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: 56,538 sq km
land: 56,410 sq km
water: 128 sq km

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 266 km (241 km with Serbia; 25 km with Montenegro), Slovenia 670 km

Coastline: 5,790 km (mainland 1,778 km, islands 4,012 km)

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

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 coast, 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, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt

Land use:
arable land: 21%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 38%
other: 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent and 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; widespread casualties and destruction of infrastructure in border areas affected by civil strife

Environment—international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification

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

Population: 4,676,865 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17% (male 404,761; female 383,088)
15-64 years: 68% (male 1,591,831; female 1,591,106)
65 years and over: 15% (male 272,219; female 433,860) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 10.34 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 11.14 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.84 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74 years
male: 70.69 years
female: 77.52 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Croat(s)
adjective: Croatian

Ethnic groups: Croat 78%, Serb 12%, Muslim 0.9%, Hungarian 0.5%, Slovenian 0.5%, others 8.1% (1991)

Religions: Catholic 76.5%, Orthodox 11.1%, Muslim 1.2%, Protestant 0.4%, others and unknown 10.8%

Languages: Serbo-Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 95% (1991 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska

Data code: HR

Government type: presidential/parliamentary democracy

Capital: Zagreb

Administrative divisions: 21 counties (zupanije, zupanija—singular): Bjelovar-Bilogora, City of Zagreb, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istra, Karlovac, Koprivnica-Krizevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Lika-Senj, Medimurje, Osijek-Baranja, Pozega-Slavonia, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Sibenik, Sisak-Moslavina, Slavonski Brod-Posavina, Split-Dalmatia, Varazdin, Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem, Zadar-Knin, Zagreb
note: there are two special self-governing districts (kotari, kotar—singular) under local Serb control: Glina, Knin

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Statehood Day, 30 May (1990)

Constitution: adopted on 22 December 1990

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 Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Zlatko MATESA (since 7 November 1995); Deputy Prime Ministers Mate GRANIC (since 8 September 1992), Ivica KOSTOVIC (since 14 October 1993), Jure RADIC (since NA October 1994), Borislav SKEGRO (since 3 April 1993), and Ljerka MINTAS-HODAK (since November 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: President Franjo TUDJMAN reelected; percent of vote—Franjo TUDJMAN 61%, Zdravko TOMAC 21%, Vlado GOTOVAC 18%

Legislative branch: bicameral Assembly or Sabor consists of the House of Counties or Zupanijski Dom (68 seats—63 directly elected by popular vote, 5 appointed by the president; members serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives or the Zastupnicki Dom (127 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Counties—last held 13 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001); House of Representatives—last held 29 October 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: House of Counties—percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—HDZ 42, HDZ/HSS 11, HSS 2, IDS 2, SDP/PGS/HNS 2, SDP/HNS 2, HSLS/HSS/HNS 1, HSLS 1; note—in some districts certain parties ran as coalitions, while in others they ran alone; House of Representatives—percent of vote by party—HDZ 45.23%, HSS/IDS/HNS/HKDU/SBHS 18.26%, HSLS 11.55%, SDP 8.93%, HSP 5.01%; seats by party—HDZ 75, HSLS 12, HSS 10, SDP 10, IDS 4, HSP 4, HNS 2, SNS 2, HND 1, ASH 1, HKDU 1, SBHS 1, independents 4

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

Political parties and leaders: Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Franjo TUDJMAN, president]; Croatian Democratic Independents or HND [Stjepan MESIC, president]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Drazen BUDISA, president]; Liberal Party or LP [Vlado GOTOVAC, president]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Party of Rights 1861 or HSP 1861 [Dobrislav PARAGA]; Croatian Peasants' Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Radimir CACIC, president]; Serbian National Party or SNS [Milan DJUKIC]; Action of the Social Democrats of Croatia or ASH [Silvije DEGEN]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Marko VESELICA, president]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Slanvonsko-Baranja Croatian Party or SBHS [Damir JURIC]; Primorje Gorski Kotar Alliance [leader NA]; Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Party of Democratic Action or SDA [Semso TANKOVIC]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: BIS (pending member), CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William D. MONTGOMERY
embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb
mailing address: use street address
telephone: [385] (1) 455-55-00
FAX: [385] (1) 455-85-85

Flag description: red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered)

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. Croatia faces considerable economic problems stemming from: the legacy of longtime communist mismanagement of the economy; damage during the internecine fighting to bridges, factories, power lines, buildings, and houses; the large refugee and displaced population, both Croatian and Bosnian; and the disruption of economic ties. Western aid and investment, especially in the tourist and oil industries, would help restore the economy. The government has been successful in some reform efforts—partially macroeconomic stabilization policies—and it has normalized relations with its creditors. Yet it still is struggling with privatization of large state enterprises and with bank reform. In 1998, Croatia made progress in reducing its current account deficit to about 8% of GDP from 12% the previous year. Economic growth continues to lag, however, and growing levels of inter-enterprise debt plague the domestic economy. Four commercial banks were put under government control and a major conglomerate is teetering on collapse.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$23.6 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$5,100 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 24%
services: 64% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1998)

Labor force: 1.63 million (1998)

Labor force—by occupation: industry and mining 31.1%, agriculture 4.3%, government 19.1% (including education and health), other 45.5% (1993)

Unemployment rate: 18.6% (yearend 1998)

Budget:
revenues: $5.3 billion
expenditures: $6.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $78.5 million (1997 est.)

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: 3.7% (1998 est.)

Electricity—production: 10.682 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 29.25%
hydro: 70.75%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 14.632 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 4.95 billion kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, vegetables; livestock, dairy products

Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment 13.6%, miscellaneous manufactures 27.6%, chemicals 14.2%, food and live animals 12.2%, raw materials 6.1%, fuels and lubricants 9.4%, beverages and tobacco 2.7% (1993)

Exports—partners: Germany 22%, Italy 21%, Slovenia 18% (1994)

Imports: $8.4 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports—commodities: machinery and transport equipment 23.1%, fuels and lubricants 8.8%, food and live animals 9.0%, chemicals 14.2%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 16.0%, raw materials 3.5%, beverages and tobacco 1.4% (1993)

Imports—partners: Germany 21%, Italy 19%, Slovenia 10% (1994)

Debt—external: $8 billion (October 1998)

Economic aid—recipient: $NA

Currency: 1 Croatian kuna (HRK) = 100 lipas

Exchange rates: Croatian kuna per US$1—6.317 (January 1999), 6.362 (1998), 6.157 (1997), 5.434 (1996), 5.230 (1995), 5.996 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones: 1.216 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: no satellite earth stations

Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 8, shortwave 0

Radios: 1.1 million

Television broadcast stations: 18 (in addition, there are 145 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 1.52 million (1992 est.)

Railways:
total: 2,296 km
standard gauge: 2,296 km 1.435-m gauge (796 km electrified)
note: some lines remain inoperative or not in use; disrupted by territorial dispute (1997)

Highways:
total: 27,840 km
paved: 22,690 km (including 330 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,150 km (1997 est.)

Waterways: 785 km perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris

Pipelines: crude oil 670 km; petroleum products 20 km; natural gas 310 km (1992); note—under repair following territorial dispute

Ports and harbors: Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split, Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar

Merchant marine:
total: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 810,226 GRT/1,227,468 DWT
ships by type: bulk 15, cargo 26, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 5, container 5, liquefied gas 1, multifunction large-load carrier 3, oil tanker 1, passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 3 (1998 est.)

Airports: 72 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 21
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: 7 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 42 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Home Guard

Military manpower—military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 1,188,898 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 943,719 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 33,722 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $950 million (1999)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 5% (1999)

Disputes—international: Eastern Slavonia, which was held by ethnic Serbs during the ethnic conflict, was returned to Croatian control by the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia on 15 January 1998; Croatia and Italy made progress toward resolving a bilateral issue dating from World War II over property and ethnic minority rights; significant progress has been made with Slovenia toward resolving a maritime border dispute over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic; Serbia and Montenegro is disputing Croatia's claim to the Prevlaka Peninsula in southern Croatia because it controls the entrance to Boka Kotorska in Montenegro; Prevlaka is currently under observation by the UN military observer mission in Prevlaka (UNMOP)

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

Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook