Croatia Overview

Country Profile

Croatia, also known as the Republic of Croatia, is located in central Europe. It has an area of 56,500 km2 and a population of 4.44 million. The country is mainly occupied by Croats, although other groups such as Serbians, Hungarians, Italians and others also reside there. The official religion is Catholic and the official language is Croatian. The Kuna is the unit of currency and the capital city is Zagreb.

Croatia National Flag

The national flag consists of three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue, with Croatia’s national emblem painted in the middle.

History Summary

From the eighth century to the early ninth century, the Croats had an early feudal state. In the 10th century, the powerful kingdom of Croatia was established. Between 1102 and 1527, Croatia was under the rule of Hungary. Between 1527 and 1918, Croatia was ruled by the Habsburg dynasty until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In December 1918, Croatia and a number of national unities established the southern Slavic kingdom of SerbiaCroatiaSlovenia, which in 1929 was renamed Yugoslavia. In 1941, German and Italian fascist invasion supported the establishment of the “Independent State of Croatia.” In 1945, after winning the Yugoslavia anti-fascist war, the country was proclaimed the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1965, it was renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with the Republic of Croatia one of its six states. On June 25, 1991, it renounced the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and gained independence.

Economy and Culture Overview

Croatia’s primary industries are petroleum, chemical, machine building and shipbuilding. The old town of Dubrovnik is one the best preserved European medieval cities. The country benefits from beautiful scenery and pleasant weather, and is sometimes known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic.”

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Built in 1949, the Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in the Plitvice Lake Basin. Its landscape is world famous, with unique natural beauty and a scientific value to win. The park covers an area of 35,000 hectares, with winding canyons in the limestone and dolomite that turn the River Korana into a string of lakes. The level of disparity between the lakes has formed numerous small waterfalls.

Croatia Map