Croatia

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Republic of CroatiaRepublika Hrvatska
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Lijepa naša domovino Our beautiful homeland
Location of Croatia (orange) in Europe (white) – [Legend]
Capitaland largest city	Zagreb
Official languages	Croatian
Demonym(s)	Croat(s) Croatian(s)
Government	Parliamentary republic

• President	Stjepan Mesić
• Premier	Ivo Sanader

Establishment

• Founded	First half of 7th century
• Medieval duchy	March 4 852
• Recognized by the Pope	May 21 879
• Elevated to kingdom	925
• Union with Hungary	1102
• Joined Habsburg Empire	January 1 1527
• Independence from Austria-Hungary	October 29 1918
• Joined Yugoslavia (co-founder)	December 1 1918
• Declared independence	October 8 1991

Area
• Total	56,542 km (21,831 sq mi) (126th)
• Water (%)	0.2
Population
• 2008 estimate	4,453,500 (114th)
• 2001 census	4,437,460
• Density	81/km (209.8/sq mi) (115th)
GDP (PPP)	2008 estimate
• Total	$74.419 billion (IMF)
• Per capita	$16,758 (IMF) (53rd)
GDP (nominal)	2008 estimate
• Total	$54.950 billion (IMF)
• Per capita	$12,374 (IMF)
Gini (2005)	29 low inequality
HDI (2005)	0.850 Error: Invalid HDI value (47th)
Currency	kuna (HRK)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code	385
ISO 3166 code	HR
Internet TLD	.hr
Also Italian in Istria and languages of other national minorities (Serbian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, etc.) in residential municipalities of the national minorities.

Croatia (/kroʊˈeɪʃə/) (Template:Lang-hr /xrvatska/), officially the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska listen), is a country at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Central Europe, and the Balkans. Its capital is Zagreb. Croatia borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, and Montenegro to the far southeast. Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea.

Croatia is a member of United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Council of Europe, is a candidate for membership of the European Union and received a NATO membership invitation on 3 April 2008. On October 17, 2007 Croatia became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2008-2009 term.

Demographics

Document announcing the decision to evacuate Serbs from the unrecognised Republic of Serb Krajina issued in August 1995

Main article: Demographics of Croatia

The population of Croatia has been stagnating over the last decade. During the 1991-1995 war, large sections of the population were displaced and emigration increased. Many ethnic Serbs fled Croatia during this time. All in all between 200,000 and 300,000 Serbs left Croatia. Around 78,000 Croats were forcibly removed from the self-proclaimed Republic of Serb Krajina, which has now been re-integrated into Croatia, although some later returned. Only a minority of Serbs have returned to Croatia since 1995. The natural growth rate of the population is currently negative with the demographic transition completed half a century ago. Average life expectancy is 75.1 years, and the literacy rate is 98.1 per cent.

Croatia is inhabited mostly by Croats (89.9 per cent of the population). There are around twenty minority groups. Serbs, are largest minority, comprising 4.5 per cent of the total population. The predominant religion is Catholicism (87.8 per cent), with some Orthodox (4.4 per cent) and Sunni Muslim (1.3 per cent) minorities.

The official and common language, Croatian, is a South Slavic language, using the Latin alphabet. According to the 2001 census, 96.1 per cent of the population speak Croatian as their first language.

Law

Croatia has a three-tiered judicial system, consisting of the Supreme Court, county courts, and municipal courts. The Constitutional Court rules on matters regarding the Constitution.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Croatia

Dubrovnik's Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and major tourist attraction

The Croatian economy has a stable functioning market economy which is one of the most advanced of South-Eastern Europe. International Monetary Fund data shows that Croatian nominal GDP stood at US$50.053 billion, or US$11,271 per capita, in 2007. The IMF forecast for 2008 is US$54.950 billion, or US$12,374 per capita. In purchasing power parity terms, total GDP was US$69.866 billion in 2007, equivalent to US$15,733 per capita. For 2008, it is forecast to be US$74.419 billion, or US$16,758 per capita.

According to Eurostat data, Croatian PPS GDP per capita stood at 53.4 per cent of the EU average in 2007, and is forecast to reach 54.1 per cent in 2008. Real GDP growth in 2007 was 6.0 per cent. The average gross salary in 2007 was 6,634 kuna per month. In 2007, the International Labour Organization-defined unemployment rate stood at 9.1 per cent, after falling steadily from 14.7 percent in 2002. The registered unemployment rate is higher, though, standing at 14.7 percent in December 2007.

In 2007, 7.2 percent of economic output was accounted for by agriculture, 32.8 percent by industry and 60.7 percent by the service sector. According to 2004 data, 2.7 percent of the workforce were employed in agriculture, 32.8 percent by industry and 64.5 in services.

The industrial sector is dominated by shipbuilding, food processing and the chemical industry. Tourism is a notable source of income during the summer, with over 10 million foreign tourists in 2006 generating a revenue of €8 billion. Croatia is ranked as the 18th most popular tourist destination in the world. In 2006 Croatia exported goods to the value of USD$10.4 billion (FOB) (US$19.7 billion including service exports).

Of particular concern is the backlogged judiciary system, combined with inefficient public administration, especially issues of land ownership and corruption. Another main problem includes the large and growing national debt which has reached over 30 billion dollars.

The country has been preparing for membership in the European Union, its most important trading partner. In February 2005, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU officially came into force.

Education

File:Zg sveuciliste.jpg

Rectorate building of the University of Zagreb

Main article: Education in Croatia

Primary education in Croatia starts at the age of six or seven and consists of eight grades. Secondary education is provided by gymnasiums and vocational schools.

Croatia has seven universities, the University of Zagreb, University of Split, University of Rijeka, University of Osijek, University of Zadar, University of Dubrovnik and the University of Pula. The University of Zagreb was founded in 1669 and is therefore the oldest in Southeastern Europe. There are also polytechnic higher education institutions.

Transport

File:ZagrebHZ.jpg

Croatian Railways headquarters in Zagreb

Main article: Transport in Croatia

Croatia has an extensive rail network, although due to historical circumstances, the Istria region is not accessible by train without passing through neighbouring Slovenia. Train services are operated by Croatian Railways (Template:Lang-hr). Major airports are located in in Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka (on the island of Krk), Osijek, Bol, Lošinj and Pula. Croatia Airlines is the national airline and flag carrier. An extensive system of ferries, operated by Jadrolinija, serves Croatia's many islands and links coastal cities. Ferry services are also available to Italy.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Croatia

Croatian culture is the result of a thirteen century-long history which has seen the development of many cities and monuments. The country includes six World Heritage sites and eight national parks. Croatia is also the birthplace of a number of historical figures included among the notable people are three Nobel prize winners, and numerous inventors.

Some of the world's first fountain pens came from Croatia. Croatia also has a place in the history of clothing as the origin of the necktie (kravata). The country has a long artistic, literary and musical tradition. Also of interest is the diverse nature of Croatian cuisine.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Croatia

Sports popular in Croatia include association football, tennis, basketball and handball. The Croatian national football team finished third in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The country failed in its joint bid with Hungary to co-host the 2012 European Championships. Tennis player Goran Ivanišević is one of the country's most recognisable sportsmen, and won the 2001 men's singles title at Wimbledon. The national basketball team finished third at the 1994 FIBA World Championship, second at the 1992 Summer Olympics and third at EuroBasket 1993 and 1995.

References

^ "World Economic Outlook Database". International Monetary Fund. October 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
"Croatia marks Storm anniversary". BBC News. 2005-08-05. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
"Croatia: Operation "Storm" - still no justice ten years on". Amnesty International. 2005-08-04. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
"Milan Babic - Initial Indictment". ICTY. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
^ "Croatia". CIA World Factbook. 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-09. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
"GDP per capita in PPS". Eurostat. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
"Real GDP growth rate". Eurostat. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
"Statistical Information 2007" (PDF). Republic of Croatia Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
"Unemployment rate – total". Eurostat. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
"Bulletin 134" (PDF). Croatian National Bank. February 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
^ "UNWTO World Tourism Barometer" (PDF). October 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-23.

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