=Croatian Etymological Dictionary|language=hr|publisher=August Cesarec|year=1993|isbn=953-162-000-8}}</ref> The origin of the ethnonym is uncertain, but most probably is from ] / ] *''xurvæt-'' or *''xurvāt-'', in the meaning of "one who guards" ("guardian, protector").<ref>{{citation |first=Ranko |last=Matasović |author-link=Ranko Matasović |title=Ime Hrvata |trans-title=The Name of Croats |journal=Jezik (Croatian Philological Society) |location=Zagreb |year=2019 |volume=66 |issue=3 |pages=81–97 |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/228825?lang=en |language=hr}}</ref>


The oldest preserved record of the Croatian ethnonym's native variation ''*xъrvatъ'' is of the variable stem, attested in the ] in ] zvъnъmirъ kralъ xrъvatъskъ ("], ]"),<ref name="Fučić-1971">{{cite journal |url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=21348 |first=Branko | last = Fučić | author-link = Branko Fučić |title=Najstariji hrvatski glagoljski natpisi |trans-title=The Oldest Croatian Glagolitic Inscriptions |journal=] |publisher=] |volume=21 |date=September 1971 |language=hr |pages=227–254 |access-date=14 October 2011}}</ref> while the Latin variation ''Croatorum'' is archaeologically confirmed on a church inscription found in ] near ] dated to the end of the 8th or early 9th century.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Kulturna kronika: Dvanaest hrvatskih stoljeća |url=http://www.matica.hr/vijenac/291/hrvatski-nacionalni-dan-na-expou-u-japanu-9037/ |journal=] |publisher=] |location=Zagreb |issue=291 |date=28 April 2005 |access-date=10 June 2019 |language=hr}}</ref> The presumably oldest stone ] with fully preserved ethnonym is the 9th-century ] found near ], where Duke ] is styled ''Dux Cruatorvm'', likely dated between 879 and 892, during his rule.{{sfn|Mužić|2007|p=|pp=195–198}} The Latin term ''{{Lang|la|Chroatorum}}'' is attributed to a charter of Duke ], dated to 852 in a 1568 copy of a lost original, but it is not certain if the original was indeed older than the Branimir inscription.{{sfn|Mužić|2007|p=27}}{{Sfn|Mužić|2007|p=171}}
The country code for Croatia is ] (per ]), so Croatian Internet root domain end with ]. Croatian alphabet consists of 30 letters (official character set is ''ISO-8859-2'', but Microsoft's ''Windows-1250'' character set is also used very often).


== History == == History ==
''Main article: ]'' {{main|History of Croatia}}


=== Prehistory and antiquity ===
] and Serbs came to ] and ] in the ]. Ruled by various ], ] since ], Dalmatia eventually absorbed Pannonia and after periods of nominal ] and then ] Imperial rule, Croatia eventually became a strong independent ] in ]. In ] the Croatians ended a decades-long dynastic struggle by agreeing to submit themselves to ] Royal authority.
{{main|History of Croatia before the Croats}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 230
| direction = horizontal
| image1 = ZGvucdove.jpg
| alt1 = Ceramic sculpture
| image2 = Croatian_Apoxyomenos_Louvre_n04.jpg
| alt2 = Stone Sculpture
| footer = Left: The ], a sculpture from 2800–2500 BC.<br />Right: '']'', ] statue, 2nd or 1st century BC.
| caption1 =
| caption2 =
}}


The area known as Croatia today was inhabited throughout the ]. ] fossils dating to the middle ] period were unearthed in northern Croatia, best presented at the ].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Acta medico-historica Adriatica|publisher=Hrvatsko znanstveno društvo za povijest zdravstvene kulture|issn=1334-4366|date=December 2010|volume=8|issue=2|first=Igor|last=Salopek|title=Krapina Neanderthal Museum as a Well of Medical Information|pages=197–202|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=95232|access-date=15 October 2011|pmid=21682056}}</ref> Remnants of ] and ] cultures were found in all regions.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda|publisher=], Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department|issn=0473-0992|title=Study of the Neolithic and Eneolithic as reflected in articles published over the 50 years of the journal Opuscula archaeologica|pages=93–122|volume=30|issue=1|date=April 2008|first=Tihomila|last=Težak-Gregl|access-date=15 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=34026}}</ref> The largest proportion of sites is in the valleys of northern Croatia. The most significant are ], ], and ]s.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda|publisher=University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department|issn=0473-0992|title=The Kostolac horizon at Vučedol|pages=25–40|volume=29|issue=1|date=December 2005| first=Jacqueline| last=Balen|access-date=15 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=26644}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda|publisher=University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department|issn=0473-0992|title=Prilog poznavanju neolitičkih obrednih predmeta u neolitiku sjeverne Hrvatske|trans-title=A Contribution to Understanding Neolithic Ritual Objects in the Northern Croatia Neolithic|language=hr|pages=43–48|volume=27|issue=1|date=December 2003|first=Tihomila|last=Težak-Gregl|access-date=15 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=26644}}</ref> ] hosted the early Illyrian ] and the Celtic ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Potrebica |first1=Hrvoje |last2=Dizdar |first2=Marko |title=Prilog poznavanju naseljenosti Vinkovaca i okolice u starijem željeznom dobu |trans-title=A Contribution to Understanding Continuous Habitation of Vinkovci and its Surroundings in the Early Iron Age |url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=1560 |journal=Prilozi Instituta Za Arheologiju U Zagrebu |publisher=Institut za arheologiju |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=79–100 |date=July 2002 |access-date=15 October 2011 |issn=1330-0644 |language=hr}}</ref>
By the mid-1400s, the ] was gravely hurt by the ] expansion as much of the mountainous country now known as ] fell to the Turks. At the same time, ] became mostly ]. ] was a ] that was firstly ] (Roman) and Venetian, but later, unlike other Dalmatian city-states, it became independent as ], even if it was often under the ] of neighboring powers.


The region of modern-day Croatia was settled by ] and ], while the first Greek colonies were established on the islands of ],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C|first=John|last=Wilkes|title=The Illyrians|year=1995|publisher=]|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=978-0-631-19807-9|page=114|quote=...&nbsp;in the early history of the colony settled in 385&nbsp;BC on the island Pharos (Hvar) from the Aegean island Paros, famed for its marble. In traditional fashion they accepted the guidance of an oracle,&nbsp;... |access-date=15 October 2011}}</ref> ], and ].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/15826619/John-Wilkes-The-Illyrians|first=John|last=Wilkes|title=The Illyrians|year=1995|publisher=]|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=978-0-631-19807-9|page=115|quote=The third Greek colony known in this central sector of the Dalmatian coast was Issa, on the north side of the island Vis.|access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref> In 9&nbsp;AD, the territory of today's Croatia became part of the ]. Emperor ] was native to the region. He ] in ], to which he retired after abdicating in AD 305.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Edward|last1=Gibbon|author2-link=John Bagnell Bury|author2=John Bagnell Bury|author3-link=Daniel J. Boorstin|first3=Daniel J.|last3=Boorstin|title=The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|publisher=]|year=1995|location=New York|page=335|isbn=978-0-679-60148-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdKLyie1M50C|access-date=27 October 2011|author1-link=Edward Gibbon}}</ref>
The ] in ] led the ] to invite the ]s to assume control over Croatia. Habsburg rule eventually did prove to be successful in thwarting the Ottomans, and by the 18th century, much of Croatia was free of Turkish control. The odd crescent shape of the Croatian lands remained as a mark, more or less, of the frontier to the Ottoman advance into Europe. ], Dalmatia and Dubrovnik all eventually passed to the ] between ] and ].


During the 5th century, the ] ] ruled a small realm from the palace after fleeing Italy in 475.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historyoflaterro01buryuoft|author=J. B. Bury|title=History of the later Roman empire from the death of Theodosius I. to the death of Justinian|page=|publisher=]|year=1923|access-date=15 October 2011|author-link=J. B. Bury}}</ref>
]
Following ], Croatia joined the ] (comprising what is today, ], Croatia and ]). Shortly thereafter, this joint state in turn formed a union with ] to form the ] (which eventually became ] in ]). ] was invaded during ] and Croatia was turned into a ] puppet-state named ]. When the Axis powers were defeated, Yugoslavia became a federal ].


=== Middle Ages ===
Along with Slovenia, Croatia declared her independence from ] on ], ], which triggered the ]. Belgrade rejected the new country and the ensuing months saw combat between various Croatian armed forces and the Belgrade-based ] (Yugoslav National Army). In early 1992, Germany recognised Croatia, with many other influential countries following suit; finally the remainder of Yugoslavia was compelled to recognise the newly independent states, and as such, the Yugoslav security forces withdrew.
{{main|Duchy of Croatia|Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102)|Kingdom of Croatia (1102–1526)|Republic of Ragusa}}


The Roman period ends with ] and ] invasions in the late 6th and first half of the 7th century and the destruction of almost all Roman towns. Roman survivors retreated to more favourable sites on the coast, islands, and mountains. The city of ] was founded by such survivors from ].<ref name="AAPatton">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_E_NBAAAAYAAJ|title=Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic|author=Andrew Archibald Paton|year=1861|pages=–219|publisher=Trübner|access-date=15 October 2011}}</ref>
A ] poplation living in some areas of Croatia then revolted and proclaimed their own state - ]. They were supported by the ]. In ], the Croatian Army successfully launched two major offensives to retake the rebel areas by force, leading to a mass exodus of the Serbian population. A few months later, as a result, the war ended upon the negotiation of the ]. A peaceful integration of the remaining Serbian-controlled territories was completed in ] under ] supervision.


] c.&nbsp;925, during the reign of ]]]
Croatia is currently in the process of joining the ], accession negotiations started in December 2005.


The ] of Croats is uncertain. The most accepted theory, the Slavic theory, proposes migration of ] from ] during the ]. Conversely, the Iranian theory proposes ] origin, based on ] containing ] inscriptions of given names ''Χορούαθος'', ''Χοροάθος'', and ''Χορόαθος'' (Khoroúathos, Khoroáthos, and Khoróathos) and their interpretation as ]s of Croatian people.<ref name="Nikšić-Heršak">{{cite journal|journal=Migracijske i Etničke Teme|issn=1333-2546|publisher=Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies|date=September 2007|volume=23|issue=3|pages=251–268|first1=Emil|last1=Heršak|first2=Boris|last2=Nikšić|language=hr|title=Hrvatska etnogeneza: pregled komponentnih etapa i interpretacija (s naglaskom na euroazijske/nomadske sadržaje)|trans-title=Croatian Ethnogenesis: A Review of Component Stages and Interpretations (with Emphasis on Eurasian/Nomadic Elements) | url = http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=28729&lang=en}}</ref>
== Counties ==
], Island of Korčula]]
]]]
], ]]]
''Main article: ]''


According to the work '']'' written by 10th-century Byzantine Emperor ], ] settled in the ] in the first half of the 7th century after they defeated the ].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Katičić|first=Radoslav|date=1989|title=Ivan Mužić o podrijetlu Hrvata|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/95425|journal=Starohrvatska Prosvjeta|language=hr|volume=III|issue=19|pages=243–270|issn=0351-4536}}</ref>{{sfn|Goldstein|1999|p=13}}<ref>{{cite journal|last=Birin|first=Ante|title=Pregled političke povijesti Hrvata u ranome srednjem vijeku|url=https://www.academia.edu/30936317|journal=Nova Zraka U Europskom Svjetlu – Hrvatske Zemlje U Ranome Srednjem Vijeku (Oko 550 – Oko 1150)|date=January 2015|language=hr|page=40|via=Academia.edu}}</ref> However, that claim is disputed: competing hypotheses date the event between the late 6th-early 7th (mainstream) or the late 8th-early 9th (fringe) centuries,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bilogrivić |first=Goran |date=2018 |chapter=Carolingian Weapons and the Problem of Croat Migration and Ethnogenesis |title=Migration, Integration and Connectivity on the Southeastern Frontier of the Carolingian Empire |editor=Danijel Dzino |editor2=Ante Milošević |editor3=Trpimir Vedriš |publisher=Brill |pages=86–99 |doi=10.1163/9789004380134_007 |isbn=978-90-04-38013-4 |s2cid=165889390}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Danijel |last=Dzino |year=2010 |title=Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UbOtJcF8rQC |publisher=BRILL |pages=175, 179–182 |isbn=9789004186460}}</ref> but recent archaeological data has established that the migration and settlement of the Slavs/Croats was in the late 6th and early 7th century.<ref name="Belos00">{{cite journal |last=Belošević |first=Janko |title=Razvoj i osnovne značajke starohrvatskih grobalja horizonta 7.-9. stoljeća na povijesnim prostorima Hrvata |url=https://morepress.unizd.hr/journals/index.php/pov/article/view/2231 |journal=Radovi |volume=39 |issue=26 |pages=71–97 |date=2000 |language=hr |doi=10.15291/radovipov.2231|doi-access=free | issn=0352-6712}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Fabijanić |first=Tomislav |date=2013 |chapter=14C date from early Christian basilica gemina in Podvršje (Croatia) in the context of Slavic settlement on the eastern Adriatic coast |title=The early Slavic settlement of Central Europe in the light of new dating evidence |location=Wroclaw |publisher=Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences |pages=251–260 |isbn=978-83-63760-10-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bekić |first1=Luka |date=2016 |title=Rani srednji vijek između Panonije i Jadrana: ranoslavenski keramički i ostali arheološki nalazi od 6. do 8. stoljeća |trans-title=Early medieval between Pannonia and the Adriatic: early Slavic ceramic and other archaeological finds from the sixth to eighth century |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348500715 |location=Pula |publisher=Arheološki muzej Istre |language=hr, en |pages=101, 119, 123, 138–140, 157–162, 173–174, 177–179 |isbn=978-953-8082-01-6}}</ref> Eventually, a ] was formed, ], ruled by ], as attested by chronicles of ] starting in 818. The record represents the first document of Croatian realms, ] of ] at the time.{{sfn|Mužić|2007|pp=157–160}} Its neighbor to the North was ], at the time ruled by duke ] who ruled the territories between the ] and ] rivers, centred from his fort at ]. This population and territory throughout history was tightly related and connected to Croats and Croatia.{{sfn|Budak|2018|pp=178–185}}
Croatia is divided into 20 counties (Croatian: županija) and the city district of the capital, Zagreb*:


] by ]]]
# ] (Zagrebačka županija)
# ] (Krapinsko-zagorska županija)
# ] (Sisačko-moslavačka županija)
# ] (Karlovačka županija)
# ] (Varaždinska županija)
# ] (Koprivničko-križevačka županija)
# ] (Bjelovarsko-bilogorska županija)
# ] (Primorsko-goranska županija)
# ] (Ličko-senjska županija)
# ] (Virovitičko-podravska županija)
# ] (Požeško-slavonska županija)
# ] (Brodsko-posavska županija)
# ] (Zadarska županija)
# ] (Osječko-baranjska županija)
# ] (Šibensko-kninska županija)
# ] (Vukovarsko-srijemska županija)
# ] (Splitsko-dalmatinska županija)
# ] (Istarska županija)
# ] (Dubrovačko-neretvanska županija)
# ] (Međimurska županija)
# ] (Grad Zagreb)*


] of Croats began in the 7th century at the time of archon ], initially probably encompassed only the elite and related people,{{sfn|Budak|2018|pp=144–145}} but mostly finished by the 9th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ivandija |first=Antun |title=Pokrštenje Hrvata prema najnovijim znanstvenim rezultatima |trans-title=Christianization of Croats according to the most recent scientific results |url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=64623&lang=en |journal=Bogoslovska smotra |publisher=University of Zagreb, Catholic Faculty of Theology |volume=37 |issue=3–4 |pages=440–444 |date=April 1968 |issn=0352-3101 |language=hr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Živković|first=Tibor|author-link=Tibor Živković|title=On the Baptism of the Serbs and Croats in the Time of Basil I (867–886)|journal=Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana|year=2013a|issue=1|pages=33–53|url=http://slavica-petropolitana.spbu.ru/files/2013_1/Zivkovic.pdf}}</ref> The Frankish overlordship ended during the reign of ],{{sfn|Mužić|2007|pp=169–170}} or his successor ].{{sfn|Budak|2018|pp=106}} The native Croatian royal dynasty was founded by duke Trpimir I in the mid 9th century, who defeated the Byzantine and Bulgarian forces.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Radovi|publisher=HAZU|place=Zadar|date=2001|issue=43|first=Milko|last=Brković|title=Diplomatička analiza papinskih pisama druge polovice IX. stoljeća destinatarima u Hrvatskoj|trans-title=The Papal Letters of the second half of the IXth Century to addressees in Croatia|language=hr|pages=29–44|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/en/clanak/18748}}</ref> The first native Croatian ruler recognised by the Pope was duke ], who received papal recognition from ] on 7 June 879.{{sfn|Mužić|2007|p=|pp=195–198}} ] was the first ], noted as such in a letter of ] in 925. Tomislav defeated Hungarian and Bulgarian invasions.<ref name="Posavec">{{cite journal|journal=Radovi Zavoda Za Hrvatsku Povijest|volume=30|issue=1|issn=0353-295X|pages=281–290|title=Povijesni zemljovidi i granice Hrvatske u Tomislavovo doba|trans-title= Historical maps and borders of Croatia in age of Tomislav|language=hr|first=Vladimir|last=Posavec|date=March 1998|access-date=16 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=62779}}</ref> The medieval Croatian kingdom reached its peak in the 11th century during the reigns of ] (1058–1074) and ] (1075–1089).<ref name="Margetić">{{cite journal|journal=Radovi Zavoda Za Hrvatsku Povijest|volume=29|issue=1|issn=0353-295X|pages=11–20|title=Regnum Croatiae et Dalmatiae u doba Stjepana II.|trans-title=Regnum Croatiae et Dalmatiae in age of Stjepan II|language=hr|first=Lujo|last=Margetić|date=January 1997|access-date=16 October 2011|url= http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=76963|author-link=Lujo Margetić}}</ref> When ] died in 1091, ending the Trpimirović dynasty, Dmitar Zvonimir's brother-in-law ] claimed the Croatian crown. This led to a ] and ] in 1102 under ].<ref name="HR-HU-Heka">{{cite journal|journal=Scrinia Slavonica|issn=1332-4853|publisher=Hrvatski institut za povijest – Podružnica za povijest Slavonije, Srijema i Baranje|title= Hrvatsko-ugarski odnosi od sredinjega vijeka do nagodbe iz 1868. s posebnim osvrtom na pitanja Slavonije|trans-title=Croatian-Hungarian relations from the Middle Ages to the Compromise of 1868, with a special survey of the Slavonian issue|language=hr|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=68144|first= Ladislav|last= Heka|date=October 2008|volume=8|issue=1|pages=152–173|access-date=16 October 2011}}</ref>


=== Union with Hungary and Austria ===
See also: ]

{{main|Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)|Austria-Hungary}}
{{further|Croatian–Ottoman wars}}

For the next four centuries, the Kingdom of Croatia was ruled by the ] (parliament) and a ] (viceroy) appointed by the king.<ref name="Povijest-saborovanja">{{cite web|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=404 |title=Povijest saborovanja |trans-title=History of parliamentarism |language=hr |publisher=] |access-date=18 October 2010 |archive-date=2 December 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202061135/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=404}}</ref> This period saw the rise of influential nobility such as the ] and ] families to prominence, and ultimately numerous Bans from the two families.{{sfn|Font|2005|p=17}} An increasing threat of ] conquest and a struggle against the ] for control of coastal areas ensued. The Venetians controlled most of Dalmatia by 1428, except the ], which became independent. ] led to the 1493 ] and the 1526 ], both ending in decisive Ottoman victories. King ] died at Mohács, and in 1527, the ] and chose Ferdinand I of the ] as the new ruler of Croatia, under the condition that he protects Croatia against the Ottoman Empire while respecting its political rights.<ref name="Povijest-saborovanja"/>{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=|pp=422–423}}

Following the decisive Ottoman victories, Croatia was split into civilian and military territories in 1538. The military territories became known as the ] and were under direct Habsburg control. Ottoman advances in Croatia continued until the 1593 ], the first decisive Ottoman defeat, when borders stabilised.{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=|pp=422–423}} During the ] (1683–1698), ] was regained, but western ], which had been part of Croatia before the Ottoman conquest, remained outside Croatian control.{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=|pp=422–423}} The present-day border between the two countries is a remnant of this outcome. ], the southern part of the border, was similarly defined by the ] and the ].{{sfn|Lane|1973|p=409}}

] at the opening of the first modern ] (''Sabor''), June 5, 1848. The Croatian tricolour flag can be seen in the background.]]

The ] drove demographic changes. During the 16th century, Croats from western and northern ], ], ], the area between the rivers ] and ], and especially from western ], migrated towards ]. Present-day ] are direct descendants of these settlers.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Croatian Cultural Association in Burgenland|url=http://www.hkd.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=102&lang=hr|language=hr|title=Povijest Gradišćanskih Hrvatov|trans-title=History of Burgenland Croats|access-date=17 October 2011|archive-date=14 November 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114132821/http://www.hkd.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=102&lang=hr}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Valentić|first=Mirko|date=30 October 1990|title=TURSKI RATOVI i HRVATSKA DIJASPORA u XVI. STOLJEĆU|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/74388|journal=Senjski Zbornik: Prilozi Za Geografiju, Etnologiju, Gospodarstvo, Povijest I Kulturu|language=hr|volume=17|issue=1|pages=45–60|issn=0582-673X}}</ref> To replace the fleeing population, the Habsburgs encouraged Bosnians to provide military service in the ].

The ] supported ]'s ] and signed their own ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Povijest saborovanja|url=http://www.sabor.hr/hr/o-saboru/povijest-saborovanja|website=Hrvatski sabor|language=hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> Subsequently, the emperor pledged to respect all privileges and political rights of the ], and ] made significant contributions to Croatian affairs, such as introducing compulsory education.

] was an autonomous kingdom within ] created in 1868 following the ].]]

Between 1797 and 1809, the ] increasingly occupied the eastern ] coastline and its hinterland, ending the Venetian and the ], establishing the ].{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=|pp=422–423}} In response, the ] ], leading to the ] in 1811.{{sfn|Adkins|Adkins|2008|p=|pp=359–362}} The Illyrian provinces were captured by the Austrians in 1813 and absorbed by the ] following the ] in 1815. This led to the formation of the ] and the restoration of the ] to the Kingdom of Croatia under one crown.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTC3IWC_py8C|first=Harold|last=Nicolson|title=The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812–1822|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-8021-3744-9|page=180|year=2000|access-date=17 October 2011|author-link=Harold Nicolson}}</ref> The 1830s and 1840s featured ] that inspired the ], a political and cultural campaign advocating the unity of ] within the empire. Its primary focus was establishing a standard language as a counterweight to ] while promoting ] and culture.<ref name="CRIS-Stančić">{{cite journal|journal=Cris: Časopis Povijesnog društva Križevci|issn=1332-2567|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=80164|first=Nikša|last=Stančić|title=Hrvatski narodni preporod – ciljevi i ostvarenja|trans-title=Croatian National Revival – goals and achievements|pages=6–17|volume=10|issue=1|date=February 2009|access-date=7 October 2011|language=hr}}</ref> During the ], Croatia sided with Austria. Ban ] helped defeat the Hungarians in 1849 and ushered in a ] policy.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Review of Croatian History|publisher=Croatian Institute of History|issn=1845-4380|volume=4|issue=1|date=December 2008|first=Ante|last=Čuvalo|title=Josip Jelačić – Ban of Croatia|pages=13–27|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=77559|access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref>

By the 1860s, the failure of the policy became apparent, leading to the ]. The creation of a ] between the Austrian Empire and the ] followed. The treaty left Croatia's status to Hungary, which was resolved by the ] of 1868 when the kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia were united.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.h-net.org/~habsweb/sourcetexts/nagodba1.htm|title=Constitution of Union between Croatia-Slavonia and Hungary|publisher=H-net.org|access-date=16 May 2010}}</ref> The Kingdom of Dalmatia remained under de facto Austrian control, while ] retained the status of ] previously introduced in 1779.<ref name="HR-HU-Heka"/>

After ] ] following the ], the Military Frontier was abolished. The Croatian and ] sectors of the Frontier returned to Croatia in 1881,{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=|pp=422–423}} under provisions of the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Zbornik Pravnog Fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci|issn=1330-349X|publisher=]|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=39787|first=Ladislav|last=Heka|title=Hrvatsko-ugarska nagodba u zrcalu tiska|language=hr|trans-title=Croatian-Hungarian compromise in light of press clips|volume=28|issue=2|date=December 2007|access-date=10 April 2012|pages=931–971}}</ref><ref name="Dubravica">{{cite journal|journal=Politička Misao|issn=0032-3241|publisher=], Faculty of Political Sciences|title=Političko-teritorijalna podjela i opseg civilne Hrvatske u godinama sjedinjenja s vojnom Hrvatskom 1871–1886|trans-title=Political and territorial division and scope of civilian Croatia in the period of unification with the Croatian military frontier 1871–1886|language=hr|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=38709&lang=en|first=Branko|last=Dubravica|pages=159–172|volume=38|issue=3|date=January 2002|access-date=20 June 2012}}</ref> Renewed efforts to ], entailing ] with Croatia as a federal unit, were stopped by ].<ref>{{cite book|first=Max|last=Polatschek|title=Franz Ferdinand: Europas verlorene Hoffnung|language=de|isbn=978-3-85002-284-2|publisher=Amalthea|year=1989|page=231|access-date=17 October 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZu0AAAAIAAJ}}</ref>

{{clear}}

=== The World Wars and Yugoslavia ===
{{main|Creation of Yugoslavia|Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Banovina of Croatia|World War II in Yugoslavia|Socialist Republic of Croatia}}

{{multiple image
| direction = vertical
| align = right
| width = 220
| image1 = Demonstracije u Zagrebu 1918.jpg
| caption1 = Mass protests in Zagreb against the unification of the ] with the ] in 1918
| image2 = Radic govori na skupstini.jpg
| caption2 = ], leader of the ] who advocated federal organisation of ] at the assembly in ], ]. His death at the end of the same year as a result of an assassination in the National Assembly by ] member, ] nationalist politician ], leads the country to a serious political crisis.
}}

On 29 October 1918, the Croatian Parliament (''Sabor'') declared independence and decided to join the newly formed ],<ref name="Povijest-saborovanja"/> which in turn entered into union with the ] on 4 December 1918 to form the ].<ref>{{cite book|title=World War I: encyclopedia, Volume 1|first1=Spencer|last1=Tucker|author2=Priscilla Mary Roberts|isbn=978-1-85109-420-2|page=1286|year=2005|publisher=ABC-CLIO|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YqjfHLyyj8C}}</ref> The Croatian Parliament never ratified the union with Serbia and Montenegro.<ref name="Povijest-saborovanja"/> The ] defining the country as a ] and abolition of Croatian Parliament and historical administrative divisions effectively ended Croatian autonomy.

The new constitution was opposed by the most widely supported national political party—the ] (HSS) led by ].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Scrinia Slavonica|publisher=Croatian Institute of History – Slavonia, Syrmium and Baranya history branch|issn=1332-4853|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=31497|volume=3|issue=1|date=November 2003|title=Parlamentarni izbori u Brodskom kotaru 1923. godine|language=hr|trans-title=Parliamentary Elections in the Brod District in 1932|access-date=17 October 2011|pages=452–470}}</ref>

The political situation deteriorated further as Radić was assassinated in the ] in 1928, culminating in King ]'s establishment of the ] in 1929.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru|publisher=]|issn=1330-0474|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=74560|pages=203–218|issue=51|date=November 2009|first=Zlatko|last=Begonja|title=Ivan Pernar o hrvatsko-srpskim odnosima nakon atentata u Beogradu 1928. godine|language=hr|trans-title=Ivan Pernar on Croatian-Serbian relations after 1928 Belgrade assassination|access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref> The dictatorship formally ended in 1931 when the king imposed a more unitary constitution.<ref>{{cite book|title=Yugoslavia's ruin: the bloody lessons of nationalism, a patriot's warning|first=Cvijeto|last=Job|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-7425-1784-4|page=9|year=2002|access-date=27 October 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yH3Hz2AXonwC}}</ref> The HSS, now led by ], continued to advocate federalisation, resulting in the ] of August 1939 and the autonomous ]. The Yugoslav government retained control of defence, internal security, foreign affairs, trade, and transport while other matters were left to the Croatian Sabor and a crown-appointed Ban.{{sfn|Klemenčič|Žagar|2004|p=|pp=121–123}}

] and its puppet state ], ] and ], meeting in ] outside ], Germany, 1941]]
In April 1941, ] by ] and ]. Following the invasion, a German-Italian installed puppet state named the ] (NDH) was established. Most of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the region of ] were incorporated into this state. Parts of Dalmatia were ], Hungary annexed the northern Croatian regions of ] and ].{{sfn|Klemenčič|Žagar|2004|p=|pp=153–156}} The NDH regime was led by ] and ultranationalist ], a fringe movement in pre-war Croatia.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=337}} With German and Italian military and political support,{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=272}} the regime introduced ] and launched a ], ], and ].{{sfn|Klemenčič|Žagar|2004|p=184}} Many were imprisoned in ]; the largest was the ].<ref name=logori>{{cite web|title=koncentracijski logori|url=http://www.enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?ID=32708|access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref> ] were targeted by the regime as well.{{sfn|Goldstein|1999|p=138}} Several ] (most notably the ], ] and ] camps) were established in Italian-occupied territories, mostly for ] and Croats.<ref name=logori/> At the same time, the Yugoslav Royalist and ] ] pursued a ] against Croats and ],{{sfn|Klemenčič|Žagar|2004|p=184}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hoare |first=Marko Attila |title=Genocide in the former Yugoslavia: a critique of left revisionism's denial (full version) |journal=] |date=1 December 2003 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=543–563 |doi=10.1080/1462352032000149495 |s2cid=145169670 |issn=1462-3528}}</ref> aided by Italy.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=744}} Nazi German forces committed crimes and reprisals against civilians in retaliation for Partisan actions, such as in the villages of ] and ] in 1944.<ref>{{Cite book|last= Kozlica|first=Ivan|title=Krvava Cetina|trans-title= Bloody Cetina|language =hr|year=2012|publisher=Hrvatski centar za ratne žrtve|location=Zagreb|isbn=978-953-57409-0-2|page=155}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title="Operacija Braunschweig", Klepsidra|last=Predoević|first=Petra|publisher=Udruga studenata povijesti "Malleus"|year=2007|location=Rijeka|pages=105–129}}</ref>
] on 12 May 1945 by ]]]

A ] emerged. On 22 June 1941,<ref name="Pavličević">Dragutin Pavličević, Povijest Hrvatske, Naklada Pavičić, Zagreb, 2007. {{ISBN|978-953-6308-71-2}}, str. 441–442.</ref> the ] was formed near ], the first military unit formed by a resistance movement in ].<ref name="pavlicevic-2007">{{cite book|first=Dragutin|last=Pavličević|title=Povijest Hrvatske|year=2007|publisher=Naklada Pavičić|isbn=978-953-6308-71-2|pages=441–442}}</ref> That sparked the beginning of the ] movement, a communist, multi-ethnic anti-fascist resistance group led by ].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=] |language=hr |url=http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/josipovic-antifasizam-je-duhovni-otac-domovinskog-rata-clanak-303250 |title=Josipović: Antifašizam je duhovni otac Domovinskog rata |trans-title=Josipović: Anti-Fascism is a Spiritual Forerunner of the Croatian War of Independence |date=22 June 2011 |first=Matea |last=Vipotnik |access-date=14 October 2011 |archive-date=17 May 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517085659/http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/josipovic-antifasizam-je-duhovni-otac-domovinskog-rata-clanak-303250}}</ref> In ethnic terms, Croats were the second-largest contributors to the Partisan movement after Serbs.<ref name=":1" /> In per capita terms, Croats contributed proportionately to their population within Yugoslavia.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Hoare |first=Marko Attila |year=2002 |title=Whose is the partisan movement? Serbs, Croats and the legacy of a shared resistance |journal=The Journal of Slavic Military Studies |publisher=Informa UK Limited |volume=15 |issue=4 |pages=30 |doi=10.1080/13518040208430537 |issn=1351-8046 |s2cid=145127681}}</ref> By May 1944 (according to Tito), Croats made up 30% of the Partisan's ethnic composition, despite making up 22% of the population.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|last1=Hoare|first1=Marko Attila|author-link=Marko Attila Hoare|editor1-last=Ramet|editor1-first=Sabrina P.|editor2-last=Listhaug|editor2-first=Ola|year=2011|title=Serbia and the Serbs in World War Two |chapter=The Partisans and the Serbs|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=London, England|isbn=978-0-23034-781-6 |pages=207}}</ref> The movement grew fast, and at the ] in December 1943, the Partisans gained recognition from the ].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Historijski Zbornik|issn=0351-2193|publisher=Društvo za hrvatsku povjesnicu|date=December 2008|volume=61|issue= 2|author=Karakaš Obradov Marica|title=Saveznički zračni napadi na Split i okolicu i djelovanje Narodne zaštite u Splitu tijekom Drugog svjetskog rata|trans-title=Allied aerial attacks on Split and its surrounding and Civil Guard activity in Split during the World War II|language=hr|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=74494|pages=323–349|access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref>] with the Croatian communist leader ] at the celebration of ], shortly before Stepinac was arrested and convicted by the communists]]

With Allied support in logistics, equipment, training and airpower, and with the assistance of ] taking part in the 1944 ], the Partisans gained control of Yugoslavia and the border regions of ] and ] by May 1945. Members of the ] and other Axis troops, as well as civilians, were in retreat towards Austria. Following their surrender, many were killed in the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bracewell |first1=C.W. |last2=Lampe |first2=John R. |title=Croatia – World War II {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Croatia/World-War-II |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> In the following years, ] faced ], and many were interned.{{sfn|Goldstein|1999|p=158}}

The political aspirations of the Partisan movement were reflected in the ], which developed in 1943 as the bearer of Croatian statehood and later transformed into the Parliament in 1945, and ]—its counterpart at the Yugoslav level.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Pro Tempore – Časopis Studenata Povijesti|publisher=Klub studenata povijesti ISHA|issn=1334-8302|first=Marko|last=Maurović|title=Josip protiv Josifa|trans-title=Josip vs. Iosif|language=hr|pages=73–83|issue=1|date=May 2004|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=81342|access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Sabor|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=27859&sec=2867|language=hr|title=Predsjednik Sabora Luka Bebić na obilježavanju 64. obljetnice pobjede nad fašizmom i 65. obljetnice trećeg zasjedanja ZAVNOH-a u Topuskom|trans-title=Speaker of the Parliament, Luka Bebić, at celebration of the 64th anniversary of the victory over fascism and the 65th anniversary of the 3rd session of the ZAVNOH session in Topusko|date=9 May 2009|access-date=17 October 2011|archive-date=19 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119084444/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=27859&sec=2867}}</ref>

Based on the studies on ] by demographer ] and statistician ], a total of 295,000 people from the territory (not including territories ] after the war) died, which amounted to 7.3% of the population,<ref>{{cite journal|last=Žerjavić|first=Vladimir|author-link=Vladimir Žerjavić|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/213638?lang=en|language=hr|title=Demografski i ratni gubici Hrvatske u Drugom svjetskom ratu i poraću|trans-title=Demographic and War Losses of Croatia in the World War Two and in the Postwar Period|pages=551|journal=Journal of Contemporary History|volume=27|number=3|date=1995|location=Zagreb}}</ref> among whom were 125–137,000 Serbs, 118–124,000 Croats, 16–17,000 Jews, and 15,000 Roma.{{sfn|Žerjavić|1992|p=159}}{{sfn|Kočović|1985|p=173}} In addition, from areas joined to Croatia after the war, a total of 32,000 people died, among whom 16,000 were Italians and 15,000 were Croats.{{sfn|Žerjavić|1993b|pp=640–641}} Approximately 200,000 Croats from the entirety of Yugoslavia (including Croatia) and abroad were killed in total throughout the war and its immediate aftermath, approximately 5.4% of the population.{{sfn|Kočović|1985|p=126}}{{sfn|Geiger|2012|pp=117–118}}

] led ] from 1944 to 1980; Pictured: Tito with the US president ] in the ], 1971]]

After ], Croatia became a ] socialist ] of the ], ruled by the ], but having a degree of autonomy within the federation. In 1967, Croatian authors and linguists published a ] demanding equal treatment for their language.<ref name="Šute-Deklaracija">{{cite journal |last=Šute |first=Ivica |title=Deklaracija o nazivu i položaju hrvatskog književnog jezika – Građa za povijest Deklaracije |trans-title=Declaration on the Status and Name of the Croatian Standard Language – Declaration History Articles |url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=76413&lang=en |journal=Radovi Zavoda Za Hrvatsku Povijest |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=317–318 |date=April 1999 |issn=0353-295X |language=hr}}</ref>

The declaration contributed to a national movement seeking greater civil rights and redistribution of the Yugoslav economy, culminating in the ] of 1971, which was suppressed by Yugoslav leadership.<ref name="JL-Savka">{{cite news |newspaper=] |language=hr |url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/heroina-hrvatskog-proljeca/305499/ |title=Heroina Hrvatskog proljeća |trans-title=Heroine of the Croatian Spring |date=6 August 2009 |first=Vlado |last=Vurušić |access-date=14 October 2011 |archive-date=6 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806045846/http://www.jutarnji.hr/heroina-hrvatskog-proljeca/305499/}}</ref> Still, the ] gave increased autonomy to federal units, basically fulfilling a goal of the Croatian Spring and providing a legal basis for independence of the federative constituents.<ref name="Rich">{{cite journal|first=Roland|last=Rich|title=Recognition of States: The Collapse of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union|journal=European Journal of International Law|year=1993|issue=1|volume=4|pages=36–65|url=http://www.ejil.org/article.php?article=1207&issue=67|access-date=18 October 2011|doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.ejil.a035834}}</ref>

Following Tito's death in 1980, the political situation in Yugoslavia deteriorated. National tension was fanned by the 1986 ] and the ].{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=433}}<ref>{{cite news|agency=] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/12/world/leaders-of-a-republic-in-yugoslavia-resign.html |title=Leaders of a Republic in Yugoslavia Resign |newspaper=] |date=12 January 1989 |access-date=7 February 2010 |archive-date=6 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106113747/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/12/world/leaders-of-a-republic-in-yugoslavia-resign.html}}</ref> In January 1990, the Communist Party fragmented along national lines, with the Croatian ] demanding a looser federation.<ref name="Pauković-14Congress-2009">{{cite journal|first=Davor|last=Pauković|publisher=Centar za politološka istraživanja|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=55640|language=hr|title=Posljednji kongres Saveza komunista Jugoslavije: uzroci, tijek i posljedice raspada|trans-title=Last Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia: Causes, Consequences and Course of Dissolution|date=1 June 2008|journal=Časopis za Suvremenu Povijest|volume=1|issue=1|pages=21–33|issn=1847-2397|access-date=11 December 2010}}</ref> In the same year, the ] were held in Croatia, while ]'s win exacerbated nationalist tensions.<ref name="Independent-Tuđman-Obituary">{{cite news|newspaper=] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-franjo-tudjman-1132142.html |title=Obituary: Franjo Tudjman |first=Branka |last=Magas |date=13 December 1999 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110024351/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-franjo-tudjman-1132142.html}}</ref> Some of the ] left Sabor and declared autonomy of the unrecognised ], intent on achieving independence from Croatia.<ref name="NYTimes-Autonomy-AUG1990">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/02/world/croatia-s-serbs-declare-their-autonomy.html |first=Chuck |last=Sudetic |title=Croatia's Serbs Declare Their Autonomy |date=2 October 1990 |access-date=11 December 2010 |archive-date=12 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112065457/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/02/world/croatia-s-serbs-declare-their-autonomy.html|author-link=Chuck Sudetic}}</ref><ref name="EE-CIS-book">{{cite book |title=Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qmN95fFocsMC |pages=272–278 |isbn=978-1-85743-058-5 |year=1998 |publisher=] |access-date=16 December 2010}}</ref>

=== Independence ===
{{main|Breakup of Yugoslavia|Croatian War of Independence|Independence of Croatia|History of Croatia since 1995}}

As tensions rose, Croatia ] on 25 June 1991. However, the full implementation of the declaration only came into effect after a ] on 8 October 1991.<ref name="NYTimes-Declaration-26June1991">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/26/world/2-yugoslav-states-vote-independence-to-press-demands.html |title=2 Yugoslav States Vote Independence To Press Demands |first=Chuck |last=Sudetic |date=26 June 1991 |access-date=12 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110162855/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/26/world/2-yugoslav-states-vote-independence-to-press-demands.html |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sabor-Independence-8Oct1991">{{cite web|work=Official web site of the Croatian Parliament|publisher=Sabor|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=20091&sec=2462|title=Ceremonial session of the Croatian Parliament on the occasion of the Day of Independence of the Republic of Croatia|date=7 October 2004|access-date=29 July 2012|archive-date=14 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314021206/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=20091&sec=2462}}</ref> In the meantime, tensions escalated into ] when the Serbian-controlled ] (JNA) and various Serb paramilitary groups attacked Croatia.<ref name="NYTimes-Otkos10">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/04/world/army-rushes-to-take-a-croatian-town.html |title=Army Rushes to Take a Croatian Town |first=Chuck |last=Sudetic |date=4 November 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729183641/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/04/world/army-rushes-to-take-a-croatian-town.html}}</ref>

], the central place of holding the ], public holiday on ], for all the victims of the war in Croatia and the ], one of the symbolic and crucial events in the ] ]]]

By the end of 1991, a high-intensity conflict fought along a wide front reduced Croatia's control to about two-thirds of its territory.<ref name="NYTimes-Iceland">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/20/world/croatia-clashes-rise-mediators-pessimistic.html |title=Croatia Clashes Rise; Mediators Pessimistic |date=19 December 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=15 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115174401/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/20/world/croatia-clashes-rise-mediators-pessimistic.html}}</ref><ref name="LATimes-OccupiedPct-1Aug91">{{cite news|newspaper=] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-01-mn-177-story.html |title=Serbian Forces Press Fight for Major Chunk of Croatia |first=Charles T. |last=Powers |date=1 August 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=16 May 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516054837/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-01/news/mn-177_1_defense-force|author-link=Charles T. Powers}}</ref> Serb paramilitary groups then began a campaign of killing, terror, and expulsion of the Croats in the occupied territories, killing thousands<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/utjecaj-srbijanske-agresije-na-stanovnistvo-hrvatske/175515.aspx |title=Utjecaj srbijanske agresije na stanovništvo Hrvatske |website=] |date=11 December 2003 |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref> of Croat civilians and expelling or displacing as many as 400,000-500,000 Croats and other non-Serbs from their homes.<ref>{{cite web|title= SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENT FOR MILAN MARTIĆ|url= http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1162e-summary.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071215084458/http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1162e-summary.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date= 15 December 2007|access-date=28 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Croatia marks 25 years since war with tolerance message |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/8/5/croatia-marks-25-years-since-war-with-tolerance-message |website=AlJazeera |date=5 August 2020}}</ref> Serbs living in Croatian towns, especially those near the front lines, were subjected to various forms of discrimination.{{sfn|Goldstein|1999|p=233}} Croatian Serbs in Eastern and Western Slavonia and parts of the Krajina were forced to flee or were expelled by Croatian forces, though on a restricted scale and in lesser numbers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bassiouni |first1=Mahmoud Cherif |last2=Manikas |first2=Peter |title=The Law of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia |date=1996 |publisher=Transnational Publishers |isbn=978-1-57105-004-5 |page=86}}</ref> The ] publicly deplored these practices and sought to stop them, indicating that they were not a part of the Government's policy. {{sfn|Allen|1996|p=46}}

] raising the flag on the ] at a commemoration of the ], the Croatian military action which liberated occupied Croatian territories in ]]]

On 15 January 1992, Croatia gained ] by the ], followed by the United Nations.<ref name="NYTimes-Germany-23Dec91">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/24/world/slovenia-and-croatia-get-bonn-s-nod.html |title=Slovenia and Croatia Get Bonn's Nod |first=Stephen |last=Kinzer |date=24 December 1991 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=20 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620034701/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/24/world/slovenia-and-croatia-get-bonn-s-nod.html|author-link=Stephen Kinzer}}</ref><ref name="NYT-UN-membership">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/23/world/3-ex-yugoslav-republics-are-accepted-into-un.html |title=3 Ex-Yugoslav Republics Are Accepted into U.N. |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Paul L. |last=Montgomery |date=23 May 1992 |access-date=29 July 2012 |archive-date=11 November 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111013548/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/23/world/3-ex-yugoslav-republics-are-accepted-into-un.html|author-link=Paul L. Montgomery }}</ref> The war effectively ended in August 1995 with a ] by Croatia;<ref name="LATimes-Storm-Complete">{{cite news|newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-08-mn-32662-story.html |title=Croats Declare Victory, End Blitz |first=Dean E. |last=Murphy |date=8 August 1995 |access-date=18 December 2010 |archive-date=12 October 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012140454/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-08-08/news/mn-32662_1_serb-refugees}}</ref> the event is commemorated each year on 5 August as ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/37611-thanksgiving-day|title=Officials Issue Messages for Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day|website=www.total-croatia-news.com|date=4 August 2019|language=en-gb|access-date=4 August 2019|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405210541/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/37611-thanksgiving-day|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the Croatian victory, about 200,000 Serbs from the self-proclaimed ] fled the region<ref name="bbc-storm"/> and hundreds of mainly elderly Serb civilians were killed in the aftermath of the military operation, often in revenge attacks. There were instances of their property being looted, seized or burned down. Approximately half have returned since then.<ref name="auto"/> Their homes were subsequently settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina.<ref>{{cite book|author=Janine Natalya Clark|year=2014|title=International Trials and Reconciliation: Assessing the Impact of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-1-31797-475-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=373cAwAAQBAJ|page=28}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2024}} The ] were restored to Croatia following the ] of November 1995, concluding with the ] mission in January 1998.<ref name="NYTimes-UNTAES-16Jan98">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/16/world/an-ethnic-morass-is-returned-to-croatia.html |title=An Ethnic Morass Is Returned to Croatia |first=Chris |last=Hedges |date=16 January 1998 |access-date=18 December 2010 |archive-date=18 May 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518201803/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/16/world/an-ethnic-morass-is-returned-to-croatia.html|author-link=Chris Hedges}}</ref> Most sources number the war deaths at around 20,000.<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3095774.stm|title=Presidents apologise over Croatian war |publisher=BBC|work=BBC News|date=September 10, 2003|access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref><ref name="setimes1">{{cite web|url=http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2008/11/20/feature-01|title=Serbia to respond to Croatian genocide charges with countersuit at ICJ|work=SETimes.com|publisher=]|date=November 20, 2008|access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref><ref name="tehrantimes1">{{cite news|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=182811|title=UN to hear Croatia genocide claim against Serbia|newspaper=Tehran Times|date=November 19, 2008|access-date=February 7, 2010}}</ref>

After the end of the war, Croatia faced the challenges of post-war reconstruction, the return of refugees, establishing democracy, protecting human rights, and general social and economic development.

The 2000s were characterized by democratization, economic growth, structural and social reforms, and problems such as unemployment, corruption, and the inefficiency of public administration.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Puljiz|first1=Vlado|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=26RVYkUkBXAC&q=hrvatska+nakon+2000&pg=PA43|title=Socijalna politika Hrvatske|last2=Bežovan|first2=Gojko|last3=Matković|first3=Teo|last4=Šućur|first4=dr Zoran|last5=Zrinščak|first5=Siniša|publisher=Pravni fakultet u Zagrebu|year=2008|isbn=978-953-97320-9-5|location=Zagreb|pages=43–52|language=hr}}</ref> In November 2000 and March 2001, the Parliament amended the Constitution, first adopted on 22 December 1990, changing its bicameral structure back into its historic unicameral form and reducing presidential powers.<ref>{{cite web|title=22 December – Christmas Constitution – the first Constitution of the independent Republic of Croatia|url=https://www.sabor.hr/en/about-parliament/history/important-dates/22-december-christmas-constitution-first-constitution|website=sabor.hr|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History and Development of Croatian Constitutional Judicature – Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia |url=https://www.usud.hr/en/history-and-development-croatian-constitutional-judicature#9 |website=www.usud.hr}}</ref>

Croatia joined the ] on 25 May 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?ID=46827|title=Partnerstvo za mir – Hrvatska enciklopedija|website=www.enciklopedija.hr}}</ref> and became a member of the ] on 30 November 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mvep.hr/hr/vanjska-politika/multilateralni-odnosi-staro-ijvhj/svjetska-trgovinska-organizacija-(wto)/|title=MVEP • Svjetska trgovinska organizacija (WTO)|website=www.mvep.hr}}</ref> On 29 October 2001, Croatia signed a ] with the ],<ref>{{cite web|title=Kronologija: Težak put od priznanja do kucanja na vrata EU – Jutarnji List|url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/arhiva/kronologija-tezak-put-od-priznanja-do-kucanja-na-vrata-eu/3756672/|date=2 October 2006|website=www.jutarnji.hr|language=en|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> submitted a formal application for the EU membership in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uprava.gov.hr/kada-je-i-kome-republika-hrvatska-podnijela-zahtjev-za-clanstvo-u-europskoj-uniji/13976|title=Kada je i kome Republika Hrvatska podnijela zahtjev za članstvo u Europskoj uniji?|website=uprava.gov.hr}}</ref> was given the status of a candidate country in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|title=Kako je izgledao put Republike Hrvatske ka punopravnom članstvu u Europskoj uniji?|url=https://uprava.gov.hr/drzavni-strucni-ispit-789/primjeri-pitanja-i-odgovora-za-srednju-strucnu-spremu/osnove-sustava-europske-unije/kako-je-izgledao-put-republike-hrvatske-ka-punopravnom-clanstvu-u-europskoj-uniji/12417|website=uprava.gov.hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> and began ] in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Evo kako je izgledao hrvatski put prema EU!|url=https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/evo-kako-je-izgledao-hrvatski-put-prema-eu---292731.html|website=Dnevnik.hr|language=hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> Although the Croatian economy had enjoyed a significant boom in the early 2000s, the financial crisis in 2008 forced the government to cut spending, thus provoking a public outcry.<ref>{{cite book |first=Ivo |last=Goldstein |author-link=Ivo Goldstein |title=Povijest Hrvatske 1945–2011 |version=3. svezak |publisher=EPH Media d.o.o.}}</ref>

Croatia served on the ] in the 2008–2009 term for the first time, assuming the non-permanent seat in December 2008.<ref name="MVPEI-UNSC-2008-2009">{{cite web |title=Membership of the Republic of Croatia in the UN Security Council 2008–2009 |url=http://www.mvpei.hr/mvp.asp?pcpid=2531 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130107231744/http://www.mvep.hr/mvp.asp?pcpid=2531 |archive-date=7 January 2013 |access-date=24 September 2011 |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia)}}</ref> On 1 April 2009, Croatia joined ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Hrvatska postala članica NATO saveza|url=https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/hrvatska-postala-punopravna-clanica-nato-saveza.html|website=Dnevnik.hr|language=hr|access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref>

]

A wave of anti-government protests in 2011 reflected a general dissatisfaction with the current political and economic situation. The protests brought together diverse political persuasions in response to recent government corruption scandals and called for early elections. On 28 October 2011 ] voted to dissolve Parliament and the protests gradually subsided. ] Ivo Josipović agreed to a dissolution of ] on Monday, 31 October and scheduled new elections for Sunday 4 December 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/eastern-approaches/2011/03/06/et-tu-zagreb|title=Et tu, Zagreb?|newspaper=The Economist|date=6 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/ovo-su-bili-najzanimljiviji-trenuci-u-saboru.html |title=Pogledajte sve snimke sa suđenja Sanaderu |publisher=Dnevnik.hr |date=2011-10-28 |access-date=2011-12-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://odluka2011.dnevnik.hr/clanak/vijesti/predsjednik-josipovic-raspisao-izbore.html |title=Predsjednik Josipović raspisao izbore! |publisher=Odluka2011.dnevnik.hr |date=2011-10-31 |access-date=2011-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203150728/http://odluka2011.dnevnik.hr/clanak/vijesti/predsjednik-josipovic-raspisao-izbore.html |archive-date=2011-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 30 June 2011, Croatia successfully completed EU accession negotiations.<ref name="EU-Negotiations-Completed">{{cite web |date=30 June 2011 |title=EU closes accession negotiations with Croatia |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/824&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en |access-date=24 September 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref> The country signed the ] on 9 December 2011 and held a ] on 22 January 2012, where Croatian citizens voted in favor of an EU membership.<ref name="EU-Accession-Treaty">{{cite web |date=9 December 2011 |title=Croatia signs EU accession treaty |url=http://europa.eu/news/external-relations/2011/03/20110302_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123185048/http://europa.eu/news/external-relations/2011/03/20110302_en.htm |archive-date=23 January 2012 |access-date=12 December 2011 |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-16670298|title=Croatia voters back EU membership|work=BBC News|date=1 June 2018}}</ref> ] on 1 July 2013.

Croatia was affected by the ] when Hungary's closure of borders with Serbia pushed over 700,000 refugees and migrants to pass through Croatia on their way to other EU countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/914376.HuB-SpecialEditiononRefugeeCrisis-100_January2017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://bib.irb.hr/datoteka/914376.HuB-SpecialEditiononRefugeeCrisis-100_January2017.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Šenada Šelo Šabić, Croatia's response to the refugee crisis, European Expression, Issue 100, 2016}}</ref>

On 19 October 2016, ] began serving as the current Croatian Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andrej Plenković – O meni |url=https://www.andrejplenkovic.hr/page.php?id=1 |access-date=17 December 2020 |website=www.andrejplenkovic.hr}}</ref> The most recent presidential elections, held on 5 January 2020, elected ] as president.<ref>{{cite web |title=Održana svečanost prisege predsjednika Republike Hrvatske Zorana Milanovića |url=https://www.predsjednik.hr/vijesti/svecanost-prisege/ |access-date=23 January 2021 |website=Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske – Zoran Milanović |language=hr}}</ref>

On 25 January 2022, the ] Council decided to open accession negotiations with Croatia. Throughout the accession process, Croatia was to implement numerous reforms that will advance all spheres of activity – from public services and the justice system to education, transport, finance, health, and trade. In line with the OECD Accession Roadmap from June 2022, Croatia will undergo technical reviews by 25 OECD committees and is so far progressing at a faster pace than expected. Full membership is expected in 2025 and is the last big foreign policy goal Croatia still has to achieve.<ref>{{cite web|title=The OECD and South East Europe|url=https://www.oecd.org/south-east-europe/economies/see-croatia.htm|website=OECD.org|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=OECD membership means benefits for citizens, higher living standard|url=https://mvep.gov.hr/press-22794/oecd-membership-means-benefits-for-citizens-higher-living-standard/253882|website=Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Croatia's accession to the OECD is progressing faster than expected|url=https://mvep.gov.hr/press-22794/croatia-s-accession-to-the-oecd-is-progressing-faster-than-expected/257332|website=Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=OECD još jedan instrument za unaprjeđenje reformskih procesa, članstvo će nas učiniti još boljom i kvalitetnijom zemljom|url=https://vlada.gov.hr/vijesti/oecd-jos-jedan-instrument-za-unaprjedjenje-reformskih-procesa-clanstvo-ce-nas-uciniti-jos-boljom-i-kvalitetnijom-zemljom/38169|website=GOV.hr|language=hr|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref>

On 1 January 2023, Croatia adopted the ] as its official currency, replacing the ], and became the 20th ] member. On the same day, Croatia became the 27th member of the border-free ], thus marking its full EU integration.<ref>{{cite web |title=Euro and Schengen: Croatia joins the Euro and Schengen areas |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_7907 |access-date=27 June 2023 |website=European Commission}}</ref>


== Geography == == Geography ==
''Main article: ]'' {{Main|Geography of Croatia}}


]]]
], a ]-] Site]]
]]]
], Southern Dalmatia]]
Croatia is situated between central, southern, and eastern Europe. It has a rather peculiar shape that resembles a crescent or a horseshoe which helps account for its many neighbours: ], ], the ]n part of ], ], the ] part of Serbia and Montenegro, and ] across the Adriatic (disputed, see ]). Its mainland territory is split in two non-contiguous parts by the short coastline of Bosnia and Herzegovina around ].


Croatia is situated in ] and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the ]. Hungary is to the northeast, ] to the east, ] and ] to the southeast and ] to the northwest.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} It lies mostly between latitudes ] and ] and longitudes ] and ].{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=44}} Part of the territory in the extreme south surrounding ] is a ] connected to the rest of the mainland by ], but separated on land by a short coastline strip belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina around ]. The ] connects the exclave with mainland Croatia.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Croatia opens long-awaited bridge bypassing Bosnia |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/26/croatia-opens-long-awaited-bridge-bypassing-bosnia |access-date=26 July 2022 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>
Its terrain is diverse, containing:
]]]
* plains, lakes and rolling hills in the continental north and northeast (Central Croatia and ], part of the ]);
] on the ] river, eastern ]]]
* densely wooded mountains in ] and Gorski Kotar, part of the ];
]]]
* rocky coastlines on the ] (], Northern Seacoast and ]).


The territory covers {{convert|56594|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}}, consisting of {{convert|56414|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} of land and {{convert|128|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} of water. It is the world's 127th largest country.<ref name="CIA">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Croatia|access-date=9 September 2011}}</ref> Elevation ranges from the mountains of the ] with the highest point of the ] peak at {{convert|1831|m|ft|abbr=off}} near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south<ref name="CIA"/> to the shore of the Adriatic Sea which makes up its entire southwest border. Insular Croatia consists of over ] varying in size, 48 of which are ]. The largest islands are ] and ],<ref name="CIA"/> each of them having an area of around {{convert|405|km2||abbr=off}}.
The country is famous for it's many beautiful ].


The hilly northern parts of ] and the flat plains of Slavonia in the east which is part of the ] are traversed by major rivers such as ], ], ], and the ]. The Danube, Europe's second longest river, runs through the city of ] in the extreme east and forms part of the border with ]. The central and southern regions near the Adriatic coastline and islands consist of low mountains and forested highlands. Natural resources found in quantities significant enough for production include oil, coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, and hydropower.<ref name="CIA"/> ] makes up about half of Croatia and is especially prominent in the Dinaric Alps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geografija.hr/clanci/1011/rasirenost-krsa-u-hrvatskoj |title=Raširenost krša u Hrvatskoj |trans-title=Presence of Karst in Croatia |language=hr |publisher=Croatian Geographic Society |date=18 December 2006 |first=Mate |last=Matas |access-date=18 October 2011 |work=geografija.hr |archive-date=9 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609163634/http://www.geografija.hr/clanci/1011/rasirenost-krsa-u-hrvatskoj}}</ref> Croatia hosts ], 49 of which are deeper than {{convert|250|m|2|abbr=on}}, 14 deeper than {{convert|500|m|2|abbr=on}} and three deeper than {{convert|1000|m|2|abbr=on}}. Croatia's most famous lakes are the ], a system of 16 lakes with waterfalls connecting them over ] and ] cascades. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from turquoise to mint green, grey or blue.<ref name="BBC-Plitvice">{{cite web|work=BBC |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110617-the-best-national-parks-of-europe |title=The best national parks of Europe |date=28 June 2011 |access-date=11 October 2011 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701184734/http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110617-the-best-national-parks-of-europe}}</ref>


=== Climate ===
Croatia has a mixture of ]s. In the north and east it is continental, Mediterranean along the coast and a semi-highland and highland climate in the south-central region.


] map of Croatia]]
== Politics ==
Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy ] as defined by the ]. Mean monthly temperature ranges between {{convert|-3|°C|°F|lk=on}} in January and {{convert|18|°C|°F|lk=off}} in July. The coldest parts of the country are ] and ] featuring a snowy, forested climate at elevations above {{convert|1200|m|ft|abbr=off}}. The warmest areas are at the Adriatic coast and especially in its immediate hinterland characterised by ], as the sea moderates temperature highs. Consequently, temperature peaks are more pronounced in continental areas.
===Political system===
''Main article: ]''


The lowest temperature of {{convert|-35.5|°C|°F|lk=off}} was recorded on 3 February 1919 in ],{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=40}} and the highest temperature of {{convert|42.8|°C|°F|lk=off}} was recorded on 4 August 1981 in ].<ref name="record temp">{{cite web|title=Najviša izmjerena temperatura zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje meteorološka motrenja|url=http://klima.hr/razno.php?id=priopcenja&param=pr21072017|website=Klima.hr|publisher=]|access-date=1 August 2017|language=hr|date=21 July 2017}}</ref>
Since the adoption of the ] ], Croatia has been a ].
{| class="toccolours" align="right" style="margin: 0.5em"
|-
| style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | '''Croatia is a member of:'''
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | ]
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | ]
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | ]
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | ]
|-
| align="center" style="font-size: 90%;" | ]
|}
The ] (''Predsjednik'') is ] and elected for a five-year term, and the Prime Minister is Head of Government. In addition to being the ] of the armed forces, the president has the procedural duty of appointing the Prime minister with the consent of the Parliament, and has some influence on foreign policy.


Mean annual precipitation ranges between {{convert|600|mm|in|abbr=off}} and {{convert|3500|mm|in|abbr=off}} depending on geographic region and climate type. The least precipitation is recorded in the outer islands (], ], ], ]) and the eastern parts of Slavonia. However, in the latter case, rain occurs mostly during the ]. The maximum precipitation levels are observed in the Dinaric Alps, in the Gorski Kotar peaks of ] and ].{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=40}}
The ] (''Sabor'') is a ] legislative body of not less then 100 and not more then 160 representatives, all elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The plenary sessions of the Sabor take place from January 15 to July 15, and from September 15 to December 15.


Prevailing winds in the interior are light to moderate northeast or southwest, and in the coastal area, prevailing winds are determined by local features. Higher wind velocities are more often recorded in cooler months along the coast, generally as the cool northeasterly ] or less frequently as the warm southerly ]. The sunniest parts are the outer islands, Hvar and Korčula, where more than 2700 hours of sunshine are recorded per year, followed by the middle and southern Adriatic Sea area in general, and northern Adriatic coast, all with more than 2000 hours of sunshine per year.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=41}}
The ] (''Vlada'') is headed by the ] who has 2 deputy prime ministers and 14 ministers in charge of particular sectors of activity. The executive branch is responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, executing the laws, and guiding the foreign and internal policies of the republic.


=== Biodiversity ===
Croatia has a three-tiered judicial system, consisting of the ], county courts, and municipal courts. The ] rules on matters regarding the ].


''See also:'' ] {{Main|Protected areas of Croatia}}
{{Further|Register of Protected Natural Values of Croatia|Natural and Cultural Heritage of Croatia}}


]]]
===European Union===
] in ]]]
''Main article: ]
]]]

Croatia can be subdivided into ]s based on climate and geomorphology. The country is one of the richest in Europe in terms of biodiversity.<ref>{{cite news|title=Biodiversity-rich Croatia becomes 33rd full EEA member country — European Environment Agency|url=https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/biodiversity-rich-croatia-becomes-33rd|access-date=23 January 2021|newspaper=European Environment Agency|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=EU 2020 HR|url=https://eu2020.hr/Home/Custom?code=CroatiaEU|access-date=23 January 2021|website=eu2020.hr}}</ref> Croatia has four types of biogeographical regions—the ] along the coast and in its immediate hinterland, ] in most of Lika and Gorski Kotar, ] along Drava and Danube, and ] in the remaining areas. The most significant are ] habitats which include submerged karst, such as ] and ] canyons and tufa barriers, as well as underground habitats. The country contains three ecoregions: ], ], and ].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref>

The karst geology harbours approximately ], some of which are the habitat of the only known aquatic cave ]—the ]. Forests are abundant, covering {{convert|2490000|ha||abbr=off}} or 44% of Croatian land area. Other habitat types include wetlands, grasslands, bogs, fens, scrub habitats, coastal and marine habitats.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity">{{cite book|publisher=State Institute for Nature Protection, ]|url=http://www.dzzp.hr/dokumenti_upload/20120515/dzzp201205151608230.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.dzzp.hr/dokumenti_upload/20120515/dzzp201205151608230.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Biodiversity of Croatia|year= 2006|editor-first=Jasminka|editor-last=Radović|editor-first2=Kristijan|editor-last2=Čivić|editor-first3= Ramona|editor-last3= Topić|isbn=953-7169-20-0|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

In terms of ], Croatia is a part of the ] and is a part of Illyrian and Central European provinces of the ] and the Adriatic province of the ]. The ] divides Croatia between three ecoregions—Pannonian mixed forests, ] and ].<ref name="DU-Sustdev">{{cite web|publisher=6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems|url=http://www.dubrovnik2011.sdewes.org/venue.php|title=Venue|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref>

Croatia hosts 37,000 known plant and animal species, but their actual number is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/> More than a thousand species are endemic, especially in Velebit and Biokovo mountains, Adriatic islands and karst rivers. Legislation protects 1,131 species.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/> The most serious threat is habitat loss and degradation. A further problem is presented by invasive alien species, especially '']'' algae. Croatia had a 2018 ] mean score of 4.92/10, ranking it 113th of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>

Invasive algae are regularly monitored and removed to protect ]. Indigenous cultivated plant strains and domesticated animal breeds are numerous. They include five breeds of horses, five of cattle, eight of sheep, two of pigs, and one poultry. Indigenous breeds include nine that are endangered or critically endangered.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/> Croatia has 444 ], encompassing 9% of the country. Those include eight ], two strict reserves, and ten ]s. The most famous protected area and the oldest ] in Croatia is ], a ]. Velebit Nature Park is a part of the UNESCO ]. The strict and special reserves, as well as the national and nature parks, are managed and protected by the central government, while other protected areas are managed by counties. In 2005, the National Ecological Network was set up, as the first step in the preparation of the EU accession and joining of the ] network.<ref name="MCult-Biodiversity"/>

== Governance ==
{{further|Politics of Croatia|Human rights in Croatia}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| caption_align = center
| image1 = Zoran Milanović at Palazzo del Quirinale 2021 (11) (cropped).jpg
| width1 = 125
| alt1 = Zoran Milanović
| caption1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the President of Croatia.svg|size=15x15px}} ]<br /><small>]</small>
| image2 = Obisk predsednika vlade Hrvaške Andreja Plenkovića - 28. 3. 2023 (52777071695) (cropped).jpg
| width2 = 126
| alt2 = Andrej Plenković
| caption2 = {{flagicon image|Zastava predsjednika Vlade RH.svg|size=15x15px}} ]<br /><small>]</small>
}}
The Republic of Croatia is a unitary, constitutional state using a ]. Government powers in Croatia are legislative, executive, and judiciary powers.<ref name="VRH-PoliticalStructure">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.vlada.hr/en/about_croatia/information/political_structure|title=Political Structure|date=6 May 2007|access-date=14 October 2011|archive-date=5 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905201133/http://www.vlada.hr/en/about_croatia/information/political_structure|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The ] ({{langx|hr|Predsjednik Republike}}) is the ], directly elected to a five-year term and is limited by the Constitution to two terms. In addition to serving as ] of the armed forces, the president has the procedural duty of appointing the prime minister with the parliament and has some influence on foreign policy.<ref name="VRH-PoliticalStructure"/>

The ] is headed by the ], who has four deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in charge of particular sectors.<ref name="Govt-Ministers">{{cite web|publisher=Government of Croatia|url=http://www.vlada.hr/en/naslovnica/o_vladi_rh/clanovi_vlade|title=Members of the Government|access-date=14 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604052735/http://www.vlada.hr/en/naslovnica/o_vladi_rh/clanovi_vlade|archive-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> As the ], it is responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, enforcing the laws, and guiding foreign and internal policies. The Government is seated at ] in Zagreb.<ref name="VRH-PoliticalStructure" />

=== Law and judicial system ===
{{further|Law of Croatia}}
{{Multiple image
| caption_align = center
| align = left
| direction = vertical
| image1 = Sabor-pročelje.jpg
| image2 = St._Mark's_Square_(13023806233).jpg
| caption1 = ]
| caption2 = ] in Zagreb, seat of the ]
}}

A ] parliament (''{{lang|hr|Sabor}}'') holds ]. The number of Sabor members can vary from 100 to 160. They are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Legislative sessions take place from 15 January to 15 July, and from 15 September to 15 December annually.<ref name="Sabor-about">{{cite web|publisher=Sabor|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=713|title=About the Parliament|access-date=14 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706061905/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=713|archive-date=6 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The two largest ] are the ] and the ].<ref name="Sabor-MPs">{{cite web|publisher=Sabor|title=Members of the 6th Parliament|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=776|access-date=14 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706062229/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=776|archive-date=6 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Croatia has a ] legal system in which law arises primarily from written statutes, with judges serving as implementers and not creators of law. Its development was largely influenced by German and Austrian legal systems. Croatian law is divided into two principal areas—] and ]. Before ] were completed, Croatian legislation had been fully harmonised with the ].<ref name="DELHRV-overview">{{cite web|publisher=Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia|url=http://www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu/?lang=en&content=62|title=Overview of EU–Croatia relations|access-date=14 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326105744/http://www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu/?lang=en&content=62|archive-date=26 March 2012}}</ref>

The main national courts are the ], which oversees violations of the Constitution, and the ], which is the highest court of appeal. Administrative, Commercial, ], Misdemeanor, and Municipal courts handle cases in their respective domains.<ref name="VSRH-about">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.vsrh.hr/EasyWeb.asp?pcpid=31|language=hr|title=Ustavne odredbe|trans-title=Provisions of the Constitution|date=21 May 2010|access-date=14 October 2011}}</ref> Cases falling within judicial jurisdiction are in the first instance decided by a single professional judge, while appeals are deliberated in mixed tribunals of professional judges. Lay magistrates also participate in trials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2013_03_28_473.html|title=Zakon o sudovima|website=narodne-novine.nn.hr}}</ref> The ] is the judicial body constituted of public prosecutors empowered to instigate prosecution of perpetrators of offences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dorh.hr/Default.aspx?sec=627|title=Državno odvjetništvo Republike Hrvatske|website=www.dorh.hr}}</ref>

Law enforcement agencies are organised under the authority of the ] which consist primarily of the national police force. Croatia's security service is the ] (SOA).<ref>{{cite web|title=SOA – Security-intelligence system of the Republic of Croatia|url=https://www.soa.hr/en/about-us/security-intelligence-system-of-the-republic-of-croatia/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=www.soa.hr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Graaff|first1=Bob de|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_00UDQAAQBAJ&q=Handbook+of+European+Intelligence+Cultures|title=Handbook of European Intelligence Cultures|last2=Nyce|first2=James M.|date=2 August 2016|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-4942-4|location=|page=73|language=en}}</ref>

{{clear}}

=== Foreign relations ===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Croatia|Croatia and the euro}}

Croatia has established diplomatic relations with 194 countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=MVEP • Date of Recognition and Establishment of Diplomatic Relations|url=http://www.mvep.hr/en/foreign-politics/bilateral-relations/date-of-recognition-and-establishment-of-diplomatic-relations/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=www.mvep.hr}}</ref> supporting 57 embassies, 30 consulates and eight permanent diplomatic missions. 56 foreign embassies and 67 ] operate in the country in addition to offices of international organisations such as the ] (EBRD), ] (IOM), ] (OSCE), ], ] (WHO), ] (ICTY), ] (UNDP), ] (UNHCR), and ].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=MVEP • Diplomatski protokol|url=http://www.mvep.hr/hr/ministarstvo/diplomatski-protokol/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=www.mvep.hr|language=hr}}</ref>

] at the ] summit on 11 July 2023, ], Lithuania]]

As of 2019, the Croatian ] employed 1,381{{Update span|text=|date=January 2021}} personnel and expended 765.295&nbsp;million kunas (€101.17&nbsp;million).<ref>{{cite web|title=MVEP • Godišnje financijsko izvješće za 2019. godinu|url=http://www.mvep.hr/hr/ministarstvo/proracun/godisnje-financijsko-izvjesce-za-2019-godinu/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=www.mvep.hr}}</ref> Stated aims of Croatian foreign policy include enhancing relations with neighbouring countries, developing international co-operation and promotion of the Croatian economy and Croatia itself.<ref name="MVPEI-Goals">{{cite web|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia)|url=http://un.mfa.hr/?mh=151&mv=840|title=Foreign Policy Aims|access-date=24 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127073846/http://un.mfa.hr/?mh=151&mv=840|archive-date=27 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Croatia is a member of the European Union. As of 2021, Croatia had unsolved border issues with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.<ref name="Border issues">{{cite news|publisher=total-croatia-news.com|url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/16084-overview-of-croatia-s-border-disputes-with-bij-montenegro-serbia-slovenia-liberland|title=Overview of Croatia's Border Disputes with BiH, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Liberland|date=22 January 2017|access-date=1 January 2019}}</ref> Croatia is a member of NATO.<ref name="NYTimes-Bush-Zagreb">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/world/europe/05cnd-prexy.html|title=Bush Champions Expansive Mission for NATO|date=5 April 2008|author=Steven Lee Myers|access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="BBC-Croatia-NATO">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7977332.stm|title=Nato welcomes Albania and Croatia|date=1 April 2009|access-date=24 September 2011}}</ref> On 1 January 2023, Croatia simultaneously joined both the ] and the ],<ref name="BBC-Croatia-EU">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64144309|title=Croatia begins new euro and Schengen zone era|date=1 January 2023|access-date=1 January 2023}}</ref> having previously joined the ERM II on 10 July 2020.

===Croatian diaspora===
{{Main|Croatian diaspora}}
The Croatian diaspora consists of communities of ethnic ] and Croatian citizens living outside Croatia. Croatia maintains intensive contacts with Croatian communities abroad (e.g., administrative and financial support of cultural, sports activities, and economic initiatives). Croatia actively maintain foreign relations to strengthen and guarantee the rights of the Croatian minority in various host countries.<ref>{{Cite web| url= https://hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr/hrvati-izvan-rh/hrvatska-manjina-u-inozemstvu/hrvatska-manjina-u-republici-srbiji/748|title= Hrvatska manjina u Republici Srbiji|website=hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr |publisher=Središnji državni ured za Hrvate izvan Republike Hrvatske (Central State Office for Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.info.hazu.hr/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Glasnik-Broj-2.pdf |quote= The Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, in a session held on 12 September 2014, made the following statement explaining that the Bunjevci Croats form an integral part of the Croatian national corpus. The Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, one of the fundamental institutions of the Croatian nation and of all the citizens of the Republic of Croatia, among the roles of which belongs the preservation of national identity, made the following statement in a session held on 12 September 2014: The Bunjevci, a Croatian ethnic group, are made up of three branches: the Dalmatian-Herzegovinian branch; the Primorje-Lika branch; and the Danube Region branch. Not encroaching on the right of any individual to express their national affiliation based on their origin, history, traditional culture, customs and language – the western new-Štokavian and Ikavian – the Bunjevci Croats form an integral part of the Croatian national corpus.| title= Statement by the Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts regarding the Bunjevci Croats| date= 2014| page= 53| publisher= Glasnik HAZU| volume= 2 | website= info.hazu.hr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr/hrvati-izvan-rh/hrvatska-manjina-u-inozemstvu/1616| website= hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr|title=Hrvatska manjina u inozemstvu}}</ref>

=== Military ===
{{Main|Armed Forces of Croatia}}
{{Multiple image
| caption_align = center
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| image1 = MORH T. Brandt 4.jpg
| image2 = 2nd Mechanized Battalion "Pume".jpg
| caption1 = ] ] fighter, 191 Squadron of the ].
| caption2 = ] largest of two mechanized infantry battalions within the ] of the ].
}}

The Croatian Armed Forces (CAF) consist of the ], ], and ] branches in addition to the Education and Training Command and Support Command. The CAF is headed by the ], which reports to the ], who in turn reports to the president. According to the constitution, the president is the ] of the armed forces. In case of immediate threat during wartime, he issues orders directly to the General Staff.<ref name="CAFstructure">{{cite web|url=http://www.osrh.hr/prikaz_en.asp?idi=100&kati=2|title=Chain of Command in the CAF|publisher=Croatian Ministry of Defence|access-date=2 July 2012}}</ref>

Following the 1991–95 war, defence spending and CAF size began a constant decline. {{As of|2019}}, military spending was an estimated 1.68% of the country's GDP, 67th globally.<ref>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Croatia|access-date=23 January 2021}}</ref> In 2005 the budget fell below the NATO-required 2% of GDP, down from the record high of 11.1% in 1994.<ref name="sipri">{{cite web|url=http://milexdata.sipri.org/ |title=SIPRI Military Expenditure Database |publisher=] |access-date=9 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328072123/http://milexdata.sipri.org/ |archive-date=28 March 2010 }}</ref> Traditionally relying on conscripts, the CAF went through a period of reforms focused on downsizing, restructuring and ] in the years before ] in April 2009. According to a presidential decree issued in 2006, the CAF employed around 18,100 active duty military personnel, 3,000 civilians and 2,000 voluntary conscripts between 18 and 30 years old in peacetime.<ref name="CAFstructure"/>

Until 2008 military service was obligatory for men at age 18 and conscripts served six-month tours of duty, reduced in 2001 from the earlier scheme of nine months. Conscientious objectors could instead opt for eight months of civilian service.<ref name="vojnirokkraci">{{cite news |url=http://www.monitor.hr/clanci/vojni-rok-u-hrvatskoj-kraci-nego-drugdje-u-europi-i-nato-u/11191/ |title=Vojni rok u Hrvatskoj kraći, nego drugdje u Europi i NATO-u|first=Milan|last=Jelovac|date=23 January 2001|newspaper=Vjesnik|language=hr|access-date=9 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127065234/http://www.monitor.hr/clanci/vojni-rok-u-hrvatskoj-kraci-nego-drugdje-u-europi-i-nato-u/11191/|archive-date=27 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Compulsory conscription was abolished in January 2008,<ref name="CIA"/> but is set to be reintroduced in January 2025 with two months of active duty. The decision was influenced by the rising tensions in Europe and the region, following the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nova |first=Redazione Agenzia |date=2024-08-16 |title=Croatia: the Minister of Defense announces that compulsory conscription will return into force from 2025 |url=https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/Croatia's-defense-minister-announces-that-compulsory-conscription-will-be-back-in-force-from-2025/ |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=Agenzia Nova |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-19 |title=Another European country to reintroduce compulsory military draft as tensions soar |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/croatia-military-draft-russia-conscription-b2598298.html |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

{{As of|2019|5}}, the Croatian military had 72 members stationed in foreign countries as part of United Nations-led international peacekeeping forces.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hrvatska u najviše misija UN-a|url=https://www.nacional.hr/hrvatska-u-najvise-misija-un-a/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=NACIONAL.HR|date=28 June 2019 |language=hr}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, 323 troops served the NATO-led ] force in Afghanistan. Another 156 served with ] in Kosovo.<ref>{{cite web|title=GODIŠNJE IZVJEŠĆE O OBRANI za 2019. – podnositeljica: Vlada Republike Hrvatske|url=http://sabor.hr/hr/godisnje-izvjesce-o-obrani-za-2019-podnositeljica-vlada-republike-hrvatske|access-date=23 January 2021|website=Hrvatski sabor|date=3 September 2020 |language=hr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=3 September 2020|title=Godišnje izvješće o obrani za 2019.|url=https://vlada.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/2016/Sjednice/2020/Rujan/7%20sjednicaVRH/7%20-%2010%20novo.docx|access-date=|website=|publisher=]|page=95|language=hr}}</ref>

Croatia has a ] sector that exported around 493&nbsp;million kunas (€65,176&nbsp;million) worth of military equipment in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Izvješće obavijeno tajnom: Prošla je godina za hrvatsku vojnu industriju bila najlošija u proteklih pet, pa i više|url=https://www.poslovni.hr/hrvatska/trump-je-bio-otrovna-pilula-za-nas-izvoz-oruzja-oporaviti-bi-ga-mogla-korona-4234487|access-date=23 January 2021|website=|language=hr}}</ref> Croatian-made weapons and vehicles used by CAF include the standard sidearm ] manufactured by ] and the ] battle tank designed by the ]. Uniforms and helmets worn by CAF soldiers are locally produced and marketed to other countries.<ref name="vojna ind">{{cite news|last=Franičević|first=Mile|date=6 March 2011|title=Hrvatski izvoz oružja i opreme lani narastao na 650 milijuna kuna|language=hr|newspaper=Vjesnik|url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=12C86DFB-1818-459C-B8E6-687AFABF57A2|url-status=dead|access-date=9 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404120455/http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=12C86DFB-1818-459C-B8E6-687AFABF57A2|archive-date=4 April 2012}}</ref>

According to the 2024 ], Croatia is the 15th most peaceful country in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf|title=2024 Global Peace Index}}</ref>

=== Administrative divisions ===
{{Main|Counties of Croatia}}
{{Further|NUTS of Croatia}}
{{Croatian counties}}

Croatia was first divided into counties in the ].<ref name="Medieval-Counties">{{cite journal |publisher=] |journal=Historijski Zbornik |volume=5 |issue=1–2 |year=1952 |url=http://www.historiografija.hr/hz/1952/HZ_5_11_MANDIC.pdf |first=Oleg |last=Mandić |language=hr |title=O nekim pitanjima društvenog uređenja Hrvatske u srednjem vijeku |trans-title=On some issues of social system of Croatia in the Middle Ages |pages=131–138 |access-date=9 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808023945/http://www.historiografija.hr/hz/1952/HZ_5_11_MANDIC.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The divisions changed over time to reflect losses of territory to Ottoman conquest and subsequent liberation of the same territory, changes of the political status of Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, and ]. The traditional division of the country into counties was abolished in the 1920s when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the subsequent Kingdom of Yugoslavia introduced ]s and ] respectively.{{sfn|Frucht|2005|p=429}}

Communist-ruled Croatia, as a constituent part of post-World War II Yugoslavia, abolished earlier divisions and introduced municipalities, subdividing Croatia into approximately one hundred municipalities. Counties were reintroduced in 1992 legislation, significantly altered in terms of territory relative to the pre-1920s subdivisions. In 1918, the ]n part was divided into eight counties with their seats in ], ], ], ], ], ], Vukovar, and Zagreb.{{sfn|Biondich|2000|p=11}}<ref name="CountiesAct1992">{{cite news|newspaper=] |date=30 December 1992 |access-date=9 September 2011 |language=hr |title=Zakon o područjima županija, gradova i općina u Republici Hrvatskoj |trans-title=Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia Act |url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/1992_12_90_2333.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828162010/http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/1992_12_90_2333.html |archive-date=28 August 2013 }}</ref>

], capital of Croatia between 1767 and 1776, is the seat of ]; Pictured: Old Town fortress, one of 15 Croatia's sites inscribed on the ]]]

As of 1992, Croatia is divided into ] and the ], the latter having the dual authority and legal status of a county and a city. County borders changed in some instances, last revised in 2006. The counties subdivide into ] and ].<ref name="CountiesAct2006">{{cite news|newspaper=Narodne novine|date=28 July 2006|access-date=9 September 2011|language=hr|title=Zakon o područjima županija, gradova i općina u Republici Hrvatskoj|trans-title=Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia Act|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2006_07_86_2045.html}}</ref> ] (NUTS) ] is performed in several tiers. NUTS 1 level considers the entire country in a single unit; three NUTS 2 regions come below that. Those are Northwest Croatia, Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia, and Adriatic Croatia. The latter encompasses the counties along the Adriatic coast. Northwest Croatia includes Koprivnica-Križevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Međimurje, Varaždin, the city of Zagreb, and Zagreb counties and the Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia includes the remaining areas—Bjelovar-Bilogora, Brod-Posavina, Karlovac, Osijek-Baranja, Požega-Slavonia, Sisak-Moslavina, Virovitica-Podravina, and Vukovar-Syrmia counties. Individual counties and the city of Zagreb also represent NUTS 3 level subdivision units in Croatia. The NUTS ] (LAU) divisions are two-tiered. LAU 1 divisions match the counties and the city of Zagreb in effect making those the same as NUTS 3 units, while LAU 2 subdivisions correspond to cities and municipalities.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=]|language=hr|url=http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/heritage/cemat/confminist1-15/15eCEMAT_National_Report_Croatia_2010_HR.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/heritage/cemat/confminist1-15/15eCEMAT_National_Report_Croatia_2010_HR.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Nacionalno izviješće Hrvatska|trans-title=Croatia National Report|date=January 2010|access-date=25 February 2012}}</ref>


== Economy == == Economy ==
''Main article: ]'' {{main|Economy of Croatia}}
]]]


], replacing ] with ] as its national currency.]]
Croatia has an economy based mostly on various ] and some, mostly light ]. ] is a notable source of income.
] were designed and made in Croatia]]
The estimated ] per capita in ] terms for 2004 was USD 11,200 or 41.6% of the ] average for the same year.


Croatia's economy qualifies as ] and ].<ref name="World Bank Country Classification">{{cite web |url=https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519#High_income |title=Country and Lending Groups |publisher=World Bank |access-date=10 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111190936/https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519#High_income |archive-date=11 January 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ] data projects that Croatian ] will reach $88.08 Billion in 2024, or $22,966 per capita.<ref name=":2" /> ] (PPP) GDP will increase to $175.269 Billion, or $45,702 per capita.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2024/April/weo-report |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=IMF |language=en}}</ref> According to ], Croatian GDP per capita in PPS stood at 76% of the EU average in 2023, with real GDP growth for the year being 2.8%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eurostat - EU Countries by GDP per capita (PPS) to EU Average (%) |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/PRC_PPP_IND__custom_5506145/bookmark/table?lang=en&bookmarkId=0652db29-8c5d-4124-a9ad-974a7c123d64 |access-date=2 June 2024 |website=Statistics{{!}}Eurostat}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Government of the Republic of Croatia - PM Plenković: Croatia's GDP growth of 2.8 percent is among highest in the EU |url=https://vlada.gov.hr/news/pm-plenkovic-croatia-s-gdp-growth-of-2-8-percent-is-among-highest-in-the-eu/42035#:~:text=%22GDP%20growth%20in%202023%20was,Croatian-Italian%20Ministerial%20Coordination%20Committee. |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=vlada.gov.hr}}</ref> The average net salary of a Croatian worker in April 2024 was €1,326 per month, the average gross salary roughly €1,834 per month.<ref name="Web | Državni zavod za statistiku">{{Cite web |title=Web |url=https://podaci.dzs.hr/en/ |access-date=2024-06-02 |website=Državni zavod za statistiku |language=hr}}</ref> The unemployment rate dropped to 5.6% in that month, down from 7.2% in July 2019 and 9.6% in December 2018.<ref name="Web | Državni zavod za statistiku" /> The unemployment rate between 1996 and 2018 averaged 17.38%, reaching an all-time high of 23.60% in January 2002 and a record low of 8.40% in September 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/Croatia/Unemployment_rate/ |title=Croatia Unemployment Rate |publisher=The Global Economy.com |access-date=3 February 2019}}</ref> In 2017, economic output was dominated by the ] — accounting for 70.1% of GDP — followed by the ] with 26.2% and agriculture accounting for 3.7%.<ref name="cia">{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Croatia|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
The Croatian economy is ]. In the late 1980s, at the beginning of the process of economic ], its position was favourable, but it was gravely impacted by de-industrialization and war damages.


According to 2017 data, 1.9% of the workforce were employed in agriculture, 27.3% by industry and 70.8% in services.<ref name="cia"/> Shipbuilding, food processing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, biochemical, and timber industry dominate the industrial sector. In 2018, Croatian exports were valued at 108&nbsp;Billion kunas (€14.61&nbsp;Billion) with 176&nbsp;Billion kunas (€23.82&nbsp;Billion) worth of imports. Croatia's largest ] was the rest of the European Union, led by Germany, Italy, and Slovenia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/publication/2019/04-02-02_01_2019.htm|title=ROBNA RAZMJENA REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE S INOZEMSTVOM u 2018.KONAČNI PODACI/FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2018 FINAL DATA | publisher = ]|language=hr }}</ref> According to Eurostat, Croatia has the highest quantity of water resources per capita in the EU (30,000 m<sup>3</sup>).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/croatia-water-resources-eurostat-ranking/|title=Croatia ranks No.1 in EU for water resources per capita|publisher=Croatia Week|date=25 March 2024}}</ref>
Main problems include massive structural ] followed by an insufficient amount of economic reforms. Of particular concern is the gravely backlogged ] system combined with inefficient ], especially involving land ownership.


As a result of the war, economic infrastructure sustained massive damage, particularly the tourism industry. From 1989 to 1993, the GDP fell 40.5%. The Croatian state still controls significant economic sectors, with government expenditures accounting for 40% of GDP.<ref name="DOS">{{cite web|url=http://m.state.gov/md3166.htm|title=Background Note: Croatia|publisher=]|access-date=4 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527221958/http://m.state.gov/md3166.htm|archive-date=27 May 2010}}</ref> A particular concern is a backlogged judiciary system, with inefficient ] and corruption, upending land ownership. In the 2022 ], published by ], the country ranked 57th.<ref name="ti_2022">{{cite web |title=CPI 2022 |date=31 January 2023 |url=https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022 |access-date=18 April 2023 |publisher=]}}</ref> At the end of June 2020, the national debt stood at 85.3% of GDP.<ref>{{cite web|date=14 October 2020|title=Novac – Javni dug dosegnuo rekord: njegov udjel u BDP-u narastao na 85,3 posto|url=https://novac.jutarnji.hr/novac/aktualno/javni-dug-dosegnuo-rekord-njegov-udjel-u-bdp-u-narastao-na-85-3-posto-15025143|access-date=23 January 2021|website=novac.jutarnji.hr|language=hr-hr}}</ref>
The country has since experienced faster ] and has been preparing for membership in the European Union, its most important ].


=== Tourism ===
In February 2005, Croatia implemented the ] with the ] and is advancing further towards full EU membership. The country expects some major economic impulses and high growth rates in the following next years (currently Croatia suffers most from its high export deficit and considerable debt). Some big trading companies have already taken advantage of the liberalization of the Croatian market. Croatia is expecting a boom in investments, especially ] investments.
{{main|Tourism in Croatia|Croatian National Tourist Board}}
] is Croatia's most visited and most popular destination.]]
] beach on the Island of ] is one of the foremost spots of ].]]
] is one of the most visited cities in ], alongside Pula and Poreč.]]

Tourism dominates the Croatian service sector and accounts for up to 20% of GDP. Tourism income for 2019 was estimated to be €10.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hrvatsku posjetilo 6,8 milijuna gostiju, otkrivamo kolika će biti zarada od turizma|url=https://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/hrvatsku-posjetilo-68-milijuna-gostiju-otkrivamo-kolika-ce-ove-godine-biti-zarada-od-turizma-1428221|access-date=23 January 2021|website=www.vecernji.hr|language=hr}}</ref> Its positive effects are felt throughout the economy, increasing retail business, and increasing seasonal employment. The industry is counted as an export business because foreign visitor spending significantly reduces the country's trade imbalance.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Vjesnik|url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=D37B6CB1-C728-44FE-94C7-8C80B4EA582F|archive-date=5 October 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005203957/http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=D37B6CB1-C728-44FE-94C7-8C80B4EA582F|language=hr|title=Iako čini gotovo petinu BDP-a, i dalje niskoprofitabilna grana domaće privrede|trans-title=Even though it comprises nearly a fifth of the GDP, it is still a low-profit branch of the national economy|first1=Tomislav|last1=Pili|first2=Davor|last2=Verković|date=1 October 2011|access-date=20 October 2011}}</ref>

The tourist industry has rapidly grown, recording a sharp rise in tourist numbers since independence, attracting more than 17&nbsp;million visitors each year ({{as of|2017|lc=on}}).{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=425}} Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, France, Netherlands, Slovakia and Croatia itself provide the most visitors.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=427}} Tourist stays averaged 4.7 days in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=28 February 2020|title=DOLASCI i NOĆENJA TURISTA u 2019.|url=https://web.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/publication/2019/04-03-02_01_2019.htm|access-date= | publisher = ]}}</ref>

Much of the tourist industry is concentrated along the coast. ] was the first holiday resort. It first became popular in the middle of the 19th century. By the 1890s, it had become one of the largest European health resorts.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Opatija Tourist Board|url=http://www.opatija-tourism.hr/en/Home.aspx?PageID=5|title=History of Opatija|access-date=21 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429102936/http://www.opatija-tourism.hr/en/Home.aspx?PageID=5|archive-date=29 April 2012}}</ref> Resorts sprang up along the coast and islands, offering services catering to ] and various niche markets. The most significant are ], supported by marinas with more than 16&nbsp;thousand berths, ] relying on the appeal of medieval coastal cities and cultural events taking place during the summer. Inland areas offer ], ]s, and ]s. Zagreb is a significant destination, rivalling major coastal cities and resorts.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Activities-and-attractions|title=Activities and attractions|access-date=21 October 2011}}</ref>

Croatia has unpolluted marine areas with nature reserves and 116 ]es.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueflag.org/Menu/Awarded+sites/2011/Northern+Hemisphere/Croatia|title=Croatia|access-date=21 October 2011|publisher=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202124844/http://www.blueflag.org/Menu/Awarded+sites/2011/Northern+Hemisphere/Croatia|archive-date=2 December 2011}}</ref> Croatia was ranked first in Europe for swimming water quality in 2022 by ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/croatia-again-top-in-europe-for-swimming-water-quality/ |title=Croatia again top in Europe for swimming water quality |website=croariaweek.com |agency=Croatia Week |date=10 June 2023 |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref>

Croatia ranked as the 23rd-most popular tourist destination in the world according to the ] in 2019.<ref name="UNWTO">{{cite journal |title=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, May 2019 |journal=UNWTO World Tourism Barometer |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=1–40 |date=22 May 2019 |issn=1728-9246 |s2cid=243009713 |doi=10.18111/wtobarometereng.2019.17.1.2}}</ref> About 15% of these visitors,{{which|date=June 2023}}{{quantify|date=June 2023}} or over one million per year, participate in ], for which Croatia is famous. It was the first European country to develop commercial naturist resorts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.euro-poi.com/croatian-highlights-croatia-278.html |title=Croatian highlights, Croatia |publisher=Euro-poi.com |access-date=26 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224034343/http://www.euro-poi.com/croatian-highlights-croatia-278.html |archive-date=24 February 2013}}</ref> In 2023, luggage storage company Bounce gave Croatia the highest solo travel index in the world (7.58),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usebounce.com/blog/the-2023-solo-travel-index|title=The 2023 solo travel index|publisher=Bounce|date=24 May 2023}}</ref> while a joint ] and ] wedding trends report from 2023 put Croatia among the most popular ] destinations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.pinterest.com/en/post/the-pinterest-x-zola-2023-wedding-trends-report|title=The Pinterest x Zola 2023 Wedding Trends Report|publisher= Pinterest Newsroom|date=25 April 2023|access-date=11 June 2023}}</ref>

=== Infrastructure ===

==== Transport ====
{{see also|Transport in Croatia|Energy in Croatia}}
{{Update section|date=December 2020}}

{{Multiple image
| caption_align = center
| align = left
| direction = vertical
| image1 = Airbus A320-232 Croatia Airlines 9A-CTJ (cn 1009).JPG
| image2 = Zagreb_Glavni_kolodvor_1p_-_pruga_prema_zapadu.jpg
| caption1 = ] is the national airline of Croatia and was formed in ].
| caption2 = ] manufactured by the Croatian company ], operated by ]
}}

The ] was largely built in the late 1990s and the 2000s. As of December 2020, Croatia had completed {{convert|1313.8|km|abbr=off}} of motorways, connecting Zagreb to other regions and following various ] and four ].<ref name="Helsinki-1997">{{cite journal|publisher=], Faculty of Maritime Studies|url =http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/6570|title=The integration of the Republic of Croatia into the Pan-European transport corridor network|author=Tanja Poletan Jugović|journal=Pomorstvo|volume=20|issue=1|pages=49–65|date=11 April 2006|access-date=14 October 2010}}</ref><ref name="NN-Motorways2009">{{cite news|newspaper=Narodne Novine|language=hr|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2009_01_13_296.html|title=Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama odluke o razvrstavanju javnih cesta u autoceste|trans-title=Decision on amendments and additions to the Decision on classification of public roads as motorways|date=30 January 2009|access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mreža autocesta – HUKA|url=http://www.huka.hr/mreza-autocesta|access-date=16 December 2020|website=www.huka.hr}}</ref> The busiest motorways are the ], connecting Zagreb to Split and the ], passing east to west through northwest Croatia and Slavonia.<ref name="HC-promet">{{cite web|publisher=] |url=http://www.hrvatske-ceste.hr/WEB%20-%20Legislativa/brojenje-prometa/CroDig2009.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221195254/http://www.hrvatske-ceste.hr/WEB%20-%20Legislativa/brojenje-prometa/CroDig2009.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 February 2011 |title=Traffic counting on the roadways of Croatia in 2009 – digest |access-date=1 May 2010 }}</ref>

A widespread network of ] acts as motorway ] while connecting major settlements. The high quality and safety levels of the Croatian motorway network were tested and confirmed by EuroTAP and EuroTest programmes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurotestmobility.com/news.php?item=25&PHPSESSID=a7d9b4decd981bb3cdc3494656b0104d|title=EuroTest|publisher=Eurotestmobility.com|access-date=3 January 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430010646/http://www.eurotestmobility.com/news.php?item=25&PHPSESSID=a7d9b4decd981bb3cdc3494656b0104d|archive-date=30 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.javno.com/en/croatia/clanak.php?id=38990|title=Brinje Tunnel Best European Tunnel|publisher=Javno.com|access-date=3 January 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115220041/http://www.javno.com/en/croatia/clanak.php?id=38990|archive-date=15 January 2009}}</ref>

Croatia has an ] spanning {{convert|2604|km|abbr=off}}, including {{convert|984|km|abbr=off}} of electrified railways and {{convert|254|km|abbr=off}} of double track railways ({{as of|2017|lc=on}}).{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=350}} The most significant railways in Croatia are within the Pan-European transport corridors Vb and X connecting ] to ] and Ljubljana to Belgrade, both via ].<ref name="Helsinki-1997"/> ] operates all rail services.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Vjesnik|title=Skuplje korištenje pruga uništava HŽ|trans-title=More Expensive Railway Fees Ruin Croatian Railways|language=hr|date=10 May 2011|first=Tomislav|last=Pili|url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=B93764C8-6505-4A87-BDDF-B22148331E6E|archive-date=26 May 2024|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240526010235/https://www.webcitation.org/68PYpf0Jp?url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx%3FID=B93764C8-6505-4A87-BDDF-B22148331E6E|access-date=26 October 2011}}</ref>

] connects the peninsula of ] and through it the southernmost part, including ], with the ].]]

The construction of 2.4-kilometre-long ], the biggest infrastructure project in Croatia connects the two halves of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and shortens the route from the West to the ] peninsula and the islands of ] and ] by more than 32&nbsp;km. The construction of the Pelješac Bridge started in July 2018 after Croatian road operator ] (HC) signed a 2.08 billion ] deal for the works with a Chinese consortium led by ] (CRBC). The project is co-financed by the ] with 357 million euro. The construction was completed in July 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Croatia opens long-awaited bridge bypassing Bosnia |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/26/croatia-opens-long-awaited-bridge-bypassing-bosnia |access-date=2022-11-05 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref>

There are ]s in ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref name="MMPI-Airports">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.mppi.hr/default.aspx?id=675|title=Air transport|access-date=10 October 2011|archive-date=3 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703104330/http://www.mppi.hr/default.aspx?id=675|url-status=dead}}</ref> The largest and busiest is Franjo Tuđman Airport in Zagreb.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Meštrović|first=Damjan|date=2018|title=Utjecaj izgradnje novog terminala na poslovanje Zračne luke Franjo Tuđman|url=https://www.bib.irb.hr/972752|language=hr}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2021}} {{as of|2011|January}}, Croatia complies with ] aviation safety standards and the ] upgraded it to Category 1 rating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=12337|title=FAA Raises Safety Rating for Croatia|publisher=]|date=26 January 2011|access-date=27 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626094211/http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=12337|archive-date=26 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Ports ====
The busiest cargo seaport is the ]. The busiest passenger ports are ] and Zadar.<ref name="WB-Rijeka">{{cite web|publisher=World Bank|language=hr|title=Riječka luka –jadranski "prolaz" prema Europi|trans-title=The Port of Rijeka – Adriatic "gateway" to Europe|date=3 March 2006|access-date=13 October 2011|url=http://go.worldbank.org/V9N60RX7L0|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120805200119/http://go.worldbank.org/V9N60RX7L0|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="MMPI-RL-plan">{{cite web|publisher=Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure (Croatia)|url=http://www.mppi.hr/default.aspx?id=480|title=Luke|trans-title=Ports|language=hr|access-date=24 August 2011|archive-date=16 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216063733/http://www.mppi.hr/default.aspx?id=480|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many minor ports serve ferries connecting numerous islands and coastal cities with ferry lines to several cities in Italy.<ref name="AOLPP-Rijeka">{{cite web|publisher=Agencija za obalni linijski pomorski promet|url=http://www.agencija-zolpp.hr/Brodskelinije/tabid/1267/Default.aspx|language=hr|title=Plovidbeni red za 2011. godinu|trans-title=Sailing Schedule for Year 2011|access-date=27 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715203314/http://www.agencija-zolpp.hr/Brodskelinije/tabid/1267/Default.aspx|archive-date=15 July 2011}}</ref> The largest ] is ], located on the ], representing the nation's outlet to the Pan-European transport corridor VII.<ref name="Helsinki-1997" /><ref name="MMPI-River-Navigation">{{cite web|publisher=Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure (Croatia)|url=http://www.mppi.hr/default.aspx?id=890|title=Plovni putovi|trans-title=Navigable routes|language=hr|access-date=10 September 2011|archive-date=16 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216060844/http://www.mppi.hr/default.aspx?id=890|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Energy ====
{{See also|Energy in Croatia}}
], ].]]
{{convert|610|km|abbr=off}} of crude oil pipelines serve Croatia, connecting the ] oil terminal with refineries in Rijeka and ], and several transhipment terminals.
The system has a capacity of 20&nbsp;million tonnes per year.<ref name="JANAF-system">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.janaf.hr/index.php?option=sustav&lang=en|title=The JANAF system|access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref> The natural gas transportation system comprises {{convert|2113|km|abbr=off}} of trunk and regional pipelines, and more than 300 associated structures, connecting production rigs, the Okoli natural gas storage facility, 27 end-users and 37 distribution systems.<ref name="Plinacro-system">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.plinacro.hr/default.aspx?id=264|title=Transportni sustav|trans-title=Transport system|language=hr|access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref> Croatia also plays an important role in regional energy security. The floating ] import terminal off ] island ] commenced operations on January 1, 2021, positioning Croatia as a regional energy leader and contributing to diversification of Europe's energy supply.<ref name="lng" />

In 2010, Croatian energy production covered 85% of nationwide natural gas and 19% of oil demand.{{sfn|2010 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|pages=298-302}} In 2016, Croatia's primary energy production involved natural gas (24.8%), hydropower (28.3%), crude oil (13.6%), fuelwood (27.6%), and heat pumps and other renewable energy sources (5.7%).{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=307}} In 2017, net total electrical power production reached 11,543&nbsp;GWh, while it imported 12,157&nbsp;GWh or about 40% of its electric power energy needs.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=304}}

] (Slovenia) supplies a large part of Croatian imports. 50% is owned by ], providing 15% of Croatia's electricity.<ref name="EUB-NEK">{{cite web|publisher=EU Business|url=http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/japan-disaster.9bc|title=Croatia, Slovenia's nuclear plant safe: Croatian president|date=28 March 2011|access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>


== Demographics == == Demographics ==
{{Update section|date=September 2022}}
''Main article: ]''
{{Main|Demographics of Croatia|Croats}}
{{see also|List of cities and towns in Croatia}}

{{bar box
|width =
|float = right
|title = Ethnic composition (2021)
|titlebar = #ddd
|bars =
{{bar percent|]|blue|91.6}}
{{bar percent|]|cyan|3.2}}
{{bar percent|]|gray|5.2}}
|caption = 2021 Croatian Census<ref name="Census 2021"/>
}}

With an estimated population of 3.87&nbsp;million in 2021,<ref>{{Croatian Census 2021|S}}</ref> Croatia ] in the world.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} Its 2018 ] was 72.9 inhabitants per square kilometre, making Croatia one of the more sparsely populated European countries.<ref name=who0>{{cite web
|url=https://web.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/CroInFig/croinfig_2018.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/CroInFig/croinfig_2018.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live
|title=Croatia in Figures
|access-date=9 September 2019
|publisher=]
|year=2018}}</ref> The overall ] at birth was 76.3 years in 2018.<ref name="cia"/>

The ] of 1.41 children per mother, is one of the ], far below the replacement rate of 2.1; it remains considerably below the high of 6.18 children rate in 1885.<ref name="cia"/><ref>{{citation|url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-born-per-woman?year=1800&country=AUT|title=Total Fertility Rate around the world over the last two centuries|first=Max|last=Roser|date=2014|work=], ]|access-date=6 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807185806/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-born-per-woman?year=1800&country=AUT|archive-date=7 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Croatia's ] has continuously exceeded its ] since 1998.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=113}} Croatia subsequently has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 43.3 years.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/croatia/|title= The World FactBook – Croatia|date=12 July 2018|work=]}}{{PD-notice}}</ref> The population rose steadily from 2.1&nbsp;million in 1857 until 1991, when it peaked at 4.7&nbsp;million, with the exceptions of censuses taken in 1921 and 1948, i.e., following the world wars.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=107}} The natural growth rate is negative<ref name="CIA"/> with the ] completed in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Snježana|last1=Mrđen|first2=Mladen|last2=Friganović|date=June 1998|title=The demographic situation in Croatia|journal=Geoadria|publisher=Hrvatsko geografsko društvo – Zadar|issn=1331-2294|volume=3|issue=1|pages=29–56|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/9740|doi=10.15291/geoadria.45|pmid=12294962 |access-date=7 January 2020|doi-access=free}}</ref> In recent years, the Croatian government has been pressured to increase permit quotas for foreign workers, reaching an all-time high of 68.100 in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/vlada-povecala-kvotu-za-zaposljavanje-stranih-radnika-1326987|title=Vlada uslišila molbe: Povećane kvote dozvola za strane radnike|website=www.vecernji.hr}}</ref> In accordance with its immigration policy, Croatia is trying to entice emigrants to return.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Politička Misao: Croatian Political Science Review|issn=0032-3241|volume=35|issue=5|year=2008|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=51084|title=The Policy of Immigration in Croatia| first=Nick| last=Vidak|pages=57–75|publisher=University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science|access-date=15 October 2010}}</ref> From 2008 to 2018, Croatia's population dropped by 10%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/14/croatia-s-population-has-dropped-10-in-a-decade-reveals-census|title=Croatia's population has dropped 10% in a decade, reveals census|work=]|date=14 January 2022|access-date=23 January 2022}}</ref>

The population decrease was greater a result of war for independence. The war displaced large numbers of the population and emigration increased. In 1991, in predominantly occupied areas, more than 400,000 Croats were either removed from their homes by ] forces or fled the violence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1162e-summary.htm|title=Summary of judgement for Milan Martić|date=12 June 2007|publisher=United Nations|access-date=21 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215084458/http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2007/pr1162e-summary.htm|archive-date=15 December 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the war's final days, about 150–200,000 Serbs fled before the arrival of Croatian forces during ].<ref name="bbc-storm">{{cite news|ref={{harvid|BBC News|5 August 2005}}|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4747379.stm|work=]|title=Evicted Serbs remember Storm|date=5 August 2005|first=Matt|last=Prodger|author-link=Matt Prodger|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023091143/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4747379.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|ref={{harvid|UNSC|23 August 1995}}|url=https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/1995/730|date=23 August 1995|publisher=]|title=Report of the Secretary-General Submitted Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1009 (1995)|page=3}}</ref> After the war, the number of displaced persons fell to about 250,000. The Croatian government cared for displaced persons via the social security system and the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees.<ref>{{cite web|title=Domovinski rat – Hrvatska enciklopedija|url=http://www.enciklopedija.hr/natuknica.aspx?ID=15884|access-date=24 December 2018}}</ref> Most of the territories abandoned during the war were settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly from north-western Bosnia, while some displaced people returned to their homes.<ref name="Index-Cro-Refugees">{{cite web|publisher=Index.hr|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/savez-udruga-hrvataiz-bih-izabrao-novo-celnistvo/145769.aspx|language=hr|title=Savez udruga Hrvata iz BiH izabrao novo čelništvo|trans-title=Union of associations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croats elects new leadership|date=28 June 2003|access-date=12 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="PresidentRH-refugees">{{cite web|publisher=Office of the ]|url=http://www.predsjednik.hr/29062010|language=hr|title=29 06 2010 – Benkovac|date=29 June 2010|access-date=12 October 2011|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127220818/http://predsjednik.hr/29062010|archive-date=27 November 2010}}</ref>
{{multiple image
| align = center
| total_width = 500
| image1 = Religious belief in Croatia, 2011.svg
| caption1 = Religious believers according to the 2011 census
| image2 = CroatianDialectsByMunicipality.png
| caption2 = Map of the ], ] and ] dialects in Croatia by municipality
| image3 = Croatia, population density.svg
| caption3 = 2011 Croatian ] by county in persons per km<sup>2</sup>
}}
According to the 2013 United Nations report, 17.6% of Croatia's population were immigrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://esa.un.org/unmigration/TIMSA2013/migrantstocks2013.htm|title=International Migration and Development|website=esa.un.org|access-date=25 August 2019|archive-date=7 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107123721/https://esa.un.org/unmigration/TIMSA2013/migrantstocks2013.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the 2021 census, the majority of inhabitants are Croats (91.6%), followed by Serbs (3.2%), ] (0.62%), ] (0.46%), ] (0.36%), ] (0.36%), ] (0.27%), ] (0.20%), ] (0.20%), ] (0.10%), ] (0.09%), ] (0.09%), ] (0.08%), and others (1.56%).<ref name="Census 2021"/> Approximately 4&nbsp;million Croats ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/hrvatska-fenomen-vise-hrvata-zivi-u-inozemstvu-nego-u-domovini---465670.html|title=U Hrvatskoj je loše i preporučam svakom mladom čovjeku da ode u Njemačku|website=Dnevnik.hr}}</ref>

{{Largest cities of Croatia}}

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Croatia}}
{{Further|List of cathedrals in Croatia|Catholic Church in Croatia}}

Croatia has no official religion. ] is a Constitutional right that protects all ] as ].

], since ] on the ] ]]]

According to the 2011 census, 91.36% of Croatians identify as Christian; of these, Catholics make up the largest group, accounting for 86.28% of the population, after which follows ] (4.44%), ] (0.34%), and other Christians (0.30%). The largest religion after Christianity is ] (1.47%). 4.57% of the population describe itself as non-religious.<ref name="Census2011-religion">{{Croatian Census 2011|R}}</ref> In the ] Eurobarometer Poll of 2010, 69% of the population responded that "they believe there is a God".<ref>{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 341, "Biotechnology"|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/archives/ebs/ebs_341_en.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|page=209}}</ref> In a 2009 Gallup poll, 70% answered yes to the question "Is religion an important part of your daily life?"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/128210/Gallup-Global-Reports.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014034457/http://www.gallup.com/poll/128210/Gallup-Global-Reports.aspx|archive-date=14 October 2013|title=Gallup Global Reports|publisher=]|access-date=7 October 2013}}</ref> Yet, only 24% of the population attends religious services regularly.<ref name="Pew Survey 2017 - Final Topline">{{cite web|url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/05/09154356/Central-and-Eastern-Europe-Topline_FINAL-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Final Topline|access-date=19 June 2017|publisher=Pew}}</ref>

=== Languages ===
{{Main|Croatian language|Languages of Croatia|Minority languages of Croatia |Bunjevac dialect}}
Croatian is the official language of the Republic of Croatia. ] in local government units where more than a third of the population consists of national minorities or where local enabling legislation applies. Those languages are ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Sabor|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=23872|title=Izviješće o provođenju ustavnog zakona o pravima nacionalnih manjina i utrošku sredstava osiguranih u državnom proračunu Republike Hrvatske za 2007. godinu za potrebe nacionalnih manjina|language=hr|trans-title=Report on Implementation of Constitutional Act on National Minority Rights and Expenditure of Funds Appropriated by the 2007 State Budget for Use by the National Minorities|date=28 November 2008|access-date=27 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509061001/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?art=23872|archive-date=9 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Franceschini546"/> The following minority languages are also recognised: ], ], ], German, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], Russian, ], ], ], and ].<ref name="Franceschini546">{{cite book|last=Franceschini|first=Rita|chapter=Italy and the Italian-Speaking Regions|editor-last=Fäcke|editor-first=Christiane|title=Manual of Language Acquisition|year=2014|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH|isbn=9783110394146|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zM_mBQAAQBAJ&q=Manual+of+Language+Acquisition&pg=PA1|page=546}}</ref>

According to the 2011 Census, 95.6% of citizens declared Croatian as their native language, 1.2% declared Serbian as their native language, while no other language reaches more than 0.5%.<ref name="Census-2011-languages">{{Croatian Census 2011|T}}</ref> Croatian is a member of the ] and is written using the ]. There are three major dialects spoken on the territory of Croatia, with standard Croatian based on the ] dialect. The ] and ] dialects are distinguished from Shtokavian by their ], ] and ].<ref name="Brozović-HRV">{{cite web|publisher=]|language=hr|title=Organska podloga hrvatskog jezika|trans-title=The Organic Base of Croatian|url=http://www.ihjj.hr/oHrJeziku-povijest-1.html|access-date=11 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807082335/http://www.ihjj.hr/oHrJeziku-povijest-1.html|archive-date=7 August 2011}}</ref>

A 2011 survey revealed that 78% of Croats claim knowledge of at least one foreign language.<ref name="Index-lang">{{cite web|publisher=Index.hr|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/istrazivanje-tri-posto-visokoobrazovanih-ne-zna-niti-jedan-strani-jezik-hrvati-uglavnom-znaju-engleski/545687.aspx|language=hr|title=Istraživanje: Tri posto visokoobrazovanih ne zna niti jedan strani jezik, Hrvati uglavnom znaju engleski|trans-title=Survey: Three per cent of higher educated people can not speak any foreign languages, Croats mostly speak English|date=5 April 2011|access-date=11 October 2011}}</ref> According to a 2005 EC survey, 49% of Croats speak English as the second language, 34% speak German, 14% speak Italian, 10% speak French, 4% speak Russian and 2% speak Spanish. However several large municipalities support ]. A majority of Slovenes (59%) have some knowledge of Croatian.<ref name="EBS-243">{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|date=February 2006|title=Europeans and their languages – European commission special barometer FEB2006|publisher=]|access-date=15 January 2010}}</ref> The country is a part of various language-based international associations, most notably the ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries/member-countries/croatia_en|title=Croatia |date=5 July 2016|website=European Union|publisher=European Commission|language=en|access-date=2 March 2018}}</ref>

=== Education ===
{{Main|Education in Croatia}}
{{Update section|date=December 2020}}

{{multiple image
| align = left
| direction = vertical
| image1 = National and University Library in Zagreb.jpg
| caption1 = ]
| image2 = University of Zagreb.jpg
| caption2 = ] is the largest Croatian university and the oldest university in the area covering Central Europe south of ] and all of Southeastern Europe.
}}

Literacy in Croatia stands at 99.2 per cent.<ref>{{Croatian Census 2011 | url = http://web.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/census2011/results/htm/e01_01_33/E01_01_33.html | title=Population aged 10 and over by sex and illiterates by age | access-date=26 December 2015}}</ref> Primary education in Croatia starts at the age of six or seven and consists of eight grades. In 2007 a law was passed to increase free, noncompulsory education until 18 years of age. Compulsory education consists of eight grades of elementary school.

Secondary education is provided by ] and vocational schools. As of 2019, there are 2,103 elementary schools and 738 schools providing various forms of secondary education.<ref>{{cite web|year=2019|title=Statističke informacije 2020|url=https://web.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/StatInfo/pdf/StatInfo2020.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/StatInfo/pdf/StatInfo2020.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|website=]|page=33}}</ref> Primary and secondary education are also available in languages of recognised minorities in Croatia, where classes are held in Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, German and Slovak languages.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|pp=488-489}}

There are 133 elementary and secondary level ] and ],{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=486}} as well as 83 elementary and 44 secondary schools for disabled children and youth{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=484-485}} and 11 elementary and 52 secondary schools for adults.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=485}} Nationwide ] ({{langx|hr|državna matura}}) were introduced for secondary education students in the school year 2009–2010. It comprises three compulsory subjects (Croatian language, mathematics, and a foreign language) and optional subjects and is a prerequisite for university education.<ref name="MZOS-Matura">{{cite web|publisher=]|language=hr|url=http://public.mzos.hr/Default.aspx?sec=2246|title=Državna matura|access-date=12 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326060402/http://public.mzos.hr/Default.aspx?sec=2246|archive-date=26 March 2016}}</ref>
Croatia has eight public universities and two private universities.<ref name="iro">{{cite web |url=http://www.iro.hr/hr/informiranje-i-savjetovanje-o-visokom-obrazovanju/studiranje-u-hrvatskoj/pregled-institucija/ |title=Institut za razvoj obrazovanja – Pregled institucija |publisher=Iro.hr |access-date=6 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306211642/http://www.iro.hr/hr/informiranje-i-savjetovanje-o-visokom-obrazovanju/studiranje-u-hrvatskoj/pregled-institucija/ |archive-date=6 March 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The ], the first university in Croatia, was founded in 1396 and remained active until 1807, when other institutions of higher education took over until the foundation of the renewed University of Zadar in 2002.<ref name="Zadar-Uni">{{cite web|publisher=University of Zadar|url=http://www.unizd.hr/Onama/tabid/55/Default.aspx|language=hr|title=O nama|trans-title=About us|access-date=15 October 2011}}</ref> The ], founded in 1669, is the oldest continuously operating university in Southeast Europe.<ref name="Zagreb-Uni">{{cite web|publisher=University of Zagreb|url= http://www.unizg.hr/homepage/about-university/history/|title=University of Zagreb 1699–2005|access-date=15 October 2011}}</ref> There are also 15 ], of which two are private, and 30 higher education institutions, of which 27 are private.<ref name="iro"/> In total, there are 131 institutions of higher education in Croatia, attended by more than 160&nbsp;thousand students.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=490}}

There are 254 companies, government or education system institutions and non-profit organisations in Croatia pursuing scientific research and development of technology. Combined, they spent around 3&nbsp;billion kuna (€400&nbsp;million) gross and employed 11,801 full-time research staff in 2016.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=503}} Among the scientific institutes operating in Croatia, the largest is the ] in Zagreb.<ref name="JL-IRB">{{cite news|newspaper=Jutarnji list|language=hr|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/ciklotron--spojevi-i-novi-katalizatori---to-je-institut-ruder-boskovic-dao-svijetu-/823851/|title=60. rođendan Instituta Ruđer Bošković: Svijetu je dao ciklotron, spojeve i novi katalizator|trans-title=The 60th Anniversary of the Ruđer Bošković Institute: It Presented the World with a Cyclotron, Compounds and a New Catalyst|date=9 June 2010|access-date=12 October 2011|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222206/http://www.jutarnji.hr/ciklotron--spojevi-i-novi-katalizatori---to-je-institut-ruder-boskovic-dao-svijetu-/823851/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ] in Zagreb is a ] promoting language, culture, arts and science from its inception in 1866.<ref name="HAZU-founding">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://info.hazu.hr/foundation_of_academy|title=The Founding of the Academy|access-date=12 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606084626/http://info.hazu.hr/foundation_of_academy|archive-date=6 June 2010}}</ref> Croatia was ranked 43rd in the ] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite book |author=] |year=2024 |title=Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.wipo.int |page=18 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |language=en |doi=10.34667/tind.50062 |isbn=978-92-805-3681-2}}</ref>

The ] provided digital infrastructure and equipment to around 150 primary and secondary schools in Croatia. Twenty of these schools got specialised assistance in the form of gear, software, and services to help them integrate the teaching and administrative operations.<ref name=":13">{{cite web|title=Infrastructure for an era of crisis|url=https://www.eib.org/en/stories/coronavirus-infrastructure-investment|access-date=2021-06-07|website=European Investment Bank|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=E-Schools in Croatia|url=https://jaspers.eib.org/stories/e-schools-in-croatia|website=JASPERS}}</ref>

=== Healthcare ===
{{Main|Healthcare in Croatia}}

] is the largest hospital in Croatia and the teaching hospital of the ].]]

Croatia has a ] system, whose roots can be traced back to the Hungarian-Croatian Parliament Act of 1891, providing a form of mandatory insurance of all factory workers and craftsmen.<ref name="RSP-1891">{{cite journal|journal=Revija za socijalnu politiku|issn=1330-2965|first=Siniša|last=Zrinščak|language=hr|title=Socijalna politika u kontekstu korjenite društvene transformacije postkomunističkih zemalja|trans-title=Social Policy in the Context of Thorough Social Transformation of Post-Communist Countries|pages=135–159|date=February 2003|volume=10|issue=2|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=47595|access-date=12 October 2011|doi=10.3935/rsp.v10i2.124|doi-access=free}}</ref> The population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute and optional insurance. In 2017, annual healthcare related expenditures reached 22.2&nbsp;billion kuna (around €3.0&nbsp;billion).{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=546}} Healthcare expenditures comprise only 0.6% of private health insurance and public spending.<ref name="Vjesnik-Zdravstvo">{{cite news|newspaper=Vjesnik|language=hr|url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=B02A10F4-BFE5-4EC0-B0E5-BFCAFE8F2062|archive-date=17 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217063855/http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=B02A10F4-BFE5-4EC0-B0E5-BFCAFE8F2062|title=Ulaskom u EU Hrvatska će imati najveću potrošnju za zdravstvo|trans-title=After the EU accession Croatia will have the maximum healthcare spending|first=Marijana|last=Matković|date=27 September 2011|access-date=12 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2017, Croatia spent around 6.6% of its GDP on healthcare.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/novosti/hrvatska/clanak/id/474180/puni-dzepovi-europski-smo-rekorderi-potrosnje-imamo-najskuplju-vlast-u-cijeloj-europskoj-uniji|title=Puni džepovi: europski smo rekorderi potrošnje, imamo najskuplju vlast u cijeloj Europskoj uniji!|date=19 March 2017|access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref>
In 2020, Croatia ranked 41st in the world in life expectancy with 76.0 years for men and 82.0 years for women, and it had a low ] of 3.4 per 1,000 ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Croatia Demographics 2020 (Population, Age, Sex, Trends) – Worldometer|url=https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/croatia-demographics/#life-exp|access-date=24 January 2021|website=www.worldometers.info|language=en}}</ref>

There are hundreds of healthcare institutions in Croatia, including 75 hospitals, and 13 clinics with 23,049 beds. The hospitals and clinics care for more than 700&nbsp;thousand patients per year and employ 6,642 ], including 4,773 specialists.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=525}} There is a total of 69,841&nbsp;health workers.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=524}} There are 119 emergency units in health centres, responding to more than a million calls.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=532}} The principal cause of death in 2016 was ] at 39.7% for men and 50.1% for women, followed by tumours, at 32.5% for men and 23.4% for women.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=118}} In 2016 it was estimated that 37.0% of Croatians are smokers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ritchie|first1=Hannah|author1-link=Hannah Ritchie |last2=Roser|first2=Max|author2-link=Max Roser |date=23 May 2013|title=Smoking|url=https://ourworldindata.org/smoking|journal=Our World in Data}}</ref> According to 2016 data, 24.40% of the Croatian adult population is obese.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ritchie|first1=Hannah|last2=Roser|first2=Max|date=11 August 2017|title=Obesity|url=https://ourworldindata.org/obesity|journal=Our World in Data}}</ref>

In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, Croatia is one of 22 countries with a GHI score of less than 5.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Hunger Index Scores by 2024 GHI Rank |url=https://www.globalhungerindex.org/ranking.html |access-date=2024-12-13 |website=Global Hunger Index (GHI) - peer-reviewed annual publication designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels |language=en}}</ref>

== Language ==
{{Main|Croatian language|Bunjevac dialect}}


Standard ] is the official language of the Republic of Croatia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/croatia/ |title=Croatia |publisher=Cia.gov |access-date=2010-12-21}}</ref> and became the 24th official language of the ] upon its accession in 2013.<ref name="Ustav-RH">{{cite news|newspaper=Narodne Novine|language=hr|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2010_07_85_2422.html|title=Ustav Republike Hrvatske|trans-title=Constitution of the Republic of Croatia|date=9 July 2010|access-date=11 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="VL-Hrvatski-EU">{{cite news|newspaper=Večernji list|language=hr|url=http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/hrvatski-postaje-24-sluzbeni-jezik-europske-unije-clanak-211879|title=Hrvatski postaje 24. službeni jezik Europske unije|trans-title=Croatian Becomes the 24th Official Language of the European Union|date=5 November 2011|first1=Sandra|last1=Veljković|author2=Stojan de Prato|access-date=11 October 2011}}</ref>
] near ]]]
The population of Croatia has been stagnating over the last decade. The 1991-1995 war in Croatia had previously displaced large parts of the population and increased emigration. The natural growth rate is minute or negative (less than +/- 1%), as the ] has been completed half a century ago. Average life expectancy is approximately 75 years, and the literacy rate is 98.5%.


Croatian replaced ] as the official language of the Croatian government in the 19th century.<ref name="Iadertina-Hr">{{cite journal|journal=Croatica et Slavica Iadertina|issn=1845-6839|title=Značenje narodnoga preporoda za hrvatski jezik|trans-title=Significance of the National Revival for Croatian |language=hr|first=Branka|last=Tafra|date=February 2007|volume=2|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=26666|pages=43–55|access-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> Following the ] in 1850, the language and its Latin script underwent reforms to create an unified "Croatian or Serbian" or "]" standard, which under various names became the official language of ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Greenberg |first=Robert D. |title=Language and Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croatian and its Disintegration |year=2004 |edition=1st |location=New York, NY |publisher=Oxford University Press |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_lNjHgr3QioC |isbn=9780191514555}}</ref> In ], from 1972 to 1989, the language was constitutionally designated as the "Croatian literary language" and the "Croatian or Serbian language". It was the result of a resistance to and ] from "]" in the form of the ] as part of the ].<ref>{{cite journal | journal = ] | publisher=]|issn=1331-0992|year=2009|issue=1–2|url=http://www.matica.hr/kolo/kolo2009_1.nsf/AllWebDocs/Polozaj_hrvatskoga_jezika_u_svijetu_danas|title=Položaj hrvatskoga jezika u svijetu danas|trans-title=The Position of Croatian in the World Today|language=hr|first=Mate|last=Kapović|access-date=26 October 2011}}</ref> Since gaining independence in the early 1990s, the Republic of Croatia constitutionally designates the language as "Croatian language" and regulates it through ]. The long-standing aspiration to developing its own expressions, thus enriching itself, as opposed to taking over foreign solutions in the form of ] has been described as ].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Turk|first=Marija|date=1996|title=Jezični purizam|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/132668|journal=Fluminensia: Časopis za filološka istraživanja|language=hr|volume=8|issue=1–2|pages=63–79|issn=0353-4642}}</ref>
Croatia is inhabited mostly by ] (89.6%). There are around twenty minorities, ] being the biggest one (4.5%), others having less than 0.5% each. The predominate religion is ] (87.8%), with some ] (4.4%) and ] (1.3%) minorities.


Croatia introduced in 2021 a new model of linguistic categorisation of ] (as New-Shtokavian ] of the ] of the Croatian language) in three sub-branches: Dalmatian (also called Bosnian-Dalmatian), Danubian (also called Bunjevac), and Littoral-Lika.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Bunjevački govori |url= https://registar.kulturnadobra.hr/#/details/Z-7471| quote= Bunjevački govori pripadaju novoštokavskom ikavskom dijalektu štokavskoga narječja hrvatskoga jezika. |access-date= 7 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://registar.kulturnadobra.hr/#/details/Z-7471 |quote= Razlikuju se tri ogranka Bunjevačkih govora – podunavski, primorsko-lički i dalmatinski, a svi su kulturno bliski prema povijesnim, etnološkim i lingvističkim istraživanjima.|title= Bunjevački govori}}</ref> Its speakers largely use the ] and are living in parts of ], different parts of Croatia, southern parts (inc. ]) of ] as well in the autonomous province ] of ].
The official and common language, ], is a South ], using the ]. Less than 5% of the population cites other language as their mother tongues.
The ] added the Bunjevac dialect to the List of Protected ] of the Republic of Croatia on 8 October 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Prijedlog za proglašenje bunjevačkoga govora nematerijalnom kulturnom baštinom |url = http://ihjj.hr/clanak/prijedlog-za-proglasenje-bunjevackoga-govora-nematerijalnom-kulturnom-bastinom/7513/ |access-date= 3 March 2022 |quote= Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje uputio je Ministarstvu kulture RH prijedlog da se bunjevački govor proglasi hrvatskom nematerijalnom kulturnom baštinom, kao važan čin pomoći bunjevačkomu govoru i svim Bunjevcima u Hrvatskoj i inozemstvu.| author=Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title= Bunjevački govori upisani u Registar kulturnih dobara Republike Hrvatske kao nematerijalno kulturno dobro |url=https://min-kulture.gov.hr/vijesti-8/bunjevacki-govori-upisani-u-registar-kulturnih-dobara-republike-hrvatske-kao-nematerijalno-kulturno-dobro/21475 | date= 8 October 2021|access-date= 26 July 2022 |author= Fajin Deran, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia}}</ref>{{undue weight inline|reason=An entire paragraph about a specific sub-dialect where none other are covered.|date=June 2023}}


== Culture == == Culture ==
''Main article: ]'' {{Main|Culture of Croatia}}
{{Further|World Heritage Sites in Croatia|Register of Cultural Goods of Croatia}}


] has been included in the ] list of ] since 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/810/|title=Historic City of Trogir|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>]]
]]]
], Roman amphitheatre located in ], constructed between 27 BC and AD 68.]]
Croatian culture is based on a ] during which the country has attained many monuments and cities, which gave birth to a good number of ]. The country includes ]. Two ] winners came from Croatia, as did numerous important inventors and ] — notably, some of the first ]s came from Croatia.


Because of its geographical position, Croatia represents a blend of four different cultural spheres. It has been a crossroads of influences from western culture and the east since the schism between the ] and the ], and also from ] and ].<ref name="HTZ-History-Culture">{{cite web|publisher=Croatian National Tourist Board|url=http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Discover-Croatia/Culture-and-History|title=Culture and History|access-date=7 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016185426/http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Discover-Croatia/Culture-and-History|archive-date=16 October 2011}}</ref> The ] was the most significant period of national cultural history, as the 19th century proved crucial to the emancipation of Croatians and saw unprecedented developments in all fields of art and culture, giving rise to many ].<ref name="CRIS-Stančić"/>
Croatia also has a place in the history of clothing as the origin of the ] (''cravat''). The country has a long ] and ]. Of particular interest is also the diverse ].


The ] is tasked with preserving the nation's ] and overseeing its development. Further activities supporting the development of culture are undertaken at the local government level.<ref name="MKult-Djelokrug">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.min-kulture.hr/default.aspx?id=348|language=hr|title=Djelokrug|trans-title=Scope of authority|access-date=7 October 2011}}</ref> The ]'s ] includes ] and a list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Croatia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/state/croatia-HR?info=elements-on-the-lists|title= Croatia - intangible heritage - Culture Sector|access-date= 26 April 2024}}</ref> The country is also rich with ] and holds 15 of ], ranking fourth in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists?text=&multinational=3&display1=countryIDs#tabs|title=Browse the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices – intangible heritage |publisher=UNESCO – Culture Sector |website=ich.unesco.org}}</ref> A global cultural contribution from Croatia is the necktie, derived from the ] originally worn by the 17th-century Croatian mercenaries in France.<ref name="NYT-tie">{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/30/magazine/style-dressed-to-kill.html|title=STYLE; Dressed to Kill|first=Eric P.|last=Nash|date=30 July 1995|access-date=12 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="Huzjan">{{cite journal|journal=Povijesni prilozi|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=43829|issn= 0351-9767|publisher=Croatian Institute of History|date=July 2008|volume=34|issue=34|pages=103–120|first=Vladimir|last=Huzjan|title=Pokušaj otkrivanja nastanka i razvoja kravate kao riječi i odjevnoga predmeta|language=hr|trans-title=The origin and development of the tie (kravata) as a word and as a garment|access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref>
== Famous Croats ==
] in ]]]


In 2019, Croatia had 95 professional theatres, 30 professional children's theatres, and 51 amateur theatres visited by more than 2.27&nbsp;million viewers per year. Professional theatres employ 1,195 artists. There are 42 professional orchestras, ensembles, and choirs, attracting an annual attendance of 297&nbsp;thousand. There are 75 cinemas with 166 screens and attendance of 5.026&nbsp;million.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|pp=512–513}}
For a full list see ].


Croatia has 222 museums, visited by more than 2.71&nbsp;million people in 2016. Furthermore, there are 1,768 libraries, containing 26.8&nbsp;million volumes, and 19 state archives.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|pp=516–521}} The book publishing market is dominated by several major publishers and the industry's centrepiece event—] exhibition held annually at ].<ref name="JL-Interliber">{{cite news|newspaper=Jutarnji list|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/interliber--nobelovci-za-20--bestseleri-za-50--remek-djela-za-100-kuna/902783/|title=Interliber: Nobelovci se prodaju za 20, bestseleri za 50, remek-djela za 100 kuna|trans-title=Interliber: Nobel Laureates Sold for 20, Bestsellers for 50, Masterpieces for 100 Kuna|language=hr|first=Adriana|last=Piteša|date=10 November 2010|access-date=13 October 2011|archive-date=24 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124020747/http://www.jutarnji.hr/interliber--nobelovci-za-20--bestseleri-za-50--remek-djela-za-100-kuna/902783/|url-status=dead}}</ref>


=== Arts, literature, and music===
'''Nobel Prize winners'''
{{main|Croatian art|Architecture of Croatia|Croatian literature|Croatian music}}
* ] - ]
{{multiple image
* ] - ]
| total_width = 255
| align = right
| image1 = Peristyle, Split 2.jpg
| alt1 =
| caption1 = Historical nucleus of ] with the 4th-century ] was inscribed on the ] list of ]s in 1979.
| image2 = EuphrasiusBasilika.jpg
| alt2 =
| caption2 = ] in ], example of early ], on the ] ] since 1997
}}


Architecture in Croatia reflects influences of bordering nations. Austrian and Hungarian influence is visible in public spaces and buildings in the north and the central regions, architecture found along coasts of Dalmatia and Istria exhibits Venetian influence.<ref>{{cite book|title=A short history of Yugoslavia from early times to 1966|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-521-09531-0|first1=Stephen|last1=Clissold|author2=Henry Clifford Darby|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_G43AAAAIAAJ|year=1968|pages=51–52|access-date=30 November 2011}}</ref> Squares named after culture heroes, parks, and pedestrian-only zones, are features of Croatian towns and cities, especially where large scale ] urban planning took place, for instance in Osijek (]), Varaždin, and Karlovac.<ref name="Telegraph-Baroque">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/croatia/10124483/Varazdin-Croatias-little-Vienna.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/croatia/10124483/Varazdin-Croatias-little-Vienna.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Varaždin: Croatia's 'little Vienna'|date=17 June 2013|last=MacGregor|first=Sandra|newspaper=]|access-date=4 September 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="JL-Karlovac-Baroque">{{cite news|newspaper=Jutarnji list|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/najljepsi-gradovi-sjeverne-hrvatske---karlovac--ozalj--ogulin/877654/| title= Najljepši gradovi Sjeverne Hrvatske – Karlovac, Ozalj, Ogulin|trans-title=The Most Beautiful Cities of the Northern Croatia – Karlovac, Ozalj, Ogulin|language=hr|date=14 August 2010|access-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> The subsequent influence of the ] was reflected in contemporary architecture.<ref name="IPU-Art-Nouveau">{{cite journal|journal=Radovi Instituta Za Povijest Umjetnosti|issn=0350-3437|publisher=Institute of Art History (Croatia)|language=hr|url=http://www.hart.hr/uploads/documents/354.pdf|author=Darja Radović Mahečić|title=Sekvenca secesije – arhitekt Lav Kalda|trans-title=Sequence of the Art Nouveau – Architect Lav Kalda|year=2006|volume=30|pages=241–264|access-date=10 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721100230/http://www.hart.hr/uploads/documents/354.pdf|archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref> The architecture is the Mediterranean with a Venetian and Renaissance influence in major coastal urban areas exemplified in works of ] and ] such as the ] in Šibenik. The oldest preserved examples of Croatian architecture are the 9th-century churches, with the largest and the most representative among them being ] in ].<ref name="MVPEI-Art">{{cite web|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia) |url=http://www.mfa.hr/MVP.asp?pcpid=1467 |title=Croatian Art History – Overview of Prehistory |access-date=10 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007184122/http://www.mfa.hr/MVP.asp?pcpid=1467 |archive-date=7 October 2011}}</ref><ref name="TZZadar-Donat">{{cite web|publisher=Zadar Tourist Board|url=http://www.tzzadar.hr/en/city-guide/historical-monuments/23-05-2007/church-of-saint-donat|title=Church of Saint Donat|access-date=10 October 2011|archive-date=24 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324042000/http://www.tzzadar.hr/en/city-guide/historical-monuments/23-05-2007/church-of-saint-donat|url-status=dead}}</ref>
'''Literature'''
] (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term "]". He is the ] of Croatia.]]
* ] - novelist
Besides the architecture encompassing the oldest artworks, there is a history of artists in Croatia reaching the Middle Ages. In that period the stone portal of the ] was made by ], representing the most important monument of ] sculpture from ]. The ] had the greatest impact on the Adriatic Sea coast since the remainder was embroiled in the Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War. With the waning of the Ottoman Empire, art flourished during the ] and ]. The 19th and 20th centuries brought affirmation of numerous Croatian artisans, helped by several patrons of the arts such as bishop ].<ref name="Essehist-Strossmayer">{{cite journal|journal=Essehist|publisher=] – Faculty of Philosophy|issn=1847-6236|date=September 2011|volume=2|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=95675|title=Josip Juraj Strossmayer – Rođeni Osječanin|trans-title=Josip Juraj Strossmayer – Native of Osijek|language=hr|pages=70–73|first=Pavao|last=Nujić|access-date=10 October 2011}}</ref> Croatian artists of the period achieving renown were ], ], and ].<ref name="MVPEI-Art"/><ref name=":0">{{cite book|last=Hintz|first=Martin|title=Croatia: Enchantment of the World|publisher=]|year=2004|isbn=0-516-24253-9|pages=105–107}}</ref>
* ] - poet
* ] - writer
* ] - writer
* ] - poet


] is the oldest ] monument in Croatia. It documents the donation of land gifted by ] ] to the ] monastery of St Lucy.]]
'''Science'''
* ] - physicist and Jesuit
* ] - philosopher, thinker


The Baška tablet, a stone inscribed with the ] found on the Krk island and dated to {{Circa|1100}}, is considered to be the oldest surviving prose in Croatian.<ref name="KRK-Baška">{{cite web|publisher=Island of Krk Tourist Board|url=http://www.krk.hr/en/offer/attractions/the_baska_tablet|title=The Baška tablet|access-date=13 October 2011|archive-date=2 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502052935/http://www.krk.hr/en/offer/attractions/the_baska_tablet|url-status=dead}}</ref> The beginning of more vigorous development of Croatian literature is marked by the Renaissance and ]. Besides Marulić, Renaissance playwright ], Baroque poet ], ] poet ], novelist, playwright, and poet ], children's writer ], writer and journalist ], poet and writer ], poet ], ] and ] writer ], poet ] and novelist, and short story writer ] are often cited as the greatest figures in Croatian literature.<ref name="LZMK">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.lzmk.hr/hr/vijesti-zavoda/iz-medija/524-hrvatska-knjizevnost-u-270000-redaka-vjesnik|date=11 February 2011|language=hr|title=Hrvatska književnost u 270.000 redaka|trans-title=Croatian Literature in 270,000 Lines|access-date=13 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217062534/http://www.lzmk.hr/hr/vijesti-zavoda/iz-medija/524-hrvatska-knjizevnost-u-270000-redaka-vjesnik|archive-date=17 December 2011}}</ref><ref name="NYT-Readerguide">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/18/books/a-reader-s-guide-to-the-balkans.html|title= A Reader's Guide to the Balkans|first=Robert D.|last=Kaplan|date=18 April 1993|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
'''Sport'''
* ] - ] player, Top scorer ]
* ] - ] player
* ] - AC Milan defender
* ]- basketball player
* ]- basketball player
* ] - tennis player, ] winner
* ] - tennis player, ] winner
* ] - World ski champion, gold Olympic medal winner
* ] - World ski champion, silver Olympic medal winner
* ] - kickboxer and ]


Croatian music varies from classical operas to modern-day rock. ] created the country's first opera, ''Love and Malice'', in 1846. ] composed more than a thousand pieces of music, including masses and oratorios. Pianist ] has performed across the world.<ref name=":0" />
'''Politics'''
* Ban ] - politician, soldier
* ] - politician
* ] - politician
* ] - Tito - politician and guerilla leader
* ] - politician , first Croatian president
* ] - politician, priest, writer


==See also== === Media ===
{{main|Media of Croatia|Cinema of Croatia|Television in Croatia|List of radio stations in Croatia}}
* ]
In Croatia, the Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech.<ref name="worldpress">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Benfield|first=Richard W.|editor=Quick, Amanda C.|encyclopedia=World Press Encyclopedia|title=Croatia|url=http://www.pressreference.com/Co-Fa/Croatia.html|access-date=13 September 2011|edition=2|publisher=]|volume=1|location=Detroit|isbn=0-7876-5583-X|year=2003}}</ref> Croatia ranked 64th in the 2019 ] report compiled by ] which noted that journalists who investigate corruption, organised crime or war crimes face challenges and that the Government was trying to influence the public broadcaster ]'s editorial policies.<ref name="index">{{cite web |url=https://rsf.org/en/ranking/2019 |title=Press Freedom Index 2019 |publisher=Reporters Without Borders |access-date=10 September 2019}}</ref> In its 2019 Freedom in the World report, the ] classified freedoms of press and speech in Croatia as generally free from political interference and manipulation, noting that journalists still face threats and occasional attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/croatia|title=Croatia|date=28 January 2019|website=freedomhouse.org|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-date=19 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719030207/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/croatia|url-status=dead}}</ref> The state-owned news agency ] runs a ] in Croatian and English on politics, economics, society, and culture.<ref name="HINA-about">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://websrv2.hina.hr/hina/web/view.action?view=hina|title=About Hina|access-date=13 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011031419/http://websrv2.hina.hr/hina/web/view.action?view=hina|archive-date=11 October 2011}}</ref>
* ]: recent highway construction progress, buses, railways and airports in Croatia
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


], now a part of ] national ] company, ], was the first public radio station in ].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Politička Misao|publisher=University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Sciences|issn=0032-3241|volume=38|issue=5|date=July 2002|title=Marina Mučalo: Radio in Croatia, book review|first=Darko|last=Tomorad|pages=150–152}}</ref>]]
==Literature==
*Agičić et al. (2000): Povijest i zemljopis Hrvatske (History and Geography of Croatia), priručnik za hrvatske manjinske škole (handbook for croatian minority schools), Biblioteka Geographica Croatica, 292 p., Zagreb, ISBN 953-6235-40-4 ''(croatian)''


{{as of|2021|January}}, there are thirteen nationwide free-to-air ] television channels, with ] (HRT) operating four, ] three, and ] operating two channels, and the ], Kapital Net d.o.o., and Author d.o.o. companies operate the remaining three.<ref>{{cite web|title=Popis programa DTV {{!}} OIV digitalni signali i mreže|url=https://oiv.hr/hr/usluge-i-platforme/oiv-dtv-dvb-t2-digitalna-zemaljska-televizija/popis-programa-dtv/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=oiv.hr|language=hr}}</ref> Also, there are 21 regional or local DVB-T television channels.<ref name="OIV-DVBT">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=https://www.oiv.hr/broadcasting/tables/dtv_channel_hr.aspx|title=Popis programa digitalne televizije|trans-title=List of Digital Television Programmes|language=hr|access-date=23 December 2018|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106185209/https://www.oiv.hr/broadcasting/tables/dtv_channel_hr.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> The HRT is also broadcasting a satellite TV channel.<ref name="HRT-Sat">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=186&tx_ttnews%5Bcat%5D=126&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1787&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=185&cHash=ac69c865cd|title=HRT broadcasting via satellite|date=20 May 2008|access-date=13 October 2011|archive-date=28 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828125903/http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=186&tx_ttnews%5Bcat%5D=126&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1787&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=185&cHash=ac69c865cd|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, there were 147 radio stations and 27 TV stations in Croatia.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=510}}<ref>{{cite web|last=v.k.|date=11 October 2020|title=Radio stanice u Zagrebu i Zagrebačkoj županiji|url=https://www.zgportal.com/zgservis/radio-stanice-u-zagrebu-i-zagrebackoj-zupaniji/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=ZGportal Zagreb|language=hr}}</ref> Cable television and ] networks are gaining ground. Cable television already serves 450&nbsp;thousand people, around 10% of the total population of the country.<ref name="Lider-IPTV">{{cite web|publisher=Lider|url=http://www.liderpress.hr/Default.aspx?sid=11836|title=Prva Internet televizija u Hrvatskoj|trans-title=The First Internet Television in Croatia|language=hr|first=Sandra|last=Babić|date=15 January 2007|access-date=13 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111153124/http://www.liderpress.hr/Default.aspx?sid=11836|archive-date=11 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="JL-cableTV">{{cite news|newspaper=Jutarnji list|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/kabelska-televizija--vec-je-450--tisuca-hrvata-preslo-na-kabelsku-i-gleda-200-tv-programa/901119/|language=hr|title=Već je 450 tisuća Hrvata prešlo na kabelsku i gleda 200 TV programa|trans-title=450 thousand Croats already switched to cable, watching 200 TV channels|first=Merita|last=Arslani|date=6 November 2010|access-date=13 October 2011|archive-date=24 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124011955/http://www.jutarnji.hr/kabelska-televizija--vec-je-450--tisuca-hrvata-preslo-na-kabelsku-i-gleda-200-tv-programa/901119/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==External links==
{{sisterlinks|Croatia}}


In 2010, 267 newspapers and 2,676 magazines were published in Croatia.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=510}} The print media market is dominated by the Croatian-owned ] and Austrian-owned ] who publish their flagship dailies {{lang|hr|]}}, {{lang|hr|]}} and {{lang|hr|]}}. Other influential newspapers are '']'' and '']''.<ref name="EPH-Print">{{cite web|publisher=] |url=http://www.eph.hr/eng/products_and_services/index.html |title=Print Products |access-date=13 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008011534/http://www.eph.hr/eng/products_and_services/index.html |archive-date=8 October 2011 }}</ref><ref name="Styria-dailies">{{cite web|publisher=] |url=http://www.styria.com/en/konzernunternehmen/kategorie.php?&cat=1 |title=Daily papers |access-date=13 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921110603/http://www.styria.com/en/konzernunternehmen/kategorie.php?&cat=1 |archive-date=21 September 2011 }}</ref> In 2020, ''24sata'' was the most widely circulated daily newspaper, followed by ''Večernji list'' and ''Jutarnji list''.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/135683|title=Tisak u krizi: analiza trendova u Hrvatskoj od 2008. do 2013.|journal=Medijske Studije|volume=5|issue=10|date=December 2014|last=Vozab|first=Dina|language=hr|access-date=26 December 2015|page=141}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=AZTN: Prodaja dnevnih i tjednih novina nastavlja padati|url=https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/aztn-prodaja-dnevnih-i-tjednih-novina-nastavlja-padati-20200617|access-date=23 January 2021|website=tportal.hr}}</ref>
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*


] competed in the ] as part of ] since 1961. The first and only victory Yugoslavia achieved in the competition was accomplished by the Croatian pop band ] in 1989. Since its debut at the ], Croatia won two fourth places at the ] and ] contests, and one second place at the ], marking the country's best result to date as an independent nation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://eurovision.tv/country/croatia |title=Croatia |website=eurovision.tv |access-date=19 May 2024}}</ref>


=== Film Industry===
]
{{Europe}}
{{EU countries and candidates}}
{{Mediterranean}}


{{main|Cinema of Croatia|Television in Croatia|}}
]

]
Croatia's film industry is small and heavily subsidised by the government, mainly through grants approved by the Ministry of Culture with films often being co-produced by HRT.<ref name="JL-Film">{{cite news|newspaper=Jutarnji list|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/ministarstvo-financira-rekordan-broj-filmova/154303/|title=Ministarstvo financira rekordan broj filmova|trans-title=Ministry funding a record number of films|language=hr|date=12 September 2006|first=Adriana|last=Piteša|access-date=13 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126125752/http://www.jutarnji.hr/ministarstvo-financira-rekordan-broj-filmova/154303/|archive-date=26 January 2012}}</ref><ref name="HRT-coproducing">{{cite web|publisher=Croatian Radiotelevision|url=http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=94&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=108897&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=23&cHash=348879aae9|language=hr|title=Potpora hrvatskim filmovima i koprodukcijama|trans-title=Supporting Croatian Films and Co-Productions|date=18 March 2011|access-date=13 October 2011|archive-date=28 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828143142/http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=94&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=108897&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=23&cHash=348879aae9|url-status=dead}}</ref> Croatian cinema produces between five and ten feature films per year.<ref>{{cite book |title=International Film Guide 2012 |first=Ian Hayden |last=Smith |year= 2012 |isbn= 978-1908215017 |page= 94|publisher=International Film Guide }}</ref> ], the national film awards event held annually in ], is the most prestigious film event featuring national and international productions.<ref name="Vjesnik-PulaFilm">{{cite news|newspaper=Vjesnik|url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=4D920144-9B74-462C-82CF-ED90611927CA|archive-date=17 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217063907/http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=4D920144-9B74-462C-82CF-ED90611927CA|title=Trierova trijumfalna apokalipsa|trans-title=Trier's Triumphant Apocalypse|first=Vedran|last=Jerbić|date=12 July 2011|access-date=13 October 2011|language=hr}}</ref> ], founded in 1972, is the prestigious annual film festival dedicated to the animated film. The first greatest accomplishment by Croatian filmmakers was achieved by ] when he won the 1961 ] for '']'' ({{langx|hr|Surogat}}).<ref name="Vjesnik-surogat">{{cite news|newspaper=Vjesnik|url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=7C537DEE-B4AE-4879-9F79-7C68D6294510|archive-date=17 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217063842/http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=7C537DEE-B4AE-4879-9F79-7C68D6294510|title="Surogat" napunio pola stoljeća|trans-title="Ersatz" celebrates half a century|language=hr|first=Božidar|last=Trkulja|date=29 May 2011|access-date=13 October 2011}}</ref> Croatian film producer ] won the ] for '']'' and '']''.<ref name="Film Producer Branko Lustig Becomes Honorary Citizen of Zagreb">{{cite web|publisher=Total Croatia News|url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/36240-branko-lustig|title=Film Producer Branko Lustig Becomes Honorary Citizen of Zagreb|date=23 April 2019|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405110503/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/36240-branko-lustig|url-status=dead}}</ref>
]

]
Before and since its ], Croatia has become a popular filming destination amongs international filming productions, and a lot of ] films and TV series have been filmed in Croatia including: '']'', '']'', '']'' in Dubrovnik, '']'' and '']'' in Istria, '']'' in Šibenik, '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'' in Zagreb, '']'' on island of Vis, '']'', '']'', '']'' in Split, '']'' and many others.<ref>{{cite web |title=Filming Locations in Croatia |url=https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?locations=croatia |website=Imdb.com |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Movies and TV Shows filmed in Croatia |url=https://saltymiles.com/en/10-cool-films-and-series-shot-in-croatia |website=SaltyMiles |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref> Croatia became international filming location due to its biodiversity, landscape that can accommodate every visual requirements and cheaper filming costs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Croatia is a Filming and Production Paradise |url=https://lbbonline.com/news/why-croatia-is-a-filming-and-production-paradise#:~:text=Croatia%20has%20it%20all.,film%20possibilities%20within%20one%20region. |website=Lbbonline |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Filming in Croatia |url=https://filmingincroatia.hr/ |website=Hrvatski audiovizualni centar |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref> In last 11 years there has been 122 projects for international films in Croatia, and €263 million spent as part of the Filming in Croatia which increased in last years due to high demand for its location.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Croatia has become a hub for filmmakers |url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/how-croatia-has-become-a-hub-for-filmmakers/ |website=Croatia Week |date=2 October 2023 |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref>
]

]
=== Cuisine ===
]
{{Main|Croatian cuisine|Croatian wine}}
]
]]]
]
Croatian traditional cuisine varies from one region to another. Dalmatia and Istria have culinary influences of ] and other ]s which prominently feature various seafood, cooked vegetables and pasta, and condiments such as olive oil and garlic. ], ], ], and ] culinary styles influenced continental cuisine. In that area, meats, freshwater fish, and vegetable dishes are predominant.<ref name="HTZ-cuisine">{{cite web|publisher=Croatian National Tourist Board|url=http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Discover-Croatia/Gastronomy-and-enology|access-date=13 October 2011|title=Gastronomy and enology}}</ref>
]

]
There are two distinct wine-producing regions in Croatia. The continental in the northeast of the country, especially Slavonia, produces premium wines, particularly whites. Along the north coast, Istrian and Krk wines are similar to those in neighbouring Italy, while further south in Dalmatia, Mediterranean-style red wines are the norm.<ref name="HTZ-cuisine"/> Annual production of wine exceeds 72&nbsp;million litres {{as of|2017|lc=on}}.{{sfn|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|p=265}} Croatia was almost exclusively a wine-consuming country up until the late 18th century when a more massive beer production and consumption started.<ref name="skenderovic">{{cite news|url=http://www.matica.hr/HRRevija/revija032.nsf/AllWebDocs/skenderovic|title=Kako je pivo došlo u Hrvatsku|last=Skenderović|first=Robert|year=2002|work=]|language=hr|access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref> The annual consumption of beer in 2020 was 78.7 litres per capita which placed Croatia in 15th place among the world's countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Beer Consumption by Country 2020|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/beer-consumption-by-country|access-date=24 January 2021|website=worldpopulationreview.com}}</ref>
]

]
There are 11 restaurants in Croatia with a ] and 89 restaurants bearing some of the Michelin's marks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://guide.michelin.com/hr/en/selection/croatia/restaurants|title=Michelin guide: Croatia|access-date=15 June 2023}}</ref>
]

]
=== Sports ===
]
{{Main|Sport in Croatia|Croatia at the Olympics}}
]
{{Update section|date=January 2021}}
]
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2022}}
]
] came in second at the ] in Russia.|200px]]
]
There are more than 400,000 active sportspeople in Croatia.<ref name="Perman-400">{{cite journal|journal=Jahr: Europski Časopis za bioetiku|publisher=University of Rijeka|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=102603|title=Is sports system fair?|issn=1847-6376|volume=2|issue=3|date=May 2011|first=Biserka|last=Perman|access-date=8 October 2011|pages=159–171}}</ref> In 2006, there were over 277 thousand members of sports associations and nearly 3,600 are ] and ] association members.{{sfn|2010 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia|page=514}} Association football is the most popular sport. The ] ({{langx|hr|Hrvatski nogometni savez}}), with more than 118,000 registered players, is the largest sporting association.<ref name="CFF-members">{{cite web|publisher=]|url=http://www.hns-cff.hr/?ln=en&w=o_hns|title=About Croatian Football Federation|access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref> The ] came in third in ] and ] and second in the ]. The ] football league attracts the highest ] of any professional sports league. In ], it attracted 458,746 spectators.<ref name="Index-attendance">{{cite web|publisher=Index.hr|language=hr|url=http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/evo-vam-lige-16-na-utakmicama-hnla-prosjecno-1911-ljudi/553229.aspx|title=Evo vam Lige 16: Na utakmicama HNL-a prosječno 1911|trans-title= There's league 16: Average attendance at HNL matches stands at 1911|date=24 May 2011|access-date=8 October 2011}}</ref>
]

]
]. National water polo team has won three world championships, ], ] and ].|200px]]
]

]
Croatian athletes competing at international events since Croatian independence in 1991 won 44 ], including 15 gold medals.<ref name="HOO-medalists">{{cite web|title=Olympic medalists|publisher=]|url=http://www.hoo.hr/en/olimpijske_popis.aspx|access-date=9 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121013401/http://www.hoo.hr/en/olimpijske_popis.aspx|archive-date=21 January 2012}}</ref> Also, Croatian athletes won 16 gold medals at world championships, including four in athletics at the World Championships in Athletics. Croatia won their first major trophy at the ]. In tennis, they won ] in 2005 and 2018. Croatia's most successful male players ] and ] have both won ] titles and have got into the top 3 of the ]. ] won the ] in 1981. In waterpolo, they have three world titles. ] became the first Croatian female player to win the French Open when she won it in ]. Croatia hosted several major sports competitions, including the ], the ], the ], the ], the ], and several ]s, including the ] and ] ].
]

]
The governing sports authority is the ] ({{langx|hr|Hrvatski olimpijski odbor}}), founded on 10 September 1991 and recognised by the ] since 17 January 1992, in time to permit the Croatian athletes to appear at the ] in ], France representing the newly independent nation for the first time at the ].<ref name="HOO-COO">{{cite web|publisher=Croatian Olympic Committee|url=http://www.hoo.hr/en/hoo.aspx|title=Croatian Olympic Committee|work=hoo.hr|access-date=9 October 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704233649/http://www.hoo.hr/en/hoo.aspx|archive-date=4 July 2011}}</ref>
]

]
== Technology ==
]
In November 1992, the first international connection linking Zagreb and Vienna became operational, making it the first internet in Croatia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carnet.hr/en/today-is-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-internet-in-the-republic-of-croatia/|title=Today is the 25th anniversary of the Internet in the Republic of Croatia|date=17 November 2017|website=CARNET}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vlada.gov.hr/print.aspx?id=22874&url=print|title=Government of the Republic of Croatia - 25th years of Internet in Croatia marked|website=vlada.gov.hr}}</ref>
]

]
70% of the Croatia's population regularly uses the internet and 55% have been reported to have basic technological skills.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.privacyshield.gov/ps/article?id=Croatia-Smart-Technologies|title=Croatia - Smart Technologies &#124; Privacy Shield|website=www.privacyshield.gov}}</ref>
]
== See also ==
]
{{Portal|Croatia|Countries|Europe}}
]
* ]
]
* ]
]

]
== Explanatory notes ==
]
{{Notelist|group=efn}}
]

]
== Citations ==
]
{{Reflist|30em}}
]

]
== General and cited references ==
]
{{Refbegin|30em}}
]
* {{cite book|first1=Roy|last1=Adkins|first2=Lesley|last2=Adkins|year=2008|title=The War for All the Oceans|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-14-311392-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3u9jdSlnGiMC|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|first1=Damir|last1=Agičić|first2=Dragutin|last2=Feletar|first3=Anita|last3=Filipčić|first4=Tomislav|last4=Jelić|first5=Zoran|last5=Stiperski|title=Povijest i zemljopis Hrvatske: priručnik za hrvatske manjinske škole|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9SArPwAACAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Nakladna kuća "Dr. Feletar" |isbn=978-953-6235-40-7|language=hr|trans-title=History and Geography of Croatia: Minority School Manual|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
*{{cite book|first=Beverly|last=Allen|title=Rape Warfare: The Hidden Genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia|year=1996|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-0816628186|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/rapewarfarehidde00alle}}
]
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KfqbujXqQBkC|first=Ivo|last=Banac|author-link=Ivo Banac|title=The national question in Yugoslavia: origins, history, politics|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-8014-9493-2|year=1984|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|first=Mark|last=Biondich|title=Stjepan Radić, the Croat Peasant Party, and the politics of mass mobilization, 1904–1928|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dZBgIIZ18WMC|year=2000|publisher=]|isbn=978-0-8020-8294-7|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
*{{cite book |first=Neven |last=Budak |author-link=Neven Budak |year=2018 |title=Hrvatska povijest od 550. do 1100. |trans-title=Croatian history from 550 until 1100 |url=http://www.leykam-international.hr/publikacija.php?id=167 |publisher=Leykam international |isbn=978-953-340-061-7}}
]
* {{cite book|first=Peterjon|last=Cresswell|title=Time Out Croatia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kwOYuX-Oy18C|access-date=10 March 2010|edition=First|date=10 July 2006|publisher=Time Out Group Ltd & Ebury Publishing, ]|location=London, Berkeley & Toronto|isbn=978-1-904978-70-1}}
]
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7TiFZQHwAjQC|first=Sharon|last=Fisher|title=Political change in post-Communist Slovakia and Croatia: from nationalist to Europeanist|year=2006|publisher=]|isbn=978-1-4039-7286-6|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite journal|journal=Povijesni prilozi|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=13778|issn=0351-9767|publisher=Croatian Institute of History|date=July 2005|volume=28|issue=28|pages=7–22|first=Márta|last=Font|title=Ugarsko Kraljevstvo i Hrvatska u srednjem vijeku|language=hr|trans-title=Hungarian Kingdom and Croatia in the Middle Ages|access-date=17 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MWTrLQAACAAJ|first1=Joerg|last1=Forbrig|first2=Pavol|last2=Demeš|title=Reclaiming democracy: civil society and electoral change in central and eastern Europe|year=2007|isbn=978-80-969639-0-4|publisher=]|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C|first=Richard C.|last=Frucht|title=Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture|year=2005|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-800-6|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite journal|last=Geiger|first=Vladimir|title=Human losses of Croats in World War II and the immediate post-war period caused by the Chetniks (Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland) and the Partizans (People's Liberation Army and the partizan detachment of Yugoslavia/Yugoslav Army) and the Yugoslav Communist authoritities. Numerical indicators|journal=Review of Croatian History|volume=VIII|issue=1|year=2012|pages=77–121|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/103223?lang=en}}
]
* {{cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Ivo|author-link=Ivo Goldstein|title=Croatia: A History|publisher=]|year=1999|isbn=9781850655251}}
]
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7sVAQAAIAAJ|editor-first=Mirjana|editor-last=Kasapović|language=hr|title=Hrvatska Politika 1990–2000|trans-title=Croatian Politics 1990–2000|publisher=], Faculty of Political Science|year=2001|isbn=978-953-6457-08-3|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ORSMBFwjAKcC|first1=Matjaž|last1=Klemenčič|first2=Mitja|last2=Žagar|title=The former Yugoslavia's diverse peoples: a reference sourcebook|publisher=]|year=2004|isbn=978-1-57607-294-3|access-date=17 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|last=Kočović|first=Bogoljub|author-link=Bogoljub Kočović|title=Žrtve Drugog svetskog rata u Jugoslaviji|trans-title=World War II Victims in Yugoslavia|date=1985|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sPxmAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Naše delo|language=sr}}
]
* {{cite book|first=Frederic Chapin|last=Lane|author-link=Frederic C. Lane|title=Venice, a Maritime Republic|publisher=JHU Press|year=1973|isbn=978-0-8018-1460-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PQpU2JGJCMwC|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|first=Manus I.|last=Midlarsky|title=The Killing Trap: Genocide in the Twentieth Century|url=https://archive.org/details/killingtrapgenoc0000midl|url-access=registration|access-date=25 March 2013|edition=First|date=20 October 2005|publisher=]|location=]|isbn=978-1-139-44539-9}}
]
* {{cite book|first=Branka|last=Magaš|title=Croatia Through History: The Making of a European State|publisher=Saqi Books|year=2007|isbn=978-0-86356-775-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OY5pAAAAMAAJ|access-date=18 October 2011}}
]
* {{cite book|first=Ivan|last=Mužić|title=Hrvatska povijest devetoga stoljeća|trans-title=Croatian Ninth Century History|language=hr|url=http://www.muzic-ivan.info/hrvatska_povijest.pdf|isbn=978-953-263-034-3|year=2007|publisher=Naklada Bošković|access-date=14 October 2011|archive-date=8 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808024028/http://www.muzic-ivan.info/hrvatska_povijest.pdf|url-status=dead}}
]
* {{cite book|last=Tomasevich|first=Jozo|year=2001|title=War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: Occupation and Collaboration|publisher=Stanford University Press|location=Stanford Univ|isbn=978-0-8047-3615-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fqUSGevFe5MC}}
]
*{{cite journal|last=Žerjavić|first=Vladimir|author-link=Vladimir Žerjavić|url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=52846|language=hr|title=Doseljavanja i iseljavanja s područja Istre, Rijeke i Zadra u razdoblju 1910–1971.|trans-title=Immigration and emigration from the Istria, Rijeka and Zadar areas in the period from 1910 to 1971|pages=631–653|journal=Journal for General Social Issues|volume=2|number=4-5(6–7)|date=1993|location=], Croatia|ref={{harvid|Žerjavić|1993b}}}}
]
*{{cite book|last=Žerjavić|first=Vladimir|author-link=Vladimir Žerjavić|year=1992|title=Opsesije i megalomanije oko Jasenovca i Bleiburga|trans-title=Obsession and Megalomania over Jasenovac and Bleiburg|publisher=Globus|isbn=86-343-0661-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OCotAAAAMAAJ|language=hr}}
]
* {{cite web|ref={{harvid|DIP|1990 (a)}}|year=1990|publisher=Croatian State Electoral Committee|location=Zagreb, Croatia|language=hr|url=http://www.izbori.hr/arhiva/pdf/1990/1990_2_1_Sabor_Statistika_Stat_podaci.pdf|title=Statistički pokazatelji o provedenim izborima za zastupnike u Sabor Socijalističke Republike Hrvatske – Prilog|trans-title=Statistical Indicators on Performed Elections of Representatives in the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia – Annex|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514021334/http://www.izbori.hr/arhiva/pdf/1990/1990_2_1_Sabor_Statistika_Stat_podaci.pdf|archive-date=14 May 2015}}
* {{cite book | issn = 1333-3305 | publisher=] | url=http://web.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/ljetopis/2010/SLJH2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv_Eng/ljetopis/2010/SLJH2010.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live | title=2010 – Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia |date=December 2010 | access-date=7 October 2011 | ref = {{SfnRef|2010 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia}} }}
* {{Croatia Yearbook 2018|ref={{SfnRef|2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia}}}}
{{Refend}}
{{sfn whitelist|CITEREF2018_Statistical_Yearbook_of_the_Republic_of_Croatia}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|voy=Croatia}}
* {{Wikiatlas|Croatia}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|214885|bullet=no}}
* from ]

{{Croatia topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Countries and territories of the Mediterranean Sea}}
{{Balkan countries}}
{{Member states of the European Union}}
{{Council of Europe}}
{{OSCE}}
{{La Francophonie|state=collapsed}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{coord|45|10|N|15|30|E|display=title}}

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 12:52, 22 December 2024

Country in Central and Southeast Europe For other uses, see Croatia (disambiguation).

Republic of CroatiaRepublika Hrvatska (Croatian)
Flag of Croatia Flag Coat of arms of Croatia Coat of arms
Anthem: "Lijepa naša domovino"
("Our Beautiful Homeland")
Show globeShow map of EuropeLocation of Croatia (dark green)

– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (green)

Capitaland largest cityZagreb
45°48′47″N 15°58′39″E / 45.81306°N 15.97750°E / 45.81306; 15.97750
Official languagesCroatian
Writing systemLatin
Ethnic groups (2021)
Religion (2021)
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
• President Zoran Milanović
• Prime Minister Andrej Plenković
• Speaker of the Parliament Gordan Jandroković
LegislatureSabor
Establishment history
• Duchy 7th century
• Kingdom 925
• Croatia in personal union with Hungary 1102
• Joined Habsburg Monarchy 1 January 1527
• Secession from
Austria-Hungary
29 October 1918
• Creation of Yugoslavia 4 December 1918
• Declaration of independence 25 June 1991
• Joined NATO 1 April 2009
• Joined the European Union 1 July 2013
Area
• Total56,594 km (21,851 sq mi) (124th)
• Water (%)1.09
Population
• 2023 estimateNeutral decrease 3,861,967 (128th)
• 2021 censusNeutral decrease 3,871,833 (128th)
• Density68.4/km (177.2/sq mi) (152nd)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• TotalIncrease $187.19 billion (79th)
• Per capitaIncrease $48,811 (41st)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• TotalIncrease $89.67 billion (74th)
• Per capitaIncrease $23,380 (51st)
Gini (2020)Positive decrease 28.3
low inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.878
very high (39th)
CurrencyEuro () (EUR)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code+385
ISO 3166 codeHR
Internet TLD

Croatia (/kroʊˈeɪʃə/ , kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska, pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska listen), is a country in Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west. Its capital and largest city, Zagreb, forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, with twenty counties. Other major urban centers include Split, Rijeka and Osijek. The country spans 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles), and has a population of nearly 3.9 million.

The Croats arrived in modern-day Croatia in the late 6th century, then part of Roman Illyria. By the 7th century, they had organized the territory into two duchies. Croatia was first internationally recognized as independent on 7 June 879 during the reign of Duke Branimir. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. During the succession crisis after the Trpimirović dynasty ended, Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, independent from the Habsburg Empire, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918, it merged into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of Croatia was incorporated into a Nazi-installed puppet state, the Independent State of Croatia. A resistance movement led to the creation of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, which after the war became a founding member and constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, and the War of Independence was successfully fought over the next four years.

Croatia is a republic and has a parliamentary system. It is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen Area, NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the World Trade Organization, a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean, and is currently in the process of joining the OECD. An active participant in United Nations peacekeeping, Croatia contributed troops to the International Security Assistance Force and was elected to fill a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in the 2008–2009 term for the first time.

Croatia is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy and ranks highly in the Human Development Index. Service, industrial sectors, and agriculture dominate the economy. Tourism is a significant source of revenue for the country, with nearly 20 million tourist arrivals as of 2019. Since the 2000s, the Croatian government has heavily invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors. Croatia has also positioned itself as a regional energy leader in the early 2020s and is contributing to the diversification of Europe's energy supply via its floating liquefied natural gas import terminal off Krk island, LNG Hrvatska. Croatia provides social security, universal health care, and tuition-free primary and secondary education while supporting culture through public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.

Etymology

Main article: Names of the Croats and Croatia

Croatia's non-native name derives from Medieval Latin Croātia, itself a derivation of North-West Slavic *Xərwate, by liquid metathesis from Common Slavic period *Xorvat, from proposed Proto-Slavic *Xъrvátъ which possibly comes from the 3rd-century Scytho-Sarmatian form attested in the Tanais Tablets as Χοροάθος (Khoroáthos, alternate forms comprise Khoróatos and Khoroúathos). The origin of the ethnonym is uncertain, but most probably is from Proto-Ossetian / Alanian *xurvæt- or *xurvāt-, in the meaning of "one who guards" ("guardian, protector").

The oldest preserved record of the Croatian ethnonym's native variation *xъrvatъ is of the variable stem, attested in the Baška tablet in style zvъnъmirъ kralъ xrъvatъskъ ("Zvonimir, Croatian king"), while the Latin variation Croatorum is archaeologically confirmed on a church inscription found in Bijaći near Trogir dated to the end of the 8th or early 9th century. The presumably oldest stone inscription with fully preserved ethnonym is the 9th-century Branimir inscription found near Benkovac, where Duke Branimir is styled Dux Cruatorvm, likely dated between 879 and 892, during his rule. The Latin term Chroatorum is attributed to a charter of Duke Trpimir I of Croatia, dated to 852 in a 1568 copy of a lost original, but it is not certain if the original was indeed older than the Branimir inscription.

History

Main article: History of Croatia

Prehistory and antiquity

Main article: History of Croatia before the Croats Ceramic sculptureStone SculptureLeft: The Vučedol dove, a sculpture from 2800–2500 BC.
Right: Croatian Apoxyomenos, Ancient Greek statue, 2nd or 1st century BC.

The area known as Croatia today was inhabited throughout the prehistoric period. Neanderthal fossils dating to the middle Palaeolithic period were unearthed in northern Croatia, best presented at the Krapina site. Remnants of Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures were found in all regions. The largest proportion of sites is in the valleys of northern Croatia. The most significant are Baden, Starčevo, and Vučedol cultures. Iron Age hosted the early Illyrian Hallstatt culture and the Celtic La Tène culture.

The region of modern-day Croatia was settled by Illyrians and Liburnians, while the first Greek colonies were established on the islands of Hvar, Korčula, and Vis. In 9 AD, the territory of today's Croatia became part of the Roman Empire. Emperor Diocletian was native to the region. He had a large palace built in Split, to which he retired after abdicating in AD 305.

During the 5th century, the last de jure Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos ruled a small realm from the palace after fleeing Italy in 475.

Middle Ages

Main articles: Duchy of Croatia, Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102), Kingdom of Croatia (1102–1526), and Republic of Ragusa

The Roman period ends with Avar and Croat invasions in the late 6th and first half of the 7th century and the destruction of almost all Roman towns. Roman survivors retreated to more favourable sites on the coast, islands, and mountains. The city of Dubrovnik was founded by such survivors from Epidaurum.

Kingdom of Croatia c. 925, during the reign of King Tomislav

The ethnogenesis of Croats is uncertain. The most accepted theory, the Slavic theory, proposes migration of White Croats from White Croatia during the Migration Period. Conversely, the Iranian theory proposes Iranian origin, based on Tanais Tablets containing Ancient Greek inscriptions of given names Χορούαθος, Χοροάθος, and Χορόαθος (Khoroúathos, Khoroáthos, and Khoróathos) and their interpretation as anthroponyms of Croatian people.

According to the work De Administrando Imperio written by 10th-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII, Croats settled in the Roman province of Dalmatia in the first half of the 7th century after they defeated the Avars. However, that claim is disputed: competing hypotheses date the event between the late 6th-early 7th (mainstream) or the late 8th-early 9th (fringe) centuries, but recent archaeological data has established that the migration and settlement of the Slavs/Croats was in the late 6th and early 7th century. Eventually, a dukedom was formed, Duchy of Croatia, ruled by Borna, as attested by chronicles of Einhard starting in 818. The record represents the first document of Croatian realms, vassal states of Francia at the time. Its neighbor to the North was Principality of Lower Pannonia, at the time ruled by duke Ljudevit who ruled the territories between the Drava and Sava rivers, centred from his fort at Sisak. This population and territory throughout history was tightly related and connected to Croats and Croatia.

Coronation of King Tomislav by Oton Iveković

Christianisation of Croats began in the 7th century at the time of archon Porga of Croatia, initially probably encompassed only the elite and related people, but mostly finished by the 9th century. The Frankish overlordship ended during the reign of Mislav, or his successor Trpimir I. The native Croatian royal dynasty was founded by duke Trpimir I in the mid 9th century, who defeated the Byzantine and Bulgarian forces. The first native Croatian ruler recognised by the Pope was duke Branimir, who received papal recognition from Pope John VIII on 7 June 879. Tomislav was the first king of Croatia, noted as such in a letter of Pope John X in 925. Tomislav defeated Hungarian and Bulgarian invasions. The medieval Croatian kingdom reached its peak in the 11th century during the reigns of Petar Krešimir IV (1058–1074) and Dmitar Zvonimir (1075–1089). When Stjepan II died in 1091, ending the Trpimirović dynasty, Dmitar Zvonimir's brother-in-law Ladislaus I of Hungary claimed the Croatian crown. This led to a war and personal union with Hungary in 1102 under Coloman.

Union with Hungary and Austria

Main articles: Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) and Austria-Hungary Further information: Croatian–Ottoman wars

For the next four centuries, the Kingdom of Croatia was ruled by the Sabor (parliament) and a Ban (viceroy) appointed by the king. This period saw the rise of influential nobility such as the Frankopan and Šubić families to prominence, and ultimately numerous Bans from the two families. An increasing threat of Ottoman conquest and a struggle against the Republic of Venice for control of coastal areas ensued. The Venetians controlled most of Dalmatia by 1428, except the city-state of Dubrovnik, which became independent. Ottoman conquests led to the 1493 Battle of Krbava field and the 1526 Battle of Mohács, both ending in decisive Ottoman victories. King Louis II died at Mohács, and in 1527, the Croatian Parliament met in Cetin and chose Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg as the new ruler of Croatia, under the condition that he protects Croatia against the Ottoman Empire while respecting its political rights.

Following the decisive Ottoman victories, Croatia was split into civilian and military territories in 1538. The military territories became known as the Croatian Military Frontier and were under direct Habsburg control. Ottoman advances in Croatia continued until the 1593 Battle of Sisak, the first decisive Ottoman defeat, when borders stabilised. During the Great Turkish War (1683–1698), Slavonia was regained, but western Bosnia, which had been part of Croatia before the Ottoman conquest, remained outside Croatian control. The present-day border between the two countries is a remnant of this outcome. Dalmatia, the southern part of the border, was similarly defined by the Fifth and the Seventh Ottoman–Venetian Wars.

Ban Josip Jelačić at the opening of the first modern Croatian Parliament (Sabor), June 5, 1848. The Croatian tricolour flag can be seen in the background.

The Ottoman wars drove demographic changes. During the 16th century, Croats from western and northern Bosnia, Lika, Krbava, the area between the rivers Una and Kupa, and especially from western Slavonia, migrated towards Austria. Present-day Burgenland Croats are direct descendants of these settlers. To replace the fleeing population, the Habsburgs encouraged Bosnians to provide military service in the Military Frontier.

The Croatian Parliament supported King Charles III's Pragmatic Sanction and signed their own Pragmatic Sanction in 1712. Subsequently, the emperor pledged to respect all privileges and political rights of the Kingdom of Croatia, and Queen Maria Theresa made significant contributions to Croatian affairs, such as introducing compulsory education.

The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within Austria-Hungary created in 1868 following the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement.

Between 1797 and 1809, the First French Empire increasingly occupied the eastern Adriatic coastline and its hinterland, ending the Venetian and the Ragusan republics, establishing the Illyrian Provinces. In response, the Royal Navy blockaded the Adriatic Sea, leading to the Battle of Vis in 1811. The Illyrian provinces were captured by the Austrians in 1813 and absorbed by the Austrian Empire following the Congress of Vienna in 1815. This led to the formation of the Kingdom of Dalmatia and the restoration of the Croatian Littoral to the Kingdom of Croatia under one crown. The 1830s and 1840s featured romantic nationalism that inspired the Croatian National Revival, a political and cultural campaign advocating the unity of South Slavs within the empire. Its primary focus was establishing a standard language as a counterweight to Hungarian while promoting Croatian literature and culture. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Croatia sided with Austria. Ban Josip Jelačić helped defeat the Hungarians in 1849 and ushered in a Germanisation policy.

By the 1860s, the failure of the policy became apparent, leading to the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. The creation of a personal union between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary followed. The treaty left Croatia's status to Hungary, which was resolved by the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement of 1868 when the kingdoms of Croatia and Slavonia were united. The Kingdom of Dalmatia remained under de facto Austrian control, while Rijeka retained the status of corpus separatum previously introduced in 1779.

After Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina following the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, the Military Frontier was abolished. The Croatian and Slavonian sectors of the Frontier returned to Croatia in 1881, under provisions of the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement. Renewed efforts to reform Austria-Hungary, entailing federalisation with Croatia as a federal unit, were stopped by World War I.

The World Wars and Yugoslavia

Main articles: Creation of Yugoslavia, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Banovina of Croatia, World War II in Yugoslavia, and Socialist Republic of Croatia Mass protests in Zagreb against the unification of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs with the Kingdom of Serbia in 1918Stjepan Radić, leader of the Croatian Peasant Party who advocated federal organisation of Yugoslavia at the assembly in Dubrovnik, 1928. His death at the end of the same year as a result of an assassination in the National Assembly by NRS member, Serbian nationalist politician Puniša Račić, leads the country to a serious political crisis.

On 29 October 1918, the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) declared independence and decided to join the newly formed State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, which in turn entered into union with the Kingdom of Serbia on 4 December 1918 to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The Croatian Parliament never ratified the union with Serbia and Montenegro. The 1921 constitution defining the country as a unitary state and abolition of Croatian Parliament and historical administrative divisions effectively ended Croatian autonomy.

The new constitution was opposed by the most widely supported national political party—the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) led by Stjepan Radić.

The political situation deteriorated further as Radić was assassinated in the National Assembly in 1928, culminating in King Alexander I's establishment of the 6 January Dictatorship in 1929. The dictatorship formally ended in 1931 when the king imposed a more unitary constitution. The HSS, now led by Vladko Maček, continued to advocate federalisation, resulting in the Cvetković–Maček Agreement of August 1939 and the autonomous Banovina of Croatia. The Yugoslav government retained control of defence, internal security, foreign affairs, trade, and transport while other matters were left to the Croatian Sabor and a crown-appointed Ban.

Fascist leaders of Nazi Germany and its puppet state Independent State of Croatia, Adolf Hitler and Ante Pavelić, meeting in Berghof outside Berchtesgaden, Germany, 1941

In April 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Following the invasion, a German-Italian installed puppet state named the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) was established. Most of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the region of Syrmia were incorporated into this state. Parts of Dalmatia were annexed by Italy, Hungary annexed the northern Croatian regions of Baranja and Međimurje. The NDH regime was led by Ante Pavelić and ultranationalist Ustaše, a fringe movement in pre-war Croatia. With German and Italian military and political support, the regime introduced racial laws and launched a genocide campaign against Serbs, Jews, and Roma. Many were imprisoned in concentration camps; the largest was the Jasenovac complex. Anti-fascist Croats were targeted by the regime as well. Several concentration camps (most notably the Rab, Gonars and Molat camps) were established in Italian-occupied territories, mostly for Slovenes and Croats. At the same time, the Yugoslav Royalist and Serbian nationalist Chetniks pursued a genocidal campaign against Croats and Muslims, aided by Italy. Nazi German forces committed crimes and reprisals against civilians in retaliation for Partisan actions, such as in the villages of Kamešnica and Lipa in 1944.

People of Zagreb celebrating liberation on 12 May 1945 by Croatian Partisans

A resistance movement emerged. On 22 June 1941, the 1st Sisak Partisan Detachment was formed near Sisak, the first military unit formed by a resistance movement in occupied Europe. That sparked the beginning of the Yugoslav Partisan movement, a communist, multi-ethnic anti-fascist resistance group led by Josip Broz Tito. In ethnic terms, Croats were the second-largest contributors to the Partisan movement after Serbs. In per capita terms, Croats contributed proportionately to their population within Yugoslavia. By May 1944 (according to Tito), Croats made up 30% of the Partisan's ethnic composition, despite making up 22% of the population. The movement grew fast, and at the Tehran Conference in December 1943, the Partisans gained recognition from the Allies.

Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac with the Croatian communist leader Vladimir Bakarić at the celebration of May Day, shortly before Stepinac was arrested and convicted by the communists

With Allied support in logistics, equipment, training and airpower, and with the assistance of Soviet troops taking part in the 1944 Belgrade Offensive, the Partisans gained control of Yugoslavia and the border regions of Italy and Austria by May 1945. Members of the NDH armed forces and other Axis troops, as well as civilians, were in retreat towards Austria. Following their surrender, many were killed in the Yugoslav death march of Nazi collaborators. In the following years, ethnic Germans faced persecution in Yugoslavia, and many were interned.

The political aspirations of the Partisan movement were reflected in the State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia, which developed in 1943 as the bearer of Croatian statehood and later transformed into the Parliament in 1945, and AVNOJ—its counterpart at the Yugoslav level.

Based on the studies on wartime and post-war casualties by demographer Vladimir Žerjavić and statistician Bogoljub Kočović, a total of 295,000 people from the territory (not including territories ceded from Italy after the war) died, which amounted to 7.3% of the population, among whom were 125–137,000 Serbs, 118–124,000 Croats, 16–17,000 Jews, and 15,000 Roma. In addition, from areas joined to Croatia after the war, a total of 32,000 people died, among whom 16,000 were Italians and 15,000 were Croats. Approximately 200,000 Croats from the entirety of Yugoslavia (including Croatia) and abroad were killed in total throughout the war and its immediate aftermath, approximately 5.4% of the population.

Josip Broz Tito led Yugoslavia from 1944 to 1980; Pictured: Tito with the US president Richard Nixon in the White House, 1971

After World War II, Croatia became a single-party socialist federal unit of the SFR Yugoslavia, ruled by the Communists, but having a degree of autonomy within the federation. In 1967, Croatian authors and linguists published a Declaration on the Status and Name of the Croatian Standard Language demanding equal treatment for their language.

The declaration contributed to a national movement seeking greater civil rights and redistribution of the Yugoslav economy, culminating in the Croatian Spring of 1971, which was suppressed by Yugoslav leadership. Still, the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution gave increased autonomy to federal units, basically fulfilling a goal of the Croatian Spring and providing a legal basis for independence of the federative constituents.

Following Tito's death in 1980, the political situation in Yugoslavia deteriorated. National tension was fanned by the 1986 SANU Memorandum and the 1989 coups in Vojvodina, Kosovo, and Montenegro. In January 1990, the Communist Party fragmented along national lines, with the Croatian faction demanding a looser federation. In the same year, the first multi-party elections were held in Croatia, while Franjo Tuđman's win exacerbated nationalist tensions. Some of the Serbs in Croatia left Sabor and declared autonomy of the unrecognised Republic of Serbian Krajina, intent on achieving independence from Croatia.

Independence

Main articles: Breakup of Yugoslavia, Croatian War of Independence, Independence of Croatia, and History of Croatia since 1995

As tensions rose, Croatia declared independence on 25 June 1991. However, the full implementation of the declaration only came into effect after a three-month moratorium on the decision on 8 October 1991. In the meantime, tensions escalated into overt war when the Serbian-controlled Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and various Serb paramilitary groups attacked Croatia.

National Memorial Cemetery of The Victims of Homeland War in Vukovar, the central place of holding the National Remembrance Day, public holiday on November 18, for all the victims of the war in Croatia and the Vukovar massacre, one of the symbolic and crucial events in the Croatian War of Independence 1991

By the end of 1991, a high-intensity conflict fought along a wide front reduced Croatia's control to about two-thirds of its territory. Serb paramilitary groups then began a campaign of killing, terror, and expulsion of the Croats in the occupied territories, killing thousands of Croat civilians and expelling or displacing as many as 400,000-500,000 Croats and other non-Serbs from their homes. Serbs living in Croatian towns, especially those near the front lines, were subjected to various forms of discrimination. Croatian Serbs in Eastern and Western Slavonia and parts of the Krajina were forced to flee or were expelled by Croatian forces, though on a restricted scale and in lesser numbers. The Croatian Government publicly deplored these practices and sought to stop them, indicating that they were not a part of the Government's policy.

Croatian soldiers raising the flag on the Knin fortress at a commemoration of the Operation Storm, the Croatian military action which liberated occupied Croatian territories in 1995

On 15 January 1992, Croatia gained diplomatic recognition by the European Economic Community, followed by the United Nations. The war effectively ended in August 1995 with a decisive victory by Croatia; the event is commemorated each year on 5 August as Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders. Following the Croatian victory, about 200,000 Serbs from the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina fled the region and hundreds of mainly elderly Serb civilians were killed in the aftermath of the military operation, often in revenge attacks. There were instances of their property being looted, seized or burned down. Approximately half have returned since then. Their homes were subsequently settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The remaining occupied areas were restored to Croatia following the Erdut Agreement of November 1995, concluding with the UNTAES mission in January 1998. Most sources number the war deaths at around 20,000.

After the end of the war, Croatia faced the challenges of post-war reconstruction, the return of refugees, establishing democracy, protecting human rights, and general social and economic development.

The 2000s were characterized by democratization, economic growth, structural and social reforms, and problems such as unemployment, corruption, and the inefficiency of public administration. In November 2000 and March 2001, the Parliament amended the Constitution, first adopted on 22 December 1990, changing its bicameral structure back into its historic unicameral form and reducing presidential powers.

Croatia joined the Partnership for Peace on 25 May 2000 and became a member of the World Trade Organization on 30 November 2000. On 29 October 2001, Croatia signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, submitted a formal application for the EU membership in 2003, was given the status of a candidate country in 2004, and began accession negotiations in 2005. Although the Croatian economy had enjoyed a significant boom in the early 2000s, the financial crisis in 2008 forced the government to cut spending, thus provoking a public outcry.

Croatia served on the United Nations Security Council in the 2008–2009 term for the first time, assuming the non-permanent seat in December 2008. On 1 April 2009, Croatia joined NATO.

Croatia became the 28th EU member country on 1 July 2013.

A wave of anti-government protests in 2011 reflected a general dissatisfaction with the current political and economic situation. The protests brought together diverse political persuasions in response to recent government corruption scandals and called for early elections. On 28 October 2011 MPs voted to dissolve Parliament and the protests gradually subsided. President Ivo Josipović agreed to a dissolution of Sabor on Monday, 31 October and scheduled new elections for Sunday 4 December 2011.

On 30 June 2011, Croatia successfully completed EU accession negotiations. The country signed the Accession Treaty on 9 December 2011 and held a referendum on 22 January 2012, where Croatian citizens voted in favor of an EU membership. Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013.

Croatia was affected by the 2015 European migrant crisis when Hungary's closure of borders with Serbia pushed over 700,000 refugees and migrants to pass through Croatia on their way to other EU countries.

On 19 October 2016, Andrej Plenković began serving as the current Croatian Prime Minister. The most recent presidential elections, held on 5 January 2020, elected Zoran Milanović as president.

On 25 January 2022, the OECD Council decided to open accession negotiations with Croatia. Throughout the accession process, Croatia was to implement numerous reforms that will advance all spheres of activity – from public services and the justice system to education, transport, finance, health, and trade. In line with the OECD Accession Roadmap from June 2022, Croatia will undergo technical reviews by 25 OECD committees and is so far progressing at a faster pace than expected. Full membership is expected in 2025 and is the last big foreign policy goal Croatia still has to achieve.

On 1 January 2023, Croatia adopted the euro as its official currency, replacing the kuna, and became the 20th Eurozone member. On the same day, Croatia became the 27th member of the border-free Schengen Area, thus marking its full EU integration.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Croatia
Satellite image of Croatia

Croatia is situated in Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Hungary is to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast and Slovenia to the northwest. It lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 47° N and longitudes 13° and 20° E. Part of the territory in the extreme south surrounding Dubrovnik is a practical exclave connected to the rest of the mainland by territorial waters, but separated on land by a short coastline strip belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina around Neum. The Pelješac Bridge connects the exclave with mainland Croatia.

Telašćica Nature Park
Tourist cruise on the Danube river, eastern Slavonia
Stiniva Bay beach on island of Vis

The territory covers 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles), consisting of 56,414 square kilometres (21,782 square miles) of land and 128 square kilometres (49 square miles) of water. It is the world's 127th largest country. Elevation ranges from the mountains of the Dinaric Alps with the highest point of the Dinara peak at 1,831 metres (6,007 feet) near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south to the shore of the Adriatic Sea which makes up its entire southwest border. Insular Croatia consists of over a thousand islands and islets varying in size, 48 of which are permanently inhabited. The largest islands are Cres and Krk, each of them having an area of around 405 square kilometres (156 square miles).

The hilly northern parts of Hrvatsko Zagorje and the flat plains of Slavonia in the east which is part of the Pannonian Basin are traversed by major rivers such as Danube, Drava, Kupa, and the Sava. The Danube, Europe's second longest river, runs through the city of Vukovar in the extreme east and forms part of the border with Vojvodina. The central and southern regions near the Adriatic coastline and islands consist of low mountains and forested highlands. Natural resources found in quantities significant enough for production include oil, coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, and hydropower. Karst topography makes up about half of Croatia and is especially prominent in the Dinaric Alps. Croatia hosts deep caves, 49 of which are deeper than 250 m (820.21 ft), 14 deeper than 500 m (1,640.42 ft) and three deeper than 1,000 m (3,280.84 ft). Croatia's most famous lakes are the Plitvice lakes, a system of 16 lakes with waterfalls connecting them over dolomite and limestone cascades. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from turquoise to mint green, grey or blue.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification map of Croatia

Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy continental climate as defined by the Köppen climate classification. Mean monthly temperature ranges between −3 °C (27 °F) in January and 18 °C (64 °F) in July. The coldest parts of the country are Lika and Gorski Kotar featuring a snowy, forested climate at elevations above 1,200 metres (3,900 feet). The warmest areas are at the Adriatic coast and especially in its immediate hinterland characterised by Mediterranean climate, as the sea moderates temperature highs. Consequently, temperature peaks are more pronounced in continental areas.

The lowest temperature of −35.5 °C (−31.9 °F) was recorded on 3 February 1919 in Čakovec, and the highest temperature of 42.8 °C (109.0 °F) was recorded on 4 August 1981 in Ploče.

Mean annual precipitation ranges between 600 millimetres (24 inches) and 3,500 millimetres (140 inches) depending on geographic region and climate type. The least precipitation is recorded in the outer islands (Biševo, Lastovo, Svetac, Vis) and the eastern parts of Slavonia. However, in the latter case, rain occurs mostly during the growing season. The maximum precipitation levels are observed in the Dinaric Alps, in the Gorski Kotar peaks of Risnjak and Snježnik.

Prevailing winds in the interior are light to moderate northeast or southwest, and in the coastal area, prevailing winds are determined by local features. Higher wind velocities are more often recorded in cooler months along the coast, generally as the cool northeasterly bura or less frequently as the warm southerly jugo. The sunniest parts are the outer islands, Hvar and Korčula, where more than 2700 hours of sunshine are recorded per year, followed by the middle and southern Adriatic Sea area in general, and northern Adriatic coast, all with more than 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

Biodiversity

Main article: Protected areas of Croatia Further information: Register of Protected Natural Values of Croatia and Natural and Cultural Heritage of Croatia
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Landscapes of Motovun in Istrian peninsula
Heart-shaped island of Galešnjak

Croatia can be subdivided into ecoregions based on climate and geomorphology. The country is one of the richest in Europe in terms of biodiversity. Croatia has four types of biogeographical regions—the Mediterranean along the coast and in its immediate hinterland, Alpine in most of Lika and Gorski Kotar, Pannonian along Drava and Danube, and Continental in the remaining areas. The most significant are karst habitats which include submerged karst, such as Zrmanja and Krka canyons and tufa barriers, as well as underground habitats. The country contains three ecoregions: Dinaric Mountains mixed forests, Pannonian mixed forests, and Illyrian deciduous forests.

The karst geology harbours approximately 7,000 caves and pits, some of which are the habitat of the only known aquatic cave vertebrate—the olm. Forests are abundant, covering 2,490,000 hectares (6,200,000 acres) or 44% of Croatian land area. Other habitat types include wetlands, grasslands, bogs, fens, scrub habitats, coastal and marine habitats.

In terms of phytogeography, Croatia is a part of the Boreal Kingdom and is a part of Illyrian and Central European provinces of the Circumboreal Region and the Adriatic province of the Mediterranean Region. The World Wide Fund for Nature divides Croatia between three ecoregions—Pannonian mixed forests, Dinaric Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian deciduous forests.

Croatia hosts 37,000 known plant and animal species, but their actual number is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000. More than a thousand species are endemic, especially in Velebit and Biokovo mountains, Adriatic islands and karst rivers. Legislation protects 1,131 species. The most serious threat is habitat loss and degradation. A further problem is presented by invasive alien species, especially Caulerpa taxifolia algae. Croatia had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.92/10, ranking it 113th of 172 countries.

Invasive algae are regularly monitored and removed to protect benthic habitat. Indigenous cultivated plant strains and domesticated animal breeds are numerous. They include five breeds of horses, five of cattle, eight of sheep, two of pigs, and one poultry. Indigenous breeds include nine that are endangered or critically endangered. Croatia has 444 protected areas, encompassing 9% of the country. Those include eight national parks, two strict reserves, and ten nature parks. The most famous protected area and the oldest national park in Croatia is Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Velebit Nature Park is a part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. The strict and special reserves, as well as the national and nature parks, are managed and protected by the central government, while other protected areas are managed by counties. In 2005, the National Ecological Network was set up, as the first step in the preparation of the EU accession and joining of the Natura 2000 network.

Governance

Further information: Politics of Croatia and Human rights in Croatia Zoran Milanović President
Zoran MilanovićAndrej Plenković Prime Minister
Andrej Plenković

The Republic of Croatia is a unitary, constitutional state using a parliamentary system. Government powers in Croatia are legislative, executive, and judiciary powers. The president of the republic (Croatian: Predsjednik Republike) is the head of state, directly elected to a five-year term and is limited by the Constitution to two terms. In addition to serving as commander in chief of the armed forces, the president has the procedural duty of appointing the prime minister with the parliament and has some influence on foreign policy.

The Government is headed by the prime minister, who has four deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in charge of particular sectors. As the executive branch, it is responsible for proposing legislation and a budget, enforcing the laws, and guiding foreign and internal policies. The Government is seated at Banski dvori in Zagreb.

Law and judicial system

Further information: Law of Croatia Croatian Parliament (Sabor) in ZagrebBanski dvori in Zagreb, seat of the Government of Croatia

A unicameral parliament (Sabor) holds legislative power. The number of Sabor members can vary from 100 to 160. They are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Legislative sessions take place from 15 January to 15 July, and from 15 September to 15 December annually. The two largest political parties in Croatia are the Croatian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Croatia.

Croatia has a civil law legal system in which law arises primarily from written statutes, with judges serving as implementers and not creators of law. Its development was largely influenced by German and Austrian legal systems. Croatian law is divided into two principal areas—private and public law. Before EU accession negotiations were completed, Croatian legislation had been fully harmonised with the Community acquis.

The main national courts are the Constitutional Court, which oversees violations of the Constitution, and the Supreme Court, which is the highest court of appeal. Administrative, Commercial, County, Misdemeanor, and Municipal courts handle cases in their respective domains. Cases falling within judicial jurisdiction are in the first instance decided by a single professional judge, while appeals are deliberated in mixed tribunals of professional judges. Lay magistrates also participate in trials. The State's Attorney Office is the judicial body constituted of public prosecutors empowered to instigate prosecution of perpetrators of offences.

Law enforcement agencies are organised under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior which consist primarily of the national police force. Croatia's security service is the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA).

Foreign relations

Main articles: Foreign relations of Croatia and Croatia and the euro

Croatia has established diplomatic relations with 194 countries. supporting 57 embassies, 30 consulates and eight permanent diplomatic missions. 56 foreign embassies and 67 consulates operate in the country in addition to offices of international organisations such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and UNICEF.

President Zoran Milanović at the NATO summit on 11 July 2023, Vilnius, Lithuania

As of 2019, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration employed 1,381 personnel and expended 765.295 million kunas (€101.17 million). Stated aims of Croatian foreign policy include enhancing relations with neighbouring countries, developing international co-operation and promotion of the Croatian economy and Croatia itself.

Croatia is a member of the European Union. As of 2021, Croatia had unsolved border issues with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Croatia is a member of NATO. On 1 January 2023, Croatia simultaneously joined both the Schengen Area and the Eurozone, having previously joined the ERM II on 10 July 2020.

Croatian diaspora

Main article: Croatian diaspora

The Croatian diaspora consists of communities of ethnic Croats and Croatian citizens living outside Croatia. Croatia maintains intensive contacts with Croatian communities abroad (e.g., administrative and financial support of cultural, sports activities, and economic initiatives). Croatia actively maintain foreign relations to strengthen and guarantee the rights of the Croatian minority in various host countries.

Military

Main article: Armed Forces of Croatia Croatian Dassault Rafale fighter, 191 Squadron of the Croatian Air Force.2nd Mechanized Battalion largest of two mechanized infantry battalions within the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade (GOMBR) of the Croatian Army.

The Croatian Armed Forces (CAF) consist of the Air Force, Army, and Navy branches in addition to the Education and Training Command and Support Command. The CAF is headed by the General Staff, which reports to the defence minister, who in turn reports to the president. According to the constitution, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. In case of immediate threat during wartime, he issues orders directly to the General Staff.

Following the 1991–95 war, defence spending and CAF size began a constant decline. As of 2019, military spending was an estimated 1.68% of the country's GDP, 67th globally. In 2005 the budget fell below the NATO-required 2% of GDP, down from the record high of 11.1% in 1994. Traditionally relying on conscripts, the CAF went through a period of reforms focused on downsizing, restructuring and professionalisation in the years before accession to NATO in April 2009. According to a presidential decree issued in 2006, the CAF employed around 18,100 active duty military personnel, 3,000 civilians and 2,000 voluntary conscripts between 18 and 30 years old in peacetime.

Until 2008 military service was obligatory for men at age 18 and conscripts served six-month tours of duty, reduced in 2001 from the earlier scheme of nine months. Conscientious objectors could instead opt for eight months of civilian service. Compulsory conscription was abolished in January 2008, but is set to be reintroduced in January 2025 with two months of active duty. The decision was influenced by the rising tensions in Europe and the region, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As of May 2019, the Croatian military had 72 members stationed in foreign countries as part of United Nations-led international peacekeeping forces. As of 2019, 323 troops served the NATO-led ISAF force in Afghanistan. Another 156 served with KFOR in Kosovo.

Croatia has a military-industrial sector that exported around 493 million kunas (€65,176 million) worth of military equipment in 2020. Croatian-made weapons and vehicles used by CAF include the standard sidearm HS2000 manufactured by HS Produkt and the M-84D battle tank designed by the Đuro Đaković factory. Uniforms and helmets worn by CAF soldiers are locally produced and marketed to other countries.

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Croatia is the 15th most peaceful country in the world.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Counties of Croatia Further information: NUTS of Croatia Map of Croatian counties and county capitals. Zagreb is capital of the Zagreb County enveloping the city of ZagrebPožegaPožegaViroviticaViroviticaBjelovarBjelovarKoprivnicaKoprivnicaČakovecČakovecVaraždinVaraždinKrapinaKrapinaPazinPazinRijekaRijekaZagrebZagrebOsijekOsijekVukovarVukovarSlavonski BrodSlavonski BrodKarlovacKarlovacDubrovnikDubrovnikSplitSplitŠibenikŠibenikZadarZadarSisakSisakGospićGospićclass=notpageimage| Counties of Croatia


Croatia was first divided into counties in the Middle Ages. The divisions changed over time to reflect losses of territory to Ottoman conquest and subsequent liberation of the same territory, changes of the political status of Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, and Istria. The traditional division of the country into counties was abolished in the 1920s when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the subsequent Kingdom of Yugoslavia introduced oblasts and banovinas respectively.

Communist-ruled Croatia, as a constituent part of post-World War II Yugoslavia, abolished earlier divisions and introduced municipalities, subdividing Croatia into approximately one hundred municipalities. Counties were reintroduced in 1992 legislation, significantly altered in terms of territory relative to the pre-1920s subdivisions. In 1918, the Transleithanian part was divided into eight counties with their seats in Bjelovar, Gospić, Ogulin, Osijek, Požega, Varaždin, Vukovar, and Zagreb.

Varaždin, capital of Croatia between 1767 and 1776, is the seat of Varaždin county; Pictured: Old Town fortress, one of 15 Croatia's sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list

As of 1992, Croatia is divided into 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb, the latter having the dual authority and legal status of a county and a city. County borders changed in some instances, last revised in 2006. The counties subdivide into 127 cities and 429 municipalities. Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) division is performed in several tiers. NUTS 1 level considers the entire country in a single unit; three NUTS 2 regions come below that. Those are Northwest Croatia, Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia, and Adriatic Croatia. The latter encompasses the counties along the Adriatic coast. Northwest Croatia includes Koprivnica-Križevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Međimurje, Varaždin, the city of Zagreb, and Zagreb counties and the Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia includes the remaining areas—Bjelovar-Bilogora, Brod-Posavina, Karlovac, Osijek-Baranja, Požega-Slavonia, Sisak-Moslavina, Virovitica-Podravina, and Vukovar-Syrmia counties. Individual counties and the city of Zagreb also represent NUTS 3 level subdivision units in Croatia. The NUTS local administrative unit (LAU) divisions are two-tiered. LAU 1 divisions match the counties and the city of Zagreb in effect making those the same as NUTS 3 units, while LAU 2 subdivisions correspond to cities and municipalities.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Croatia
On January 1, 2023, Croatia joined the eurozone, replacing Croatian kuna with euro as its national currency.
Rimac Automobili were designed and made in Croatia

Croatia's economy qualifies as high-income and developed. International Monetary Fund data projects that Croatian nominal GDP will reach $88.08 Billion in 2024, or $22,966 per capita. Purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP will increase to $175.269 Billion, or $45,702 per capita. According to Eurostat, Croatian GDP per capita in PPS stood at 76% of the EU average in 2023, with real GDP growth for the year being 2.8%. The average net salary of a Croatian worker in April 2024 was €1,326 per month, the average gross salary roughly €1,834 per month. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.6% in that month, down from 7.2% in July 2019 and 9.6% in December 2018. The unemployment rate between 1996 and 2018 averaged 17.38%, reaching an all-time high of 23.60% in January 2002 and a record low of 8.40% in September 2018. In 2017, economic output was dominated by the service sector — accounting for 70.1% of GDP — followed by the industrial sector with 26.2% and agriculture accounting for 3.7%.

According to 2017 data, 1.9% of the workforce were employed in agriculture, 27.3% by industry and 70.8% in services. Shipbuilding, food processing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, biochemical, and timber industry dominate the industrial sector. In 2018, Croatian exports were valued at 108 Billion kunas (€14.61 Billion) with 176 Billion kunas (€23.82 Billion) worth of imports. Croatia's largest trading partner was the rest of the European Union, led by Germany, Italy, and Slovenia. According to Eurostat, Croatia has the highest quantity of water resources per capita in the EU (30,000 m).

As a result of the war, economic infrastructure sustained massive damage, particularly the tourism industry. From 1989 to 1993, the GDP fell 40.5%. The Croatian state still controls significant economic sectors, with government expenditures accounting for 40% of GDP. A particular concern is a backlogged judiciary system, with inefficient public administration and corruption, upending land ownership. In the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index, published by Transparency International, the country ranked 57th. At the end of June 2020, the national debt stood at 85.3% of GDP.

Tourism

Main articles: Tourism in Croatia and Croatian National Tourist Board
Dubrovnik is Croatia's most visited and most popular destination.
Zlatni Rat beach on the Island of Brač is one of the foremost spots of tourism in Croatia.
Rovinj is one of the most visited cities in Istria, alongside Pula and Poreč.

Tourism dominates the Croatian service sector and accounts for up to 20% of GDP. Tourism income for 2019 was estimated to be €10.5 billion. Its positive effects are felt throughout the economy, increasing retail business, and increasing seasonal employment. The industry is counted as an export business because foreign visitor spending significantly reduces the country's trade imbalance.

The tourist industry has rapidly grown, recording a sharp rise in tourist numbers since independence, attracting more than 17 million visitors each year (as of 2017). Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, United Kingdom, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, France, Netherlands, Slovakia and Croatia itself provide the most visitors. Tourist stays averaged 4.7 days in 2019.

Much of the tourist industry is concentrated along the coast. Opatija was the first holiday resort. It first became popular in the middle of the 19th century. By the 1890s, it had become one of the largest European health resorts. Resorts sprang up along the coast and islands, offering services catering to mass tourism and various niche markets. The most significant are nautical tourism, supported by marinas with more than 16 thousand berths, cultural tourism relying on the appeal of medieval coastal cities and cultural events taking place during the summer. Inland areas offer agrotourism, mountain resorts, and spas. Zagreb is a significant destination, rivalling major coastal cities and resorts.

Croatia has unpolluted marine areas with nature reserves and 116 Blue Flag beaches. Croatia was ranked first in Europe for swimming water quality in 2022 by European Environmental Agency.

Croatia ranked as the 23rd-most popular tourist destination in the world according to the World Tourism Organization in 2019. About 15% of these visitors, or over one million per year, participate in naturism, for which Croatia is famous. It was the first European country to develop commercial naturist resorts. In 2023, luggage storage company Bounce gave Croatia the highest solo travel index in the world (7.58), while a joint Pinterest and Zola wedding trends report from 2023 put Croatia among the most popular honeymoon destinations.

Infrastructure

Transport

See also: Transport in Croatia and Energy in Croatia
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2020)
Croatia Airlines is the national airline of Croatia and was formed in 1989.HŽ series 6112 manufactured by the Croatian company Končar Group, operated by Croatian Railways

The motorway network was largely built in the late 1990s and the 2000s. As of December 2020, Croatia had completed 1,313.8 kilometres (816.4 miles) of motorways, connecting Zagreb to other regions and following various European routes and four Pan-European corridors. The busiest motorways are the A1, connecting Zagreb to Split and the A3, passing east to west through northwest Croatia and Slavonia.

A widespread network of state roads in Croatia acts as motorway feeder roads while connecting major settlements. The high quality and safety levels of the Croatian motorway network were tested and confirmed by EuroTAP and EuroTest programmes.

Croatia has an extensive rail network spanning 2,604 kilometres (1,618 miles), including 984 kilometres (611 miles) of electrified railways and 254 kilometres (158 miles) of double track railways (as of 2017). The most significant railways in Croatia are within the Pan-European transport corridors Vb and X connecting Rijeka to Budapest and Ljubljana to Belgrade, both via Zagreb. Croatian Railways operates all rail services.

Pelješac Bridge connects the peninsula of Pelješac and through it the southernmost part, including Dubrovnik, with the Croatian mainland.

The construction of 2.4-kilometre-long Pelješac Bridge, the biggest infrastructure project in Croatia connects the two halves of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and shortens the route from the West to the Pelješac peninsula and the islands of Korčula and Lastovo by more than 32 km. The construction of the Pelješac Bridge started in July 2018 after Croatian road operator Hrvatske ceste (HC) signed a 2.08 billion kuna deal for the works with a Chinese consortium led by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The project is co-financed by the European Union with 357 million euro. The construction was completed in July 2022.

There are international airports in Dubrovnik, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Split, Zadar, and Zagreb. The largest and busiest is Franjo Tuđman Airport in Zagreb. As of January 2011, Croatia complies with International Civil Aviation Organization aviation safety standards and the Federal Aviation Administration upgraded it to Category 1 rating.

Ports

The busiest cargo seaport is the Port of Rijeka. The busiest passenger ports are Split and Zadar. Many minor ports serve ferries connecting numerous islands and coastal cities with ferry lines to several cities in Italy. The largest river port is Vukovar, located on the Danube, representing the nation's outlet to the Pan-European transport corridor VII.

Energy

See also: Energy in Croatia
Poštak Wind Farm near Gračac, Zadar County.

610 kilometres (380 miles) of crude oil pipelines serve Croatia, connecting the Rijeka oil terminal with refineries in Rijeka and Sisak, and several transhipment terminals. The system has a capacity of 20 million tonnes per year. The natural gas transportation system comprises 2,113 kilometres (1,313 miles) of trunk and regional pipelines, and more than 300 associated structures, connecting production rigs, the Okoli natural gas storage facility, 27 end-users and 37 distribution systems. Croatia also plays an important role in regional energy security. The floating liquefied natural gas import terminal off Krk island LNG Hrvatska commenced operations on January 1, 2021, positioning Croatia as a regional energy leader and contributing to diversification of Europe's energy supply.

In 2010, Croatian energy production covered 85% of nationwide natural gas and 19% of oil demand. In 2016, Croatia's primary energy production involved natural gas (24.8%), hydropower (28.3%), crude oil (13.6%), fuelwood (27.6%), and heat pumps and other renewable energy sources (5.7%). In 2017, net total electrical power production reached 11,543 GWh, while it imported 12,157 GWh or about 40% of its electric power energy needs.

Krško Nuclear Power Plant (Slovenia) supplies a large part of Croatian imports. 50% is owned by Hrvatska elektroprivreda, providing 15% of Croatia's electricity.

Demographics

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2022)
Main articles: Demographics of Croatia and Croats See also: List of cities and towns in Croatia
Ethnic composition (2021)
Croats 91.6%
Serbs 3.2%
Other 5.2%
2021 Croatian Census

With an estimated population of 3.87 million in 2021, Croatia ranks 127th by population in the world. Its 2018 population density was 72.9 inhabitants per square kilometre, making Croatia one of the more sparsely populated European countries. The overall life expectancy in Croatia at birth was 76.3 years in 2018.

The total fertility rate of 1.41 children per mother, is one of the lowest in the world, far below the replacement rate of 2.1; it remains considerably below the high of 6.18 children rate in 1885. Croatia's death rate has continuously exceeded its birth rate since 1998. Croatia subsequently has one of the world's oldest populations, with an average age of 43.3 years. The population rose steadily from 2.1 million in 1857 until 1991, when it peaked at 4.7 million, with the exceptions of censuses taken in 1921 and 1948, i.e., following the world wars. The natural growth rate is negative with the demographic transition completed in the 1970s. In recent years, the Croatian government has been pressured to increase permit quotas for foreign workers, reaching an all-time high of 68.100 in 2019. In accordance with its immigration policy, Croatia is trying to entice emigrants to return. From 2008 to 2018, Croatia's population dropped by 10%.

The population decrease was greater a result of war for independence. The war displaced large numbers of the population and emigration increased. In 1991, in predominantly occupied areas, more than 400,000 Croats were either removed from their homes by Serb forces or fled the violence. During the war's final days, about 150–200,000 Serbs fled before the arrival of Croatian forces during Operation Storm. After the war, the number of displaced persons fell to about 250,000. The Croatian government cared for displaced persons via the social security system and the Office of Displaced Persons and Refugees. Most of the territories abandoned during the war were settled by Croat refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly from north-western Bosnia, while some displaced people returned to their homes.

Religious believers according to the 2011 censusMap of the Shtokavian, Chakavian and Kajkavian dialects in Croatia by municipality2011 Croatian population density by county in persons per km

According to the 2013 United Nations report, 17.6% of Croatia's population were immigrants. According to the 2021 census, the majority of inhabitants are Croats (91.6%), followed by Serbs (3.2%), Bosniaks (0.62%), Roma (0.46%), Albanians (0.36%), Italians (0.36%), Hungarians (0.27%), Czechs (0.20%), Slovenes (0.20%), Slovaks (0.10%), Macedonians (0.09%), Germans (0.09%), Montenegrins (0.08%), and others (1.56%). Approximately 4 million Croats live abroad.

  Largest cities or towns in Croatia
(2011 Census by Croatian Bureau of Statistics)
Rank Name Counties Pop.
Zagreb
Zagreb
Split
Split
1 Zagreb Zagreb 790,017 Rijeka
Rijeka
Osijek
Osijek
2 Split Split-Dalmatia 178,102
3 Rijeka Primorje-Gorski Kotar 128,624
4 Osijek Osijek-Baranja 108,048
5 Zadar Zadar 75,062
6 Pula Istria 57,460
7 Slavonski Brod Brod-Posavina 59,141
8 Karlovac Karlovac 55,705
9 Varaždin Varaždin 46,946
10 Šibenik Šibenik-Knin 46,332

Religion

Main article: Religion in Croatia Further information: List of cathedrals in Croatia and Catholic Church in Croatia

Croatia has no official religion. Freedom of religion is a Constitutional right that protects all religious communities as equal before the law and considers them separated from the state.

Šibenik Cathedral, since 2000 on the UNESCO World Heritage List

According to the 2011 census, 91.36% of Croatians identify as Christian; of these, Catholics make up the largest group, accounting for 86.28% of the population, after which follows Eastern Orthodoxy (4.44%), Protestantism (0.34%), and other Christians (0.30%). The largest religion after Christianity is Islam (1.47%). 4.57% of the population describe itself as non-religious. In the Eurostat Eurobarometer Poll of 2010, 69% of the population responded that "they believe there is a God". In a 2009 Gallup poll, 70% answered yes to the question "Is religion an important part of your daily life?" Yet, only 24% of the population attends religious services regularly.

Languages

Main articles: Croatian language, Languages of Croatia, Minority languages of Croatia, and Bunjevac dialect

Croatian is the official language of the Republic of Croatia. Minority languages are in official use in local government units where more than a third of the population consists of national minorities or where local enabling legislation applies. Those languages are Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, and Slovak. The following minority languages are also recognised: Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, German, Hebrew, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Polish, Romanian, Istro-Romanian, Romani, Russian, Rusyn, Slovene, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

According to the 2011 Census, 95.6% of citizens declared Croatian as their native language, 1.2% declared Serbian as their native language, while no other language reaches more than 0.5%. Croatian is a member of the South Slavic languages and is written using the Latin alphabet. There are three major dialects spoken on the territory of Croatia, with standard Croatian based on the Shtokavian dialect. The Chakavian and Kajkavian dialects are distinguished from Shtokavian by their lexicon, phonology and syntax.

A 2011 survey revealed that 78% of Croats claim knowledge of at least one foreign language. According to a 2005 EC survey, 49% of Croats speak English as the second language, 34% speak German, 14% speak Italian, 10% speak French, 4% speak Russian and 2% speak Spanish. However several large municipalities support minority languages. A majority of Slovenes (59%) have some knowledge of Croatian. The country is a part of various language-based international associations, most notably the European Union Language Association.

Education

Main article: Education in Croatia
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2020)
National and University LibraryUniversity of Zagreb is the largest Croatian university and the oldest university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe.

Literacy in Croatia stands at 99.2 per cent. Primary education in Croatia starts at the age of six or seven and consists of eight grades. In 2007 a law was passed to increase free, noncompulsory education until 18 years of age. Compulsory education consists of eight grades of elementary school.

Secondary education is provided by gymnasiums and vocational schools. As of 2019, there are 2,103 elementary schools and 738 schools providing various forms of secondary education. Primary and secondary education are also available in languages of recognised minorities in Croatia, where classes are held in Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, German and Slovak languages.

There are 133 elementary and secondary level music and art schools, as well as 83 elementary and 44 secondary schools for disabled children and youth and 11 elementary and 52 secondary schools for adults. Nationwide leaving exams (Croatian: državna matura) were introduced for secondary education students in the school year 2009–2010. It comprises three compulsory subjects (Croatian language, mathematics, and a foreign language) and optional subjects and is a prerequisite for university education. Croatia has eight public universities and two private universities. The University of Zadar, the first university in Croatia, was founded in 1396 and remained active until 1807, when other institutions of higher education took over until the foundation of the renewed University of Zadar in 2002. The University of Zagreb, founded in 1669, is the oldest continuously operating university in Southeast Europe. There are also 15 polytechnics, of which two are private, and 30 higher education institutions, of which 27 are private. In total, there are 131 institutions of higher education in Croatia, attended by more than 160 thousand students.

There are 254 companies, government or education system institutions and non-profit organisations in Croatia pursuing scientific research and development of technology. Combined, they spent around 3 billion kuna (€400 million) gross and employed 11,801 full-time research staff in 2016. Among the scientific institutes operating in Croatia, the largest is the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb is a learned society promoting language, culture, arts and science from its inception in 1866. Croatia was ranked 43rd in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.

The European Investment Bank provided digital infrastructure and equipment to around 150 primary and secondary schools in Croatia. Twenty of these schools got specialised assistance in the form of gear, software, and services to help them integrate the teaching and administrative operations.

Healthcare

Main article: Healthcare in Croatia
University Hospital Centre Zagreb is the largest hospital in Croatia and the teaching hospital of the University of Zagreb.

Croatia has a universal health care system, whose roots can be traced back to the Hungarian-Croatian Parliament Act of 1891, providing a form of mandatory insurance of all factory workers and craftsmen. The population is covered by a basic health insurance plan provided by statute and optional insurance. In 2017, annual healthcare related expenditures reached 22.2 billion kuna (around €3.0 billion). Healthcare expenditures comprise only 0.6% of private health insurance and public spending. In 2017, Croatia spent around 6.6% of its GDP on healthcare. In 2020, Croatia ranked 41st in the world in life expectancy with 76.0 years for men and 82.0 years for women, and it had a low infant mortality rate of 3.4 per 1,000 live births.

There are hundreds of healthcare institutions in Croatia, including 75 hospitals, and 13 clinics with 23,049 beds. The hospitals and clinics care for more than 700 thousand patients per year and employ 6,642 medical doctors, including 4,773 specialists. There is a total of 69,841 health workers. There are 119 emergency units in health centres, responding to more than a million calls. The principal cause of death in 2016 was cardiovascular disease at 39.7% for men and 50.1% for women, followed by tumours, at 32.5% for men and 23.4% for women. In 2016 it was estimated that 37.0% of Croatians are smokers. According to 2016 data, 24.40% of the Croatian adult population is obese.

In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, Croatia is one of 22 countries with a GHI score of less than 5.

Language

Main articles: Croatian language and Bunjevac dialect

Standard Croatian is the official language of the Republic of Croatia, and became the 24th official language of the European Union upon its accession in 2013.

Croatian replaced Latin as the official language of the Croatian government in the 19th century. Following the Vienna Literary Agreement in 1850, the language and its Latin script underwent reforms to create an unified "Croatian or Serbian" or "Serbo-Croatian" standard, which under various names became the official language of Yugoslavia. In SFR Yugoslavia, from 1972 to 1989, the language was constitutionally designated as the "Croatian literary language" and the "Croatian or Serbian language". It was the result of a resistance to and secession from "Serbo-Croatian" in the form of the Declaration on the Status and Name of the Croatian Literary Language as part of the Croatian Spring. Since gaining independence in the early 1990s, the Republic of Croatia constitutionally designates the language as "Croatian language" and regulates it through linguistic prescription. The long-standing aspiration to developing its own expressions, thus enriching itself, as opposed to taking over foreign solutions in the form of loanwords has been described as Croatian linguistic purism.

Croatia introduced in 2021 a new model of linguistic categorisation of Bunjevac dialect (as New-Shtokavian Ikavian dialects of the Shtokavian dialect of the Croatian language) in three sub-branches: Dalmatian (also called Bosnian-Dalmatian), Danubian (also called Bunjevac), and Littoral-Lika. Its speakers largely use the Latin alphabet and are living in parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, different parts of Croatia, southern parts (inc. Budapest) of Hungary as well in the autonomous province Vojvodina of Serbia. The Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics added the Bunjevac dialect to the List of Protected Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia on 8 October 2021.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Croatia Further information: World Heritage Sites in Croatia and Register of Cultural Goods of Croatia
The historic centre of Trogir has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Site since 1997.
Pula Arena, Roman amphitheatre located in Pula, constructed between 27 BC and AD 68.

Because of its geographical position, Croatia represents a blend of four different cultural spheres. It has been a crossroads of influences from western culture and the east since the schism between the Western Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, and also from Central Europe and Mediterranean culture. The Illyrian movement was the most significant period of national cultural history, as the 19th century proved crucial to the emancipation of Croatians and saw unprecedented developments in all fields of art and culture, giving rise to many historical figures.

The Ministry of Culture is tasked with preserving the nation's cultural and natural heritage and overseeing its development. Further activities supporting the development of culture are undertaken at the local government level. The UNESCO's World Heritage List includes ten sites in Croatia and a list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Croatia. The country is also rich with intangible culture and holds 15 of UNESCO's World's intangible culture masterpieces, ranking fourth in the world. A global cultural contribution from Croatia is the necktie, derived from the cravat originally worn by the 17th-century Croatian mercenaries in France.

In 2019, Croatia had 95 professional theatres, 30 professional children's theatres, and 51 amateur theatres visited by more than 2.27 million viewers per year. Professional theatres employ 1,195 artists. There are 42 professional orchestras, ensembles, and choirs, attracting an annual attendance of 297 thousand. There are 75 cinemas with 166 screens and attendance of 5.026 million.

Croatia has 222 museums, visited by more than 2.71 million people in 2016. Furthermore, there are 1,768 libraries, containing 26.8 million volumes, and 19 state archives. The book publishing market is dominated by several major publishers and the industry's centrepiece event—Interliber exhibition held annually at Zagreb Fair.

Arts, literature, and music

Main articles: Croatian art, Architecture of Croatia, Croatian literature, and Croatian music Historical nucleus of Split with the 4th-century Diocletian's Palace was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč, example of early Byzantine architecture, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997

Architecture in Croatia reflects influences of bordering nations. Austrian and Hungarian influence is visible in public spaces and buildings in the north and the central regions, architecture found along coasts of Dalmatia and Istria exhibits Venetian influence. Squares named after culture heroes, parks, and pedestrian-only zones, are features of Croatian towns and cities, especially where large scale Baroque urban planning took place, for instance in Osijek (Tvrđa), Varaždin, and Karlovac. The subsequent influence of the Art Nouveau was reflected in contemporary architecture. The architecture is the Mediterranean with a Venetian and Renaissance influence in major coastal urban areas exemplified in works of Giorgio da Sebenico and Nicolas of Florence such as the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik. The oldest preserved examples of Croatian architecture are the 9th-century churches, with the largest and the most representative among them being Church of St. Donatus in Zadar.

Marko Marulić (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term "psychology". He is the national poet of Croatia.

Besides the architecture encompassing the oldest artworks, there is a history of artists in Croatia reaching the Middle Ages. In that period the stone portal of the Trogir Cathedral was made by Radovan, representing the most important monument of Romanesque sculpture from Medieval Croatia. The Renaissance had the greatest impact on the Adriatic Sea coast since the remainder was embroiled in the Hundred Years' Croatian–Ottoman War. With the waning of the Ottoman Empire, art flourished during the Baroque and Rococo. The 19th and 20th centuries brought affirmation of numerous Croatian artisans, helped by several patrons of the arts such as bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer. Croatian artists of the period achieving renown were Vlaho Bukovac, Ivan Meštrović, and Ivan Generalić.

The Baška tablet is the oldest Glagolitic monument in Croatia. It documents the donation of land gifted by Croatian King Dmitar Zvonimir to the Benedictine monastery of St Lucy.

The Baška tablet, a stone inscribed with the glagolitic alphabet found on the Krk island and dated to c. 1100, is considered to be the oldest surviving prose in Croatian. The beginning of more vigorous development of Croatian literature is marked by the Renaissance and Marko Marulić. Besides Marulić, Renaissance playwright Marin Držić, Baroque poet Ivan Gundulić, Croatian national revival poet Ivan Mažuranić, novelist, playwright, and poet August Šenoa, children's writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, writer and journalist Marija Jurić Zagorka, poet and writer Antun Gustav Matoš, poet Antun Branko Šimić, expressionist and realist writer Miroslav Krleža, poet Tin Ujević and novelist, and short story writer Ivo Andrić are often cited as the greatest figures in Croatian literature.

Croatian music varies from classical operas to modern-day rock. Vatroslav Lisinski created the country's first opera, Love and Malice, in 1846. Ivan Zajc composed more than a thousand pieces of music, including masses and oratorios. Pianist Ivo Pogorelić has performed across the world.

Media

Main articles: Media of Croatia, Cinema of Croatia, Television in Croatia, and List of radio stations in Croatia

In Croatia, the Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech. Croatia ranked 64th in the 2019 Press Freedom Index report compiled by Reporters Without Borders which noted that journalists who investigate corruption, organised crime or war crimes face challenges and that the Government was trying to influence the public broadcaster HRT's editorial policies. In its 2019 Freedom in the World report, the Freedom House classified freedoms of press and speech in Croatia as generally free from political interference and manipulation, noting that journalists still face threats and occasional attacks. The state-owned news agency HINA runs a wire service in Croatian and English on politics, economics, society, and culture.

Radio Zagreb, now a part of Croatian national public broadcasting company, Croatian Radiotelevision, was the first public radio station in Southeast Europe.

As of January 2021, there are thirteen nationwide free-to-air DVB-T television channels, with Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) operating four, RTL Televizija three, and Nova TV operating two channels, and the Croatian Olympic Committee, Kapital Net d.o.o., and Author d.o.o. companies operate the remaining three. Also, there are 21 regional or local DVB-T television channels. The HRT is also broadcasting a satellite TV channel. In 2020, there were 147 radio stations and 27 TV stations in Croatia. Cable television and IPTV networks are gaining ground. Cable television already serves 450 thousand people, around 10% of the total population of the country.

In 2010, 267 newspapers and 2,676 magazines were published in Croatia. The print media market is dominated by the Croatian-owned Hanza Media and Austrian-owned Styria Media Group who publish their flagship dailies Jutarnji list, Večernji list and 24sata. Other influential newspapers are Novi list and Slobodna Dalmacija. In 2020, 24sata was the most widely circulated daily newspaper, followed by Večernji list and Jutarnji list.

Croatia competed in the Eurovision Song Contest as part of Yugoslavia since 1961. The first and only victory Yugoslavia achieved in the competition was accomplished by the Croatian pop band Riva in 1989. Since its debut at the 1993 contest, Croatia won two fourth places at the 1996 and 1999 contests, and one second place at the 2024 contest, marking the country's best result to date as an independent nation.

Film Industry

Main articles: Cinema of Croatia and Television in Croatia

Croatia's film industry is small and heavily subsidised by the government, mainly through grants approved by the Ministry of Culture with films often being co-produced by HRT. Croatian cinema produces between five and ten feature films per year. Pula Film Festival, the national film awards event held annually in Pula, is the most prestigious film event featuring national and international productions. Animafest Zagreb, founded in 1972, is the prestigious annual film festival dedicated to the animated film. The first greatest accomplishment by Croatian filmmakers was achieved by Dušan Vukotić when he won the 1961 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Ersatz (Croatian: Surogat). Croatian film producer Branko Lustig won the Academy Awards for Best Picture for Schindler's List and Gladiator.

Before and since its independence, Croatia has become a popular filming destination amongs international filming productions, and a lot of blockbuster films and TV series have been filmed in Croatia including: Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Robin Hood in Dubrovnik, Speak No Evil and Season of the Witch in Istria, Infinity Pool in Šibenik, Canary Black, Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, Sophie's Choice and Fiddler on the roof in Zagreb, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again on island of Vis, Hercules, The Weekend Away, Bliss in Split, The Peacemaker and many others. Croatia became international filming location due to its biodiversity, landscape that can accommodate every visual requirements and cheaper filming costs. In last 11 years there has been 122 projects for international films in Croatia, and €263 million spent as part of the Filming in Croatia which increased in last years due to high demand for its location.

Cuisine

Main articles: Croatian cuisine and Croatian wine
Zagorski štrukli

Croatian traditional cuisine varies from one region to another. Dalmatia and Istria have culinary influences of Italian and other Mediterranean cuisines which prominently feature various seafood, cooked vegetables and pasta, and condiments such as olive oil and garlic. Austrian, Hungarian, Turkish, and Balkan culinary styles influenced continental cuisine. In that area, meats, freshwater fish, and vegetable dishes are predominant.

There are two distinct wine-producing regions in Croatia. The continental in the northeast of the country, especially Slavonia, produces premium wines, particularly whites. Along the north coast, Istrian and Krk wines are similar to those in neighbouring Italy, while further south in Dalmatia, Mediterranean-style red wines are the norm. Annual production of wine exceeds 72 million litres as of 2017. Croatia was almost exclusively a wine-consuming country up until the late 18th century when a more massive beer production and consumption started. The annual consumption of beer in 2020 was 78.7 litres per capita which placed Croatia in 15th place among the world's countries.

There are 11 restaurants in Croatia with a Michelin star and 89 restaurants bearing some of the Michelin's marks.

Sports

Main articles: Sport in Croatia and Croatia at the Olympics
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2021)
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Croatia national football team came in second at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

There are more than 400,000 active sportspeople in Croatia. In 2006, there were over 277 thousand members of sports associations and nearly 3,600 are chess and contract bridge association members. Association football is the most popular sport. The Croatian Football Federation (Croatian: Hrvatski nogometni savez), with more than 118,000 registered players, is the largest sporting association. The Croatian national football team came in third in 1998 and 2022 and second in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Prva HNL football league attracts the highest average attendance of any professional sports league. In season 2010–11, it attracted 458,746 spectators.

Croatia is one of the most successful water polo nations. National water polo team has won three world championships, Melbourne 2007, Budapest 2017 and Doha 2024.

Croatian athletes competing at international events since Croatian independence in 1991 won 44 Olympic medals, including 15 gold medals. Also, Croatian athletes won 16 gold medals at world championships, including four in athletics at the World Championships in Athletics. Croatia won their first major trophy at the 2003 World Men's Handball Championship. In tennis, they won Davis Cup in 2005 and 2018. Croatia's most successful male players Goran Ivanišević and Marin Čilić have both won Grand Slam titles and have got into the top 3 of the ATP rankings. Ognjen Cvitan won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1981. In waterpolo, they have three world titles. Iva Majoli became the first Croatian female player to win the French Open when she won it in 1997. Croatia hosted several major sports competitions, including the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship, the 2007 World Table Tennis Championships, the 2000 World Rowing Championships, the 1987 Summer Universiade, the 1979 Mediterranean Games, and several European Championships, including the 2000 and 2018 European Men's Handball Championship.

The governing sports authority is the Croatian Olympic Committee (Croatian: Hrvatski olimpijski odbor), founded on 10 September 1991 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 17 January 1992, in time to permit the Croatian athletes to appear at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France representing the newly independent nation for the first time at the Olympic Games.

Technology

In November 1992, the first international connection linking Zagreb and Vienna became operational, making it the first internet in Croatia.

70% of the Croatia's population regularly uses the internet and 55% have been reported to have basic technological skills.

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. In the recognised minority languages of Croatia and the most spoken second languages:
    • Czech: Chorvatská republika
    • German: Republik Kroatien
    • French: République de Croatie
    • Hungarian: Horvát Köztársaság
    • Italian: Repubblica di Croazia
    • Rusyn: Републіка Хорватія
    • Serbian: Република Хрватска
    • Slovak: Chorvátska republika
    • Slovene: Republika Hrvaška
    • Ukrainian: Респу́бліка Хорва́тія
  2. Apart from Croatian, counties have official regional languages that are used for official government business and commercially. The most notable minority languages in Croatia are Italian, Serbian and Hungarian. Other recognized minority languages include: Slovenian, German, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian and Romani.
  3. The writing system of Croatia is legally protected by the Croatian Parliament.
  4. IPA transcription of "Republika Hrvatska", pronounced [ˈrepǔblika ˈxř̩ʋaːtskaː].

Citations

  1. "Share of Croats in Croatia increases as census results published". 22 September 2022.
  2. "POPULATION ESTIMATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2023". podaci.dzs.hr. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Population by Towns/Municipalities" (xlsx). Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
  4. ^ "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2024 Edition. (Croatia)". www.imf.org. International Monetary Fund. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  5. "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income – EU-SILC survey". ec.europa.eu. Eurostat. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  6. "Human Development Report 2023/2024" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. "Hrvatski sabor – Povijest". Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  8. "IMF World Economic Outlook". Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  9. "Croatia tourist arrivals 2022". Statista. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  10. "International tourism, The World Bank". Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  11. "Condé Nast Traveler, Top Countries in the World". Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  12. ^ "U.S. Department of State factsheet". Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  13. Gluhak, Alemko (1993). Hrvatski etimološki rječnik [Croatian Etymological Dictionary] (in Croatian). August Cesarec. ISBN 953-162-000-8.
  14. Matasović, Ranko (2019), "Ime Hrvata" [The Name of Croats], Jezik (Croatian Philological Society) (in Croatian), 66 (3), Zagreb: 81–97
  15. Fučić, Branko (September 1971). "Najstariji hrvatski glagoljski natpisi" [The Oldest Croatian Glagolitic Inscriptions]. Slovo (in Croatian). 21. Old Church Slavonic Institute: 227–254. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  16. "Kulturna kronika: Dvanaest hrvatskih stoljeća". Vijenac (in Croatian) (291). Zagreb: Matica hrvatska. 28 April 2005. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  17. ^ Mužić 2007, pp. 195–198.
  18. Mužić 2007, p. 27.
  19. Mužić 2007, p. 171.
  20. Salopek, Igor (December 2010). "Krapina Neanderthal Museum as a Well of Medical Information". Acta medico-historica Adriatica. 8 (2). Hrvatsko znanstveno društvo za povijest zdravstvene kulture: 197–202. ISSN 1334-4366. PMID 21682056. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  21. Težak-Gregl, Tihomila (April 2008). "Study of the Neolithic and Eneolithic as reflected in articles published over the 50 years of the journal Opuscula archaeologica". Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda. 30 (1). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department: 93–122. ISSN 0473-0992. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  22. Balen, Jacqueline (December 2005). "The Kostolac horizon at Vučedol". Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda. 29 (1). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department: 25–40. ISSN 0473-0992. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  23. Težak-Gregl, Tihomila (December 2003). "Prilog poznavanju neolitičkih obrednih predmeta u neolitiku sjeverne Hrvatske" [A Contribution to Understanding Neolithic Ritual Objects in the Northern Croatia Neolithic]. Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda (in Croatian). 27 (1). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department: 43–48. ISSN 0473-0992. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  24. Potrebica, Hrvoje; Dizdar, Marko (July 2002). "Prilog poznavanju naseljenosti Vinkovaca i okolice u starijem željeznom dobu" [A Contribution to Understanding Continuous Habitation of Vinkovci and its Surroundings in the Early Iron Age]. Prilozi Instituta Za Arheologiju U Zagrebu (in Croatian). 19 (1). Institut za arheologiju: 79–100. ISSN 1330-0644. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  25. Wilkes, John (1995). The Illyrians. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-631-19807-9. Retrieved 15 October 2011. ... in the early history of the colony settled in 385 BC on the island Pharos (Hvar) from the Aegean island Paros, famed for its marble. In traditional fashion they accepted the guidance of an oracle, ...
  26. Wilkes, John (1995). The Illyrians. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-631-19807-9. Retrieved 3 April 2012. The third Greek colony known in this central sector of the Dalmatian coast was Issa, on the north side of the island Vis.
  27. Gibbon, Edward; John Bagnell Bury; Boorstin, Daniel J. (1995). The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. New York: Modern Library. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-679-60148-7. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  28. J. B. Bury (1923). History of the later Roman empire from the death of Theodosius I. to the death of Justinian. Macmillan Publishers. p. 408. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  29. Andrew Archibald Paton (1861). Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic. Trübner. pp. 218–219. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  30. Heršak, Emil; Nikšić, Boris (September 2007). "Hrvatska etnogeneza: pregled komponentnih etapa i interpretacija (s naglaskom na euroazijske/nomadske sadržaje)" [Croatian Ethnogenesis: A Review of Component Stages and Interpretations (with Emphasis on Eurasian/Nomadic Elements)]. Migracijske i Etničke Teme (in Croatian). 23 (3). Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies: 251–268. ISSN 1333-2546.
  31. Katičić, Radoslav (1989). "Ivan Mužić o podrijetlu Hrvata". Starohrvatska Prosvjeta (in Croatian). III (19): 243–270. ISSN 0351-4536.
  32. Goldstein 1999, p. 13.
  33. Birin, Ante (January 2015). "Pregled političke povijesti Hrvata u ranome srednjem vijeku". Nova Zraka U Europskom Svjetlu – Hrvatske Zemlje U Ranome Srednjem Vijeku (Oko 550 – Oko 1150) (in Croatian): 40 – via Academia.edu.
  34. Bilogrivić, Goran (2018). "Carolingian Weapons and the Problem of Croat Migration and Ethnogenesis". In Danijel Dzino; Ante Milošević; Trpimir Vedriš (eds.). Migration, Integration and Connectivity on the Southeastern Frontier of the Carolingian Empire. Brill. pp. 86–99. doi:10.1163/9789004380134_007. ISBN 978-90-04-38013-4. S2CID 165889390.
  35. Dzino, Danijel (2010). Becoming Slav, Becoming Croat: Identity Transformations in Post-Roman and Early Medieval Dalmatia. BRILL. pp. 175, 179–182. ISBN 9789004186460.
  36. Belošević, Janko (2000). "Razvoj i osnovne značajke starohrvatskih grobalja horizonta 7.-9. stoljeća na povijesnim prostorima Hrvata". Radovi (in Croatian). 39 (26): 71–97. doi:10.15291/radovipov.2231. ISSN 0352-6712.
  37. Fabijanić, Tomislav (2013). "14C date from early Christian basilica gemina in Podvršje (Croatia) in the context of Slavic settlement on the eastern Adriatic coast". The early Slavic settlement of Central Europe in the light of new dating evidence. Wroclaw: Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. pp. 251–260. ISBN 978-83-63760-10-6.
  38. Bekić, Luka (2016). Rani srednji vijek između Panonije i Jadrana: ranoslavenski keramički i ostali arheološki nalazi od 6. do 8. stoljeća [Early medieval between Pannonia and the Adriatic: early Slavic ceramic and other archaeological finds from the sixth to eighth century] (in Croatian and English). Pula: Arheološki muzej Istre. pp. 101, 119, 123, 138–140, 157–162, 173–174, 177–179. ISBN 978-953-8082-01-6.
  39. Mužić 2007, pp. 157–160.
  40. Budak 2018, pp. 178–185.
  41. Budak 2018, pp. 144–145.
  42. Ivandija, Antun (April 1968). "Pokrštenje Hrvata prema najnovijim znanstvenim rezultatima" [Christianization of Croats according to the most recent scientific results]. Bogoslovska smotra (in Croatian). 37 (3–4). University of Zagreb, Catholic Faculty of Theology: 440–444. ISSN 0352-3101.
  43. Živković, Tibor (2013a). "On the Baptism of the Serbs and Croats in the Time of Basil I (867–886)" (PDF). Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana (1): 33–53.
  44. Mužić 2007, pp. 169–170.
  45. Budak 2018, pp. 106.
  46. Brković, Milko (2001). "Diplomatička analiza papinskih pisama druge polovice IX. stoljeća destinatarima u Hrvatskoj" [The Papal Letters of the second half of the IXth Century to addressees in Croatia]. Radovi (in Croatian) (43). Zadar: HAZU: 29–44.
  47. Posavec, Vladimir (March 1998). "Povijesni zemljovidi i granice Hrvatske u Tomislavovo doba" [Historical maps and borders of Croatia in age of Tomislav]. Radovi Zavoda Za Hrvatsku Povijest (in Croatian). 30 (1): 281–290. ISSN 0353-295X. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  48. Margetić, Lujo (January 1997). "Regnum Croatiae et Dalmatiae u doba Stjepana II" [Regnum Croatiae et Dalmatiae in age of Stjepan II]. Radovi Zavoda Za Hrvatsku Povijest (in Croatian). 29 (1): 11–20. ISSN 0353-295X. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  49. ^ Heka, Ladislav (October 2008). "Hrvatsko-ugarski odnosi od sredinjega vijeka do nagodbe iz 1868. s posebnim osvrtom na pitanja Slavonije" [Croatian-Hungarian relations from the Middle Ages to the Compromise of 1868, with a special survey of the Slavonian issue]. Scrinia Slavonica (in Croatian). 8 (1). Hrvatski institut za povijest – Podružnica za povijest Slavonije, Srijema i Baranje: 152–173. ISSN 1332-4853. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  50. ^ "Povijest saborovanja" [History of parliamentarism] (in Croatian). Sabor. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  51. Font 2005, p. 17.
  52. ^ Frucht 2005, pp. 422–423.
  53. Lane 1973, p. 409.
  54. "Povijest Gradišćanskih Hrvatov" [History of Burgenland Croats] (in Croatian). Croatian Cultural Association in Burgenland. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  55. Valentić, Mirko (30 October 1990). "TURSKI RATOVI i HRVATSKA DIJASPORA u XVI. STOLJEĆU". Senjski Zbornik: Prilozi Za Geografiju, Etnologiju, Gospodarstvo, Povijest I Kulturu (in Croatian). 17 (1): 45–60. ISSN 0582-673X.
  56. "Povijest saborovanja". Hrvatski sabor (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  57. Adkins & Adkins 2008, pp. 359–362.
  58. Nicolson, Harold (2000). The Congress of Vienna: A Study in Allied Unity: 1812–1822. Grove Press. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-8021-3744-9. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  59. ^ Stančić, Nikša (February 2009). "Hrvatski narodni preporod – ciljevi i ostvarenja" [Croatian National Revival – goals and achievements]. Cris: Časopis Povijesnog društva Križevci (in Croatian). 10 (1): 6–17. ISSN 1332-2567. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  60. Čuvalo, Ante (December 2008). "Josip Jelačić – Ban of Croatia". Review of Croatian History. 4 (1). Croatian Institute of History: 13–27. ISSN 1845-4380. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  61. "Constitution of Union between Croatia-Slavonia and Hungary". H-net.org. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  62. Heka, Ladislav (December 2007). "Hrvatsko-ugarska nagodba u zrcalu tiska" [Croatian-Hungarian compromise in light of press clips]. Zbornik Pravnog Fakulteta Sveučilišta u Rijeci (in Croatian). 28 (2). University of Rijeka: 931–971. ISSN 1330-349X. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  63. Dubravica, Branko (January 2002). "Političko-teritorijalna podjela i opseg civilne Hrvatske u godinama sjedinjenja s vojnom Hrvatskom 1871–1886" [Political and territorial division and scope of civilian Croatia in the period of unification with the Croatian military frontier 1871–1886]. Politička Misao (in Croatian). 38 (3). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Sciences: 159–172. ISSN 0032-3241. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  64. Polatschek, Max (1989). Franz Ferdinand: Europas verlorene Hoffnung (in German). Amalthea. p. 231. ISBN 978-3-85002-284-2. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  65. Tucker, Spencer; Priscilla Mary Roberts (2005). World War I: encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 1286. ISBN 978-1-85109-420-2.
  66. "Parlamentarni izbori u Brodskom kotaru 1923. godine" [Parliamentary Elections in the Brod District in 1932]. Scrinia Slavonica (in Croatian). 3 (1). Croatian Institute of History – Slavonia, Syrmium and Baranya history branch: 452–470. November 2003. ISSN 1332-4853. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  67. Begonja, Zlatko (November 2009). "Ivan Pernar o hrvatsko-srpskim odnosima nakon atentata u Beogradu 1928. godine" [Ivan Pernar on Croatian-Serbian relations after 1928 Belgrade assassination]. Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru (in Croatian) (51). Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: 203–218. ISSN 1330-0474. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  68. Job, Cvijeto (2002). Yugoslavia's ruin: the bloody lessons of nationalism, a patriot's warning. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-7425-1784-4. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  69. Klemenčič & Žagar 2004, pp. 121–123.
  70. Klemenčič & Žagar 2004, pp. 153–156.
  71. Tomasevich 2001, p. 337.
  72. Tomasevich 2001, p. 272.
  73. ^ Klemenčič & Žagar 2004, p. 184.
  74. ^ "koncentracijski logori". Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  75. Goldstein 1999, p. 138.
  76. Hoare, Marko Attila (1 December 2003). "Genocide in the former Yugoslavia: a critique of left revisionism's denial (full version)". Journal of Genocide Research. 5 (4): 543–563. doi:10.1080/1462352032000149495. ISSN 1462-3528. S2CID 145169670.
  77. Tomasevich 2001, p. 744.
  78. Kozlica, Ivan (2012). Krvava Cetina [Bloody Cetina] (in Croatian). Zagreb: Hrvatski centar za ratne žrtve. p. 155. ISBN 978-953-57409-0-2.
  79. Predoević, Petra (2007). "Operacija Braunschweig", Klepsidra. Rijeka: Udruga studenata povijesti "Malleus". pp. 105–129.
  80. Dragutin Pavličević, Povijest Hrvatske, Naklada Pavičić, Zagreb, 2007. ISBN 978-953-6308-71-2, str. 441–442.
  81. Pavličević, Dragutin (2007). Povijest Hrvatske. Naklada Pavičić. pp. 441–442. ISBN 978-953-6308-71-2.
  82. Vipotnik, Matea (22 June 2011). "Josipović: Antifašizam je duhovni otac Domovinskog rata" [Josipović: Anti-Fascism is a Spiritual Forerunner of the Croatian War of Independence]. Večernji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  83. ^ Hoare, Marko Attila (2011). "The Partisans and the Serbs". In Ramet, Sabrina P.; Listhaug, Ola (eds.). Serbia and the Serbs in World War Two. London, England: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-23034-781-6.
  84. Hoare, Marko Attila (2002). "Whose is the partisan movement? Serbs, Croats and the legacy of a shared resistance". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 15 (4). Informa UK Limited: 30. doi:10.1080/13518040208430537. ISSN 1351-8046. S2CID 145127681.
  85. Karakaš Obradov Marica (December 2008). "Saveznički zračni napadi na Split i okolicu i djelovanje Narodne zaštite u Splitu tijekom Drugog svjetskog rata" [Allied aerial attacks on Split and its surrounding and Civil Guard activity in Split during the World War II]. Historijski Zbornik (in Croatian). 61 (2). Društvo za hrvatsku povjesnicu: 323–349. ISSN 0351-2193. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  86. Bracewell, C.W.; Lampe, John R. "Croatia – World War II | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  87. Goldstein 1999, p. 158.
  88. Maurović, Marko (May 2004). "Josip protiv Josifa" [Josip vs. Iosif]. Pro Tempore – Časopis Studenata Povijesti (in Croatian) (1). Klub studenata povijesti ISHA: 73–83. ISSN 1334-8302. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  89. "Predsjednik Sabora Luka Bebić na obilježavanju 64. obljetnice pobjede nad fašizmom i 65. obljetnice trećeg zasjedanja ZAVNOH-a u Topuskom" [Speaker of the Parliament, Luka Bebić, at celebration of the 64th anniversary of the victory over fascism and the 65th anniversary of the 3rd session of the ZAVNOH session in Topusko] (in Croatian). Sabor. 9 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  90. Žerjavić, Vladimir (1995). "Demografski i ratni gubici Hrvatske u Drugom svjetskom ratu i poraću" [Demographic and War Losses of Croatia in the World War Two and in the Postwar Period]. Journal of Contemporary History (in Croatian). 27 (3). Zagreb: 551.
  91. Žerjavić 1992, p. 159.
  92. Kočović 1985, p. 173.
  93. Žerjavić 1993b, pp. 640–641.
  94. Kočović 1985, p. 126.
  95. Geiger 2012, pp. 117–118.
  96. Šute, Ivica (April 1999). "Deklaracija o nazivu i položaju hrvatskog književnog jezika – Građa za povijest Deklaracije" [Declaration on the Status and Name of the Croatian Standard Language – Declaration History Articles]. Radovi Zavoda Za Hrvatsku Povijest (in Croatian). 31 (1): 317–318. ISSN 0353-295X.
  97. Vurušić, Vlado (6 August 2009). "Heroina Hrvatskog proljeća" [Heroine of the Croatian Spring]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  98. Rich, Roland (1993). "Recognition of States: The Collapse of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union". European Journal of International Law. 4 (1): 36–65. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.ejil.a035834. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  99. Frucht 2005, p. 433.
  100. "Leaders of a Republic in Yugoslavia Resign". The New York Times. Reuters. 12 January 1989. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  101. Pauković, Davor (1 June 2008). "Posljednji kongres Saveza komunista Jugoslavije: uzroci, tijek i posljedice raspada" [Last Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia: Causes, Consequences and Course of Dissolution]. Časopis za Suvremenu Povijest (in Croatian). 1 (1). Centar za politološka istraživanja: 21–33. ISSN 1847-2397. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  102. Magas, Branka (13 December 1999). "Obituary: Franjo Tudjman". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  103. Sudetic, Chuck (2 October 1990). "Croatia's Serbs Declare Their Autonomy". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  104. Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Routledge. 1998. pp. 272–278. ISBN 978-1-85743-058-5. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  105. Sudetic, Chuck (26 June 1991). "2 Yugoslav States Vote Independence To Press Demands". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  106. "Ceremonial session of the Croatian Parliament on the occasion of the Day of Independence of the Republic of Croatia". Official web site of the Croatian Parliament. Sabor. 7 October 2004. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  107. Sudetic, Chuck (4 November 1991). "Army Rushes to Take a Croatian Town". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  108. "Croatia Clashes Rise; Mediators Pessimistic". The New York Times. 19 December 1991. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  109. Powers, Charles T. (1 August 1991). "Serbian Forces Press Fight for Major Chunk of Croatia". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  110. "Utjecaj srbijanske agresije na stanovništvo Hrvatske". Index.hr. 11 December 2003. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  111. "SUMMARY OF JUDGEMENT FOR MILAN MARTIĆ". Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  112. ^ "Croatia marks 25 years since war with tolerance message". AlJazeera. 5 August 2020.
  113. Goldstein 1999, p. 233.
  114. Bassiouni, Mahmoud Cherif; Manikas, Peter (1996). The Law of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Transnational Publishers. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-57105-004-5.
  115. Allen 1996, p. 46.
  116. Kinzer, Stephen (24 December 1991). "Slovenia and Croatia Get Bonn's Nod". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  117. Montgomery, Paul L. (23 May 1992). "3 Ex-Yugoslav Republics Are Accepted into U.N." The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  118. Murphy, Dean E. (8 August 1995). "Croats Declare Victory, End Blitz". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  119. "Officials Issue Messages for Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day". www.total-croatia-news.com. 4 August 2019. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  120. ^ Prodger, Matt (5 August 2005). "Evicted Serbs remember Storm". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.
  121. Janine Natalya Clark (2014). International Trials and Reconciliation: Assessing the Impact of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. London: Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-31797-475-8.
  122. Hedges, Chris (16 January 1998). "An Ethnic Morass Is Returned to Croatia". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  123. "Presidents apologise over Croatian war". BBC News. BBC. 10 September 2003. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  124. "Serbia to respond to Croatian genocide charges with countersuit at ICJ". SETimes.com. Southeast European Times. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  125. "UN to hear Croatia genocide claim against Serbia". Tehran Times. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  126. Puljiz, Vlado; Bežovan, Gojko; Matković, Teo; Šućur, dr Zoran; Zrinščak, Siniša (2008). Socijalna politika Hrvatske (in Croatian). Zagreb: Pravni fakultet u Zagrebu. pp. 43–52. ISBN 978-953-97320-9-5.
  127. "22 December – Christmas Constitution – the first Constitution of the independent Republic of Croatia". sabor.hr. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  128. "History and Development of Croatian Constitutional Judicature – Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia". www.usud.hr.
  129. "Partnerstvo za mir – Hrvatska enciklopedija". www.enciklopedija.hr.
  130. "MVEP • Svjetska trgovinska organizacija (WTO)". www.mvep.hr.
  131. "Kronologija: Težak put od priznanja do kucanja na vrata EU – Jutarnji List". www.jutarnji.hr. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  132. "Kada je i kome Republika Hrvatska podnijela zahtjev za članstvo u Europskoj uniji?". uprava.gov.hr.
  133. "Kako je izgledao put Republike Hrvatske ka punopravnom članstvu u Europskoj uniji?". uprava.gov.hr. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  134. "Evo kako je izgledao hrvatski put prema EU!". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  135. Goldstein, Ivo. Povijest Hrvatske 1945–2011. 3. svezak. EPH Media d.o.o.
  136. "Membership of the Republic of Croatia in the UN Security Council 2008–2009". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia). Archived from the original on 7 January 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  137. "Hrvatska postala članica NATO saveza". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  138. "Et tu, Zagreb?". The Economist. 6 March 2011.
  139. "Pogledajte sve snimke sa suđenja Sanaderu". Dnevnik.hr. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  140. "Predsjednik Josipović raspisao izbore!". Odluka2011.dnevnik.hr. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  141. "EU closes accession negotiations with Croatia". European Commission. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  142. "Croatia signs EU accession treaty". European Union. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  143. "Croatia voters back EU membership". BBC News. 1 June 2018.
  144. "Šenada Šelo Šabić, Croatia's response to the refugee crisis, European Expression, Issue 100, 2016" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  145. "Andrej Plenković – O meni". www.andrejplenkovic.hr. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  146. "Održana svečanost prisege predsjednika Republike Hrvatske Zorana Milanovića". Predsjednik Republike Hrvatske – Zoran Milanović (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  147. "The OECD and South East Europe". OECD.org. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  148. "OECD membership means benefits for citizens, higher living standard". Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  149. "Croatia's accession to the OECD is progressing faster than expected". Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  150. "OECD još jedan instrument za unaprjeđenje reformskih procesa, članstvo će nas učiniti još boljom i kvalitetnijom zemljom". GOV.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  151. "Euro and Schengen: Croatia joins the Euro and Schengen areas". European Commission. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  152. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 44.
  153. "Croatia opens long-awaited bridge bypassing Bosnia". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  154. ^ "Croatia". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 9 September 2011. (Archived 2011 edition.)
  155. Matas, Mate (18 December 2006). "Raširenost krša u Hrvatskoj" [Presence of Karst in Croatia]. geografija.hr (in Croatian). Croatian Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  156. "The best national parks of Europe". BBC. 28 June 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  157. ^ 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 40.
  158. "Najviša izmjerena temperatura zraka u Hrvatskoj za razdoblje od kada postoje meteorološka motrenja". Klima.hr (in Croatian). Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  159. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 41.
  160. "Biodiversity-rich Croatia becomes 33rd full EEA member country — European Environment Agency". European Environment Agency. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  161. "EU 2020 HR". eu2020.hr. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  162. Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; Joshi, Anup; Vynne, Carly; Burgess, Neil D.; Wikramanayake, Eric; Hahn, Nathan; Palminteri, Suzanne; Hedao, Prashant; Noss, Reed; Hansen, Matt; Locke, Harvey; Ellis, Erle C; Jones, Benjamin; Barber, Charles Victor; Hayes, Randy; Kormos, Cyril; Martin, Vance; Crist, Eileen; Sechrest, Wes; Price, Lori; Baillie, Jonathan E. M.; Weeden, Don; Suckling, Kierán; Davis, Crystal; Sizer, Nigel; Moore, Rebecca; Thau, David; Birch, Tanya; Potapov, Peter; Turubanova, Svetlana; Tyukavina, Alexandra; de Souza, Nadia; Pintea, Lilian; Brito, José C.; Llewellyn, Othman A.; Miller, Anthony G.; Patzelt, Annette; Ghazanfar, Shahina A.; Timberlake, Jonathan; Klöser, Heinz; Shennan-Farpón, Yara; Kindt, Roeland; Lillesø, Jens-Peter Barnekow; van Breugel, Paulo; Graudal, Lars; Voge, Maianna; Al-Shammari, Khalaf F.; Saleem, Muhammad (2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. ISSN 0006-3568. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.
  163. ^ Radović, Jasminka; Čivić, Kristijan; Topić, Ramona, eds. (2006). Biodiversity of Croatia (PDF). State Institute for Nature Protection, Ministry of Culture (Croatia). ISBN 953-7169-20-0. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  164. "Venue". 6th Dubrovnik Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  165. Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.5978G. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7723057. PMID 33293507.
  166. ^ "Political Structure". Government of Croatia. 6 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  167. "Members of the Government". Government of Croatia. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  168. "About the Parliament". Sabor. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  169. "Members of the 6th Parliament". Sabor. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  170. "Overview of EU–Croatia relations". Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  171. "Ustavne odredbe" [Provisions of the Constitution] (in Croatian). Croatian Supreme Court. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  172. "Zakon o sudovima". narodne-novine.nn.hr.
  173. "Državno odvjetništvo Republike Hrvatske". www.dorh.hr.
  174. "SOA – Security-intelligence system of the Republic of Croatia". www.soa.hr. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  175. Graaff, Bob de; Nyce, James M. (2 August 2016). Handbook of European Intelligence Cultures. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4422-4942-4.
  176. "MVEP • Date of Recognition and Establishment of Diplomatic Relations". www.mvep.hr. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  177. "MVEP • Diplomatski protokol". www.mvep.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  178. "MVEP • Godišnje financijsko izvješće za 2019. godinu". www.mvep.hr. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  179. "Foreign Policy Aims". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia). Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  180. "Overview of Croatia's Border Disputes with BiH, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Liberland". total-croatia-news.com. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  181. Steven Lee Myers (5 April 2008). "Bush Champions Expansive Mission for NATO". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  182. "Nato welcomes Albania and Croatia". BBC News. 1 April 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  183. "Croatia begins new euro and Schengen zone era". BBC News. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  184. "Hrvatska manjina u Republici Srbiji". hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr. Središnji državni ured za Hrvate izvan Republike Hrvatske (Central State Office for Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia).
  185. "Statement by the Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts regarding the Bunjevci Croats" (PDF). info.hazu.hr. Glasnik HAZU. 2014. p. 53. The Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, in a session held on 12 September 2014, made the following statement explaining that the Bunjevci Croats form an integral part of the Croatian national corpus. The Presidency of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, one of the fundamental institutions of the Croatian nation and of all the citizens of the Republic of Croatia, among the roles of which belongs the preservation of national identity, made the following statement in a session held on 12 September 2014: The Bunjevci, a Croatian ethnic group, are made up of three branches: the Dalmatian-Herzegovinian branch; the Primorje-Lika branch; and the Danube Region branch. Not encroaching on the right of any individual to express their national affiliation based on their origin, history, traditional culture, customs and language – the western new-Štokavian and Ikavian – the Bunjevci Croats form an integral part of the Croatian national corpus.
  186. "Hrvatska manjina u inozemstvu". hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr.
  187. ^ "Chain of Command in the CAF". Croatian Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  188. "Croatia". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 23 January 2021. (Archived 2021 edition.)
  189. "SIPRI Military Expenditure Database". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  190. Jelovac, Milan (23 January 2001). "Vojni rok u Hrvatskoj kraći, nego drugdje u Europi i NATO-u". Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  191. Nova, Redazione Agenzia (16 August 2024). "Croatia: the Minister of Defense announces that compulsory conscription will return into force from 2025". Agenzia Nova. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  192. "Another European country to reintroduce compulsory military draft as tensions soar". The Independent. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  193. "Hrvatska u najviše misija UN-a". NACIONAL.HR (in Croatian). 28 June 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  194. "GODIŠNJE IZVJEŠĆE O OBRANI za 2019. – podnositeljica: Vlada Republike Hrvatske". Hrvatski sabor (in Croatian). 3 September 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  195. "Godišnje izvješće o obrani za 2019" (in Croatian). Vlada Republike Hrvatske. 3 September 2020. p. 95.
  196. "Izvješće obavijeno tajnom: Prošla je godina za hrvatsku vojnu industriju bila najlošija u proteklih pet, pa i više" (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  197. Franičević, Mile (6 March 2011). "Hrvatski izvoz oružja i opreme lani narastao na 650 milijuna kuna". Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  198. "2024 Global Peace Index" (PDF).
  199. Mandić, Oleg (1952). "O nekim pitanjima društvenog uređenja Hrvatske u srednjem vijeku" [On some issues of social system of Croatia in the Middle Ages] (PDF). Historijski Zbornik (in Croatian). 5 (1–2). Školska knjiga: 131–138. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  200. Frucht 2005, p. 429.
  201. Biondich 2000, p. 11.
  202. "Zakon o područjima županija, gradova i općina u Republici Hrvatskoj" [Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia Act]. Narodne novine (in Croatian). 30 December 1992. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  203. "Zakon o područjima županija, gradova i općina u Republici Hrvatskoj" [Territories of Counties, Cities and Municipalities of the Republic of Croatia Act]. Narodne novine (in Croatian). 28 July 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  204. "Nacionalno izviješće Hrvatska" [Croatia National Report] (PDF) (in Croatian). Council of Europe. January 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  205. "Country and Lending Groups". World Bank. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  206. ^ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". IMF. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  207. "Eurostat - EU Countries by GDP per capita (PPS) to EU Average (%)". Statistics|Eurostat. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  208. "Government of the Republic of Croatia - PM Plenković: Croatia's GDP growth of 2.8 percent is among highest in the EU". vlada.gov.hr. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  209. ^ "Web". Državni zavod za statistiku (in Croatian). Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  210. "Croatia Unemployment Rate". The Global Economy.com. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  211. ^ "Croatia". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. 22 September 2021. (Archived 2021 edition.)
  212. "ROBNA RAZMJENA REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE S INOZEMSTVOM u 2018.KONAČNI PODACI/FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA, 2018 FINAL DATA" (in Croatian). Croatian Bureau of Statistics.
  213. "Croatia ranks No.1 in EU for water resources per capita". Croatia Week. 25 March 2024.
  214. "Background Note: Croatia". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  215. "CPI 2022". Transparency International. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  216. "Novac – Javni dug dosegnuo rekord: njegov udjel u BDP-u narastao na 85,3 posto". novac.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 14 October 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  217. "Hrvatsku posjetilo 6,8 milijuna gostiju, otkrivamo kolika će biti zarada od turizma". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  218. Pili, Tomislav; Verković, Davor (1 October 2011). "Iako čini gotovo petinu BDP-a, i dalje niskoprofitabilna grana domaće privrede" [Even though it comprises nearly a fifth of the GDP, it is still a low-profit branch of the national economy]. Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  219. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 425.
  220. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 427.
  221. "DOLASCI i NOĆENJA TURISTA u 2019". Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 28 February 2020.
  222. "History of Opatija". Opatija Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  223. "Activities and attractions". Croatian National Tourist Board. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  224. "Croatia". Foundation for Environmental Education. Archived from the original on 2 December 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  225. "Croatia again top in Europe for swimming water quality". croariaweek.com. Croatia Week. 10 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  226. "UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, May 2019". UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. 17 (2): 1–40. 22 May 2019. doi:10.18111/wtobarometereng.2019.17.1.2. ISSN 1728-9246. S2CID 243009713.
  227. "Croatian highlights, Croatia". Euro-poi.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  228. "The 2023 solo travel index". Bounce. 24 May 2023.
  229. "The Pinterest x Zola 2023 Wedding Trends Report". Pinterest Newsroom. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  230. ^ Tanja Poletan Jugović (11 April 2006). "The integration of the Republic of Croatia into the Pan-European transport corridor network". Pomorstvo. 20 (1). University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies: 49–65. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  231. "Odluka o izmjenama i dopunama odluke o razvrstavanju javnih cesta u autoceste" [Decision on amendments and additions to the Decision on classification of public roads as motorways]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 30 January 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  232. "Mreža autocesta – HUKA". www.huka.hr. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  233. "Traffic counting on the roadways of Croatia in 2009 – digest" (PDF). Hrvatske ceste. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  234. "EuroTest". Eurotestmobility.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  235. "Brinje Tunnel Best European Tunnel". Javno.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  236. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 350.
  237. Pili, Tomislav (10 May 2011). "Skuplje korištenje pruga uništava HŽ" [More Expensive Railway Fees Ruin Croatian Railways]. Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  238. "Croatia opens long-awaited bridge bypassing Bosnia". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  239. "Air transport". Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure (Croatia). Archived from the original on 3 July 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  240. Meštrović, Damjan (2018). Utjecaj izgradnje novog terminala na poslovanje Zračne luke Franjo Tuđman (Thesis) (in Croatian).
  241. "FAA Raises Safety Rating for Croatia". Federal Aviation Administration. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  242. "Riječka luka –jadranski "prolaz" prema Europi" [The Port of Rijeka – Adriatic "gateway" to Europe] (in Croatian). World Bank. 3 March 2006. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  243. "Luke" [Ports] (in Croatian). Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure (Croatia). Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  244. "Plovidbeni red za 2011. godinu" [Sailing Schedule for Year 2011] (in Croatian). Agencija za obalni linijski pomorski promet. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  245. "Plovni putovi" [Navigable routes] (in Croatian). Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure (Croatia). Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  246. "The JANAF system". Jadranski naftovod. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  247. "Transportni sustav" [Transport system] (in Croatian). Plinacro. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  248. 2010 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, pp. 298–302.
  249. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 307.
  250. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 304.
  251. "Croatia, Slovenia's nuclear plant safe: Croatian president". EU Business. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  252. "Population by Age and Sex, by Settlements" (xlsx). Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in 2021. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2022.
  253. "Croatia in Figures" (PDF). Croatian Bureau of Statistics. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  254. Roser, Max (2014), "Total Fertility Rate around the world over the last two centuries", Our World in Data, Gapminder Foundation, archived from the original on 7 August 2018, retrieved 6 May 2019
  255. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 113.
  256. "The World FactBook – Croatia", The World Factbook, 12 July 2018Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  257. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 107.
  258. Mrđen, Snježana; Friganović, Mladen (June 1998). "The demographic situation in Croatia". Geoadria. 3 (1). Hrvatsko geografsko društvo – Zadar: 29–56. doi:10.15291/geoadria.45. ISSN 1331-2294. PMID 12294962. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  259. "Vlada uslišila molbe: Povećane kvote dozvola za strane radnike". www.vecernji.hr.
  260. Vidak, Nick (2008). "The Policy of Immigration in Croatia". Politička Misao: Croatian Political Science Review. 35 (5). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Science: 57–75. ISSN 0032-3241. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  261. "Croatia's population has dropped 10% in a decade, reveals census". Euronews. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  262. "Summary of judgement for Milan Martić". United Nations. 12 June 2007. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  263. "Report of the Secretary-General Submitted Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1009 (1995)". United Nations Security Council. 23 August 1995. p. 3.
  264. "Domovinski rat – Hrvatska enciklopedija". Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  265. "Savez udruga Hrvata iz BiH izabrao novo čelništvo" [Union of associations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Croats elects new leadership] (in Croatian). Index.hr. 28 June 2003. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  266. "29 06 2010 – Benkovac" (in Croatian). Office of the President of Croatia. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  267. "International Migration and Development". esa.un.org. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  268. "U Hrvatskoj je loše i preporučam svakom mladom čovjeku da ode u Njemačku". Dnevnik.hr.
  269. "Population in major towns and municipalities, 2018 census". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  270. "Population by Religion, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  271. "Special Eurobarometer 341, "Biotechnology"" (PDF). p. 209. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  272. "Gallup Global Reports". Gallup. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  273. "Final Topline" (PDF). Pew. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  274. "Izviješće o provođenju ustavnog zakona o pravima nacionalnih manjina i utrošku sredstava osiguranih u državnom proračunu Republike Hrvatske za 2007. godinu za potrebe nacionalnih manjina" [Report on Implementation of Constitutional Act on National Minority Rights and Expenditure of Funds Appropriated by the 2007 State Budget for Use by the National Minorities] (in Croatian). Sabor. 28 November 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  275. ^ Franceschini, Rita (2014). "Italy and the Italian-Speaking Regions". In Fäcke, Christiane (ed.). Manual of Language Acquisition. Walter de Gruyter GmbH. p. 546. ISBN 9783110394146.
  276. "Population by Mother Tongue, by Towns/Municipalities, 2011 Census". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012.
  277. "Organska podloga hrvatskog jezika" [The Organic Base of Croatian] (in Croatian). Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  278. "Istraživanje: Tri posto visokoobrazovanih ne zna niti jedan strani jezik, Hrvati uglavnom znaju engleski" [Survey: Three per cent of higher educated people can not speak any foreign languages, Croats mostly speak English] (in Croatian). Index.hr. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  279. "Europeans and their languages – European commission special barometer FEB2006" (PDF). European Commission. February 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  280. "Croatia". European Union. European Commission. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  281. "Population aged 10 and over by sex and illiterates by age". Census of Population, Households and Dwellings 2011. Zagreb: Croatian Bureau of Statistics. December 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  282. "Statističke informacije 2020" (PDF). Državni zavod za statistiku. 2019. p. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  283. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, pp. 488–489.
  284. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 486.
  285. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 484-485.
  286. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 485.
  287. "Državna matura" (in Croatian). Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (Croatia). Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  288. ^ "Institut za razvoj obrazovanja – Pregled institucija". Iro.hr. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  289. "O nama" [About us] (in Croatian). University of Zadar. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  290. "University of Zagreb 1699–2005". University of Zagreb. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  291. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 490.
  292. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 503.
  293. "60. rođendan Instituta Ruđer Bošković: Svijetu je dao ciklotron, spojeve i novi katalizator" [The 60th Anniversary of the Ruđer Bošković Institute: It Presented the World with a Cyclotron, Compounds and a New Catalyst]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 9 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  294. "The Founding of the Academy". Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Archived from the original on 6 June 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  295. World Intellectual Property Organization (2024). Global Innovation Index 2024: Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship. World Intellectual Property Organization. p. 18. doi:10.34667/tind.50062. ISBN 978-92-805-3681-2. Retrieved 6 October 2024. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  296. "Infrastructure for an era of crisis". European Investment Bank. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  297. "E-Schools in Croatia". JASPERS.
  298. Zrinščak, Siniša (February 2003). "Socijalna politika u kontekstu korjenite društvene transformacije postkomunističkih zemalja" [Social Policy in the Context of Thorough Social Transformation of Post-Communist Countries]. Revija za socijalnu politiku (in Croatian). 10 (2): 135–159. doi:10.3935/rsp.v10i2.124. ISSN 1330-2965. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  299. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 546.
  300. Matković, Marijana (27 September 2011). "Ulaskom u EU Hrvatska će imati najveću potrošnju za zdravstvo" [After the EU accession Croatia will have the maximum healthcare spending]. Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  301. "Puni džepovi: europski smo rekorderi potrošnje, imamo najskuplju vlast u cijeloj Europskoj uniji!". 19 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  302. "Croatia Demographics 2020 (Population, Age, Sex, Trends) – Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  303. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 525.
  304. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 524.
  305. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 532.
  306. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 118.
  307. Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max (23 May 2013). "Smoking". Our World in Data.
  308. Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max (11 August 2017). "Obesity". Our World in Data.
  309. "Global Hunger Index Scores by 2024 GHI Rank". Global Hunger Index (GHI) - peer-reviewed annual publication designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  310. "Croatia". Cia.gov. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  311. "Ustav Republike Hrvatske" [Constitution of the Republic of Croatia]. Narodne Novine (in Croatian). 9 July 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  312. Veljković, Sandra; Stojan de Prato (5 November 2011). "Hrvatski postaje 24. službeni jezik Europske unije" [Croatian Becomes the 24th Official Language of the European Union]. Večernji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  313. Tafra, Branka (February 2007). "Značenje narodnoga preporoda za hrvatski jezik" [Significance of the National Revival for Croatian]. Croatica et Slavica Iadertina (in Croatian). 2: 43–55. ISSN 1845-6839. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  314. Greenberg, Robert D. (2004). Language and Identity in the Balkans: Serbo-Croatian and its Disintegration (1st ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191514555.
  315. Kapović, Mate (2009). "Položaj hrvatskoga jezika u svijetu danas" [The Position of Croatian in the World Today]. Kolo (in Croatian) (1–2). Matica hrvatska. ISSN 1331-0992. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  316. Turk, Marija (1996). "Jezični purizam". Fluminensia: Časopis za filološka istraživanja (in Croatian). 8 (1–2): 63–79. ISSN 0353-4642.
  317. "Bunjevački govori". Retrieved 7 August 2022. Bunjevački govori pripadaju novoštokavskom ikavskom dijalektu štokavskoga narječja hrvatskoga jezika.
  318. "Bunjevački govori". Razlikuju se tri ogranka Bunjevačkih govora – podunavski, primorsko-lički i dalmatinski, a svi su kulturno bliski prema povijesnim, etnološkim i lingvističkim istraživanjima.
  319. Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje. "Prijedlog za proglašenje bunjevačkoga govora nematerijalnom kulturnom baštinom". Retrieved 3 March 2022. Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje uputio je Ministarstvu kulture RH prijedlog da se bunjevački govor proglasi hrvatskom nematerijalnom kulturnom baštinom, kao važan čin pomoći bunjevačkomu govoru i svim Bunjevcima u Hrvatskoj i inozemstvu.
  320. Fajin Deran, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia (8 October 2021). "Bunjevački govori upisani u Registar kulturnih dobara Republike Hrvatske kao nematerijalno kulturno dobro". Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  321. "Historic City of Trogir". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  322. "Culture and History". Croatian National Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  323. "Djelokrug" [Scope of authority] (in Croatian). Ministry of Culture (Croatia). Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  324. "Croatia - intangible heritage - Culture Sector". Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  325. "Browse the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices – intangible heritage". ich.unesco.org. UNESCO – Culture Sector.
  326. Nash, Eric P. (30 July 1995). "STYLE; Dressed to Kill". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  327. Huzjan, Vladimir (July 2008). "Pokušaj otkrivanja nastanka i razvoja kravate kao riječi i odjevnoga predmeta" [The origin and development of the tie (kravata) as a word and as a garment]. Povijesni prilozi (in Croatian). 34 (34). Croatian Institute of History: 103–120. ISSN 0351-9767. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  328. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, pp. 512–513.
  329. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, pp. 516–521.
  330. Piteša, Adriana (10 November 2010). "Interliber: Nobelovci se prodaju za 20, bestseleri za 50, remek-djela za 100 kuna" [Interliber: Nobel Laureates Sold for 20, Bestsellers for 50, Masterpieces for 100 Kuna]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  331. Clissold, Stephen; Henry Clifford Darby (1968). A short history of Yugoslavia from early times to 1966. CUP Archive. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-0-521-09531-0. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  332. MacGregor, Sandra (17 June 2013). "Varaždin: Croatia's 'little Vienna'". Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  333. "Najljepši gradovi Sjeverne Hrvatske – Karlovac, Ozalj, Ogulin" [The Most Beautiful Cities of the Northern Croatia – Karlovac, Ozalj, Ogulin]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 14 August 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  334. Darja Radović Mahečić (2006). "Sekvenca secesije – arhitekt Lav Kalda" [Sequence of the Art Nouveau – Architect Lav Kalda] (PDF). Radovi Instituta Za Povijest Umjetnosti (in Croatian). 30. Institute of Art History (Croatia): 241–264. ISSN 0350-3437. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  335. ^ "Croatian Art History – Overview of Prehistory". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia). Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  336. "Church of Saint Donat". Zadar Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  337. Nujić, Pavao (September 2011). "Josip Juraj Strossmayer – Rođeni Osječanin" [Josip Juraj Strossmayer – Native of Osijek]. Essehist (in Croatian). 2. University of Osijek – Faculty of Philosophy: 70–73. ISSN 1847-6236. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  338. ^ Hintz, Martin (2004). Croatia: Enchantment of the World. Scholastic. pp. 105–107. ISBN 0-516-24253-9.
  339. "The Baška tablet". Island of Krk Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  340. "Hrvatska književnost u 270.000 redaka" [Croatian Literature in 270,000 Lines] (in Croatian). Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography. 11 February 2011. Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  341. Kaplan, Robert D. (18 April 1993). "A Reader's Guide to the Balkans". The New York Times.
  342. Benfield, Richard W. (2003). "Croatia". In Quick, Amanda C. (ed.). World Press Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 (2 ed.). Detroit: Gale. ISBN 0-7876-5583-X. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  343. "Press Freedom Index 2019". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  344. "Croatia". freedomhouse.org. 28 January 2019. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  345. "About Hina". HINA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  346. Tomorad, Darko (July 2002). "Marina Mučalo: Radio in Croatia, book review". Politička Misao. 38 (5). University of Zagreb, Faculty of Political Sciences: 150–152. ISSN 0032-3241.
  347. "Popis programa DTV | OIV digitalni signali i mreže". oiv.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  348. "Popis programa digitalne televizije" [List of Digital Television Programmes] (in Croatian). Odašiljači i veze. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  349. "HRT broadcasting via satellite". Croatian Radiotelevision. 20 May 2008. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  350. ^ 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 510.
  351. v.k. (11 October 2020). "Radio stanice u Zagrebu i Zagrebačkoj županiji". ZGportal Zagreb (in Croatian). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  352. Babić, Sandra (15 January 2007). "Prva Internet televizija u Hrvatskoj" [The First Internet Television in Croatia] (in Croatian). Lider. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  353. Arslani, Merita (6 November 2010). "Već je 450 tisuća Hrvata prešlo na kabelsku i gleda 200 TV programa" [450 thousand Croats already switched to cable, watching 200 TV channels]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  354. "Print Products". Europapress Holding. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  355. "Daily papers". Styria Media Group. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  356. Vozab, Dina (December 2014). "Tisak u krizi: analiza trendova u Hrvatskoj od 2008. do 2013". Medijske Studije (in Croatian). 5 (10): 141. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  357. "AZTN: Prodaja dnevnih i tjednih novina nastavlja padati". tportal.hr. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  358. "Croatia". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  359. Piteša, Adriana (12 September 2006). "Ministarstvo financira rekordan broj filmova" [Ministry funding a record number of films]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  360. "Potpora hrvatskim filmovima i koprodukcijama" [Supporting Croatian Films and Co-Productions] (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  361. Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. International Film Guide. p. 94. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  362. Jerbić, Vedran (12 July 2011). "Trierova trijumfalna apokalipsa" [Trier's Triumphant Apocalypse]. Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  363. Trkulja, Božidar (29 May 2011). ""Surogat" napunio pola stoljeća" ["Ersatz" celebrates half a century]. Vjesnik (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  364. "Film Producer Branko Lustig Becomes Honorary Citizen of Zagreb". Total Croatia News. 23 April 2019. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  365. "Filming Locations in Croatia". Imdb.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  366. "Movies and TV Shows filmed in Croatia". SaltyMiles. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  367. "Why Croatia is a Filming and Production Paradise". Lbbonline. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  368. "Filming in Croatia". Hrvatski audiovizualni centar. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  369. "How Croatia has become a hub for filmmakers". Croatia Week. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  370. ^ "Gastronomy and enology". Croatian National Tourist Board. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  371. 2018 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 265.
  372. Skenderović, Robert (2002). "Kako je pivo došlo u Hrvatsku". Hrvatska revija (in Croatian). Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  373. "Beer Consumption by Country 2020". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  374. "Michelin guide: Croatia". Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  375. Perman, Biserka (May 2011). "Is sports system fair?". Jahr: Europski Časopis za bioetiku. 2 (3). University of Rijeka: 159–171. ISSN 1847-6376. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  376. 2010 Statistical Yearbook of the Republic of Croatia, p. 514.
  377. "About Croatian Football Federation". Croatian Football Federation. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  378. "Evo vam Lige 16: Na utakmicama HNL-a prosječno 1911" [There's league 16: Average attendance at HNL matches stands at 1911] (in Croatian). Index.hr. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  379. "Olympic medalists". Croatian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  380. "Croatian Olympic Committee". hoo.hr. Croatian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  381. "Today is the 25th anniversary of the Internet in the Republic of Croatia". CARNET. 17 November 2017.
  382. "Government of the Republic of Croatia - 25th years of Internet in Croatia marked". vlada.gov.hr.
  383. "Croatia - Smart Technologies | Privacy Shield". www.privacyshield.gov.

General and cited references


External links

Croatia articles
History
Geography
Politics
Economy
Society
Culture
Symbols
Links to related articles
Countries and dependencies of Europe
Sovereign states
States with limited
recognition
Dependent
territories
Denmark
United Kingdom
Crown Dependencies
Special areas
of internal
sovereignty
Finland
Norway
United Kingdom
  • Spans the conventional boundary between Europe and another continent.
  • Considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons but is geographically in Western Asia.
  • Oceanic islands within the vicinity of Europe are usually grouped with the continent even though they are not situated on its continental shelf.
  • Governed by the Holy See which has sovereignty over Vatican City.
Countries and territories of the Mediterranean Sea
Sovereign states
States with limited recognition
Dependencies and other territories
Marginal seas
Countries on the Balkan Peninsula
Geographically fully located
Significantly located
Partially located
Mostly outside the peninsula
See also
Member states of the European Union
See also: Potential enlargement and Former members
Council of Europe
Institutions
Members
Observers
Former members
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Members
Partners for
Cooperation
Bodies and posts
Relations
Active field missions
Former field missions
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
Members
Members
National/regional members
Associate members
Observers
Suspended members
Organization
Culture
Related

45°10′N 15°30′E / 45.167°N 15.500°E / 45.167; 15.500

Categories: