Croatia
| Republic of Croatia Republika Hrvatska |
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| Flag | Coat of arms |
| Motto | |
| National anthem | "Lijepa naša domovino" |
| Location | |
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| Geography | |
| Capital | Zagreb |
| Area | 56.594 km2 |
| Rank | Ranked 127th |
| Demographics | |
| Population (2015) | 4,225,316 inhabitants |
| Rank | Ranked 124th |
| Density | 75 inhabitants/km2 |
| Demonym | Croatian |
| Politics and Government | |
| Formation | Independence from Yugoslavia |
| Type of government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic |
| Currency | Euro |
| Edit | see template • edit |
Croatia (Serbo-Croatian: Hrvatska) is a country in southern Europe. It was formerly part of Yugoslavia until 1991. Croatia joined the European Union on July 1, 2013. The capital city is Zagreb, and the border countries are Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. The citizens are known as the Croats, alternatively named Croatians.
History[change | change source]
Croatia was part of the Roman Empire, and later the Byzantine Empire. Many remains from this period still exist, such as Diocletian's Palace in Split.
Croats arrived in Croatia in the 7th century.
Croatia was the first Slavic country to become Christian. It was also the only Balkan country to be under the authority of the Pope, the neighboring countries being Orthodox or Muslim.
The Duchy of Croatia was born in the early Middle Ages, in the 7th century. Croatia became a kingdom in 925. In 1102, Croatia came under the authority of the Kingdom of Hungary (the King of Hungary inherited the kingdom and became King of Croatia). The kingdom was then ruled by a ban who governed in the name of the king. The King of Croatia (and Hungary) died during the Battle of Mohács in 1526 and Austria inherited the kingdom. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Croatia fought alongside the Catholic forces. Located on the border between Austria and the Ottoman Empire, Croatia was heavily impacted by the numerous wars between Turks and Austrians that lasted several centuries.
The majority of Croatia (the "Illyrian provinces") then belonged to France from 1809 to 1814 under Napoleon. In the 19th century, two kingdoms were formed: the Kingdom of Dalmatia (1815-1918), and the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (1867-1918).
In 1918, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro united to form a single state: the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which existed until 1941. During World War II (1939–1945), Croatia was invaded by Nazi Germany and Italy. The communist resistance was organized by Josip Broz Tito. Having become president of the Federal Executive Council of the Republic of Yugoslavia, it was also Tito who resisted the invasion by the USSR in the following years.
In 1991, war broke out as Yugoslavia began to dissolve. Croatia officially declared its independence on June 25, 1991.
Geography[change | change source]
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Political map of Croatia. -
Physical map of Croatia.
Plitvice Lakes National Park[change | change source]
Article to read: Plitvice Lakes National ParkPlitvice Lakes National Park is a national park in Croatia located not too far from Zagreb. It is the most popular tourist destination in Croatia. With an area of 295 km2, Plitvice Lakes National Park is made up of 16 lakes connected by rivers and waterfalls, all in the center of a forest of beech and fir trees. It is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Blue Lake in Plitvice National Park -
Waterfalls in Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.
Cities[change | change source]
- Zagreb: The most populated area of Croatia, at 690,000 inhabitants
- Osijek: A city located further east of Zagreb
Other important cities are on the coast of Illyria, such as, from north to south:
- Rijeka: An important port
- Pula: A former Italian and Austro-Hungarian war port as well as the location of a Roman amphitheatre
- Zadar: A colony on a former fortified islet
- Split: An ancient Roman city where Diocletian's Palace is preserved
- Dubrovnik: Another former Venetian colony, which retains all its historical aspect
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Diocletian's Palace in Split -
Main Street of Dubrovnik
Language[change | change source]
The national language is Croatian, a Slavic language very similar to Serbian (despite the use of different alphabets, Latin for Croatian and Cyrillic for Serbian).
Currency[change | change source]
The euro has been the currency of Croatia since January 1, 2023, following suit with most countries in the European Union. The kuna was the previous currency, divided into lipas, worth one hundredth of a kuna.
External links[change | change source]
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| States not recognized by the international community |
