Croatia

§1. Croatia Introduction

Background:
  The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian
  Empire until the close of World War I. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and
  Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World
  War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the
  strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence
  from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter,
  fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian
  lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia
  was returned to Croatia in 1998.

§2. Croatia Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  45 10 N, 15 30 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 56,542 km²
  land: 56,414 km²
  water: 128 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,197 km
  border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and
    Montenegro (north) 241 km, Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km, Slovenia
    670 km

Coastline:
  5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
  Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot
  summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Terrain:
  geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains
  and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
  highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

Natural resources:
  oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural
  asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 25.82%
  permanent crops: 2.19%
  other: 71.99% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  30 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is
  damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste;
  landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95
  civil strife

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate
    Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
    Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,
    Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:
  controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish
  Straits

§3. Croatia People

Population:
  4,494,749 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 16.2% (male 373,638/female 354,261)
  15-64 years: 67% (male 1,497,958/female 1,515,314)
  65 years and over: 16.8% (male 288,480/female 465,098) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.3 years
  male: 38.3 years
  female: 42.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  -0.03% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  9.61 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  11.48 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.72 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 74.68 years
  male: 71.03 years
  female: 78.53 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  200 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 10 (2001 est.)

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

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

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

Languages:
  Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, other and undesignated 2.9% (including Italian,
  Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German) (2001 census)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.5%
  male: 99.4%
  female: 97.8% (2003 est.)

§4. Croatia Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
  conventional short form: Croatia
  local long form: Republika Hrvatska
  local short form: Hrvatska
  former: People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia

Government type:
  presidential/parliamentary democracy

Capital:
  Zagreb

Administrative divisions:
  20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular);
  Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko- Posavska Zupanija,
  Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija, Karlovacka Zupanija,
  Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija, Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska
  Zupanija, Medimurska Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija,
  Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija, Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska
  Zupanija, Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija,
  Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija, Vukovarsko-Srijemska
  Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka Zupanija

Independence:
  25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 8 October (1991); note - 25 June 1991 is the day the
  Croatian Parliament voted for independence; following a three-month
  moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis
  peacefully, Parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever
  constitutional relations with Yugoslavia

Constitution:
  adopted on 22 December 1990; revised 2000, 2001

Legal system:
  based on civil law system

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000)
  head of government: Prime Minister Ivo SANADER (since 9 December 2003);
    Deputy Prime Ministers Jadranka KOSOR (since 23 December 2003) and Damir
    POLANCEC (since 15 February 2005)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by
    the parliamentary Assembly
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election
    last held 16 January 2005 (next to be held January 2010); the leader of
    the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
    appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the
    Assembly
  election results: Stjepan MESIC reelected president; percent of vote -
    Stjepan MESIC 66%, Jadranka KOSOR (HDZ) 34% in the second round

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was added in the
  November 2003 parliamentary elections; members elected from party lists by
  popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; number of seats by party -
    HDZ 66, SDP 34, HSS 10, HNS 10, HSP 8, IDS 4, Libra 3, HSU 3, SDSS 3,
    other 11
  note: minority government coalition - HDZ, DC, HSLS, HSU, SDSS

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; judges for both courts appointed for
  eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected
  by the Assembly

Political parties and leaders:
  Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or
  HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER];
  Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or
  HSS [Josip FRISCIC]; Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Vladimir JORDAN];
  Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC] (in 2005 party merged with
  Libra to become Croatian People's Party-Liberal Democrats or NS-LD [Vesna
  PUSIC]); Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Ivan CEHOK]; Croatian True
  Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna
  SKARE-OZBOLT]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav
  STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal
  Party or LS [Zlatko BENASIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP
  [Ivica RACAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACCT (observer), BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer),
  OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNAMSIL,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI,
  UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Neven JURICA
  chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
  FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph FRANK
  embassy: 2 Thomas Jefferson, 10010 Zagreb
  mailing address: use street address
  telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200
  FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373

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

§5. Croatia Economy

Economy - overview:
  Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, after
  Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area with a per capita
  output perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average. The economy emerged
  from a mild recession in 2000 with tourism, banking, and public investments
  leading the way. Unemployment remains high, at about 18%, with structural
  factors slowing its decline. While macroeconomic stabilization has largely
  been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the
  part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. Growth,
  while impressive at about 3% to 4% for the last several years, has been
  stimulated, in part, through high fiscal deficits and rapid credit growth.
  The EU accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $53.56 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $34.99 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $11,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 8.1%
  industry: 31%
  services: 60.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  1.71 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 2.7%, industry 32.8%, services 64.5% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
  18.7% official rate; labor force surveys indicate unemployment around 14%
  (December 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  11% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 3.4%
  highest 10%: 24.5% (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  29 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.2% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  28.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $17.69 billion
  expenditures: $19.35 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Public debt:
  52.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives,
  citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Industries:
  chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig
  iron and rolled steel products, aluminum, paper, wood products,
  construction materials, textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum
  refining, food and beverages, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
  4.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  11.15 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  15.81 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  550 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  5.99 billion kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  20,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  90,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  93.6 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  1.85 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  2.99 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  1.08 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  24.72 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-1.79 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Exports - partners:
  Italy 23%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.4%, Germany 11.4%, Austria 9.6%,
  Slovenia 7.6% (2004)

Imports:
  $18.93 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery, transport and electrical equipment; chemicals, fuels and
  lubricants; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
  Italy 17.1%, Germany 15.5%, Russia 7.3%, Slovenia 7.1%, Austria 6.9%,
  France 4.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $8.811 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $29.28 billion (30 June 2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  ODA, $166.5 million (2002)

Currency (code):
  kuna (HRK)

Exchange rates:
  kuna per US dollar - 5.9473 (2005), 6.0358 (2004), 6.7035 (2003), 7.8687
  (2002), 8.34 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Croatia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1,887,600 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  2.553 million (2003)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits
    with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be included in the
    plan for the main trunk
  international: country code - 385; digital international service is
    provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the
    Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of two
    fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line
    from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1,
    a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
  36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)

Internet country code:
  .hr

Internet hosts:
  19,369 (2005)

Internet users:
  1.014 million (2003)

§7. Croatia Transportation

Airports:
  68 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 23
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 9 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 45
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 37 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 1,340 km; oil 583 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 2,726 km
  standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (984 km electrified) (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 28,588 km
  paved: 24,186 km (including 583 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 4,402 km (2003)

Waterways:
  785 km (2006)

Merchant marine:
  total: 76 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,090,162 GRT/1,738,590 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 24, cargo 13, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 27,
    petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 4
  registered in other countries: 34 (The Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Liberia 6,
    Malta 11, Marshall Islands 2, Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
    8) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Omisalj, Ploce, Rijeka, Sibenik, Vukovar (on Danube)

§8. Croatia Military

Military branches:
  Ground Forces (Hrvatska Kopnena Vojska, HKoV), Naval Forces (Hrvatska Ratna
  Mornarica, HRM), Air and Air Defense Forces (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i
  Protuzrakoplovna Obrana, HRZiPZO), Joint Education and Training Command,
  Logistics Command; Military Police Force supports each of the three
  Croatian military forces (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory military service, with six-month service
  obligation; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service (December
  2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 1,005,058 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 725,914 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 29,020 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $620 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.39% (2002 est.)

§9. Croatia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina over several small
  disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders
  ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the Croatia-Slovenia land and
  maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and
  maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia, remains
  un-ratified and in dispute; as a European Union peripheral state,
  neighboring Slovenia must conform to the strict Schengen border rules to
  curb illegal migration and commerce through southeastern Europe while
  encouraging close cross-border ties with Croatia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 12,600 (Croats and Serbs displaced in 1992-95 war) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western
  Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South
  American cocaine bound for Western Europe


<Factbook 2006>
