GEOGRAPHY

CROATIA

Location:

Southeast Europe – Eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea

Geographical coordinates:

Time zone:

45 10 N, 15 30 E

CET (GMT +1)

Borders:

Border line total: 1,982 km
Border states: With Italy the longest sea border. Land border -  Bosna and Hercegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km

Coastline:

Sea:

5,835 km (coastline 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

31.067 square kilometers

Climate:

Mediterranean and continental – continental climate is characterized by hot summers and cold winters, while the Mediterranean climate is characterized by the moderate to hot summers and moderate and sunny winters.

Altitudes:

Lowest point: Adriatic sea 0 m
Highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

Land:

Arable land: 25.82%
Other plough-fields: 2.19%
Other lands: 71.99% (2005)

Renewable water sources:

105.5 km3 (1998)

Environment:

Generally pure environment – there is virtually no air pollution, due to the inexistence of heavy industry. Very low smog percentage in larger inland cities. On the Adriatic coast, there is no air pollution whatsoever, not even in the bigger cities.  (Split, Rijeka)

Note:

1.185 islands, crests and reefs, 47 populated islands.

POPULATION

CROATIA

Population:

4,491,534 (July 2008.)

Age:

Aged 0-14: 15.8%  
Aged 15-64: 67.2%
Aged 65 +: 17% (2008 est.)

Average
age:

Average age: 40.8
Men: 38.9
Women: 42.6 ( analyses 2008)

Life expectancy:

Population total: 75.13
Men: 71.49
Women: 78.97 (analyses 2008)

HIV/AIDS – diagnosed:

200 (2001 statistics)

HIV/AIDS - dead:

10

Ethnic groups:

Croats 89.6%, Serbs 4.5%, others 5.9% (including Bosnians, Hungarians, Slovenes, Czechs) (2001 cenzus)

Religions:

Roman-Catholic:  87.8%, Orthodox: 4.4%, other Christians  0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, others 0.9%, unknown 5.2% (2001 census)

Jezik:

Croatian 96.1%, Serbian 1%, others 2.9% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovakian and German) (2001 census)

Literacy:

Population total: 98.1%  (2001 census)

POLITICAL SYSTEM

CROATIA

Name:

Republic of Croatia

Political constitution:

Parliamentary democracy

Capital:

Najveći gradovi:

Zagreb (Zagreb Region - 1.100.000 inhabitants)

Split Region (470.000 inhabitants)
Osijek Region (330.000 inhabitants)
Rijeka Region (305.000 inhabitants)

Administrative division:

21 county: Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska, Brodsko-Posavska, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska, Istarska, Karlovacka, Koprivničko-Krizevačka, Krapinsko-Zagorska, Ličko-Senjska, Međimurska, Osječko-Baranjska, Požeško-Slavonska, Primorsko-Goranska, Šibensko-Kninska, Sisačko-Moslavačka, Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Varaždinska, Virovitičko-Podravska, Vukovarsko-Srijemska, Zadarska, City of Zagreb, Zagrebačka county

Independence:

June 25, 1991

Constitution:

Enacted December 22, 1990;  (amended 2000, 2001)

State
officials:

President: Stjepan (Stipe) Mesić (since February 18, 2000.)
Prime minister: Ivo Sanader (since December 9, 2003);
President of the Parliament: Luka Bebić
Elections: Presidential elections to be held every five years, five-year- presidential mandate (next to be held in January 2010)

Parliament:

There are 153 deputies in the parliament, elected by the majority electoral system for the 4-year period. The following parties are currently present in the Parliament: HDZ 66, SDP 56, HNS 7, HSS 6, HDSSB 3, IDS 3, SDSS 3, others 9

Justice system:

Constitutional Court
Supreme Court
County Court 
Municipal Court
Commercial Court – Superior Commercial Court
Magistrates’ Court – Supreme Magistrates’ Court
Administrative Court

Membership in international organizations:

ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

National holidays:

January 1 – New Year
January 6 - Epiphany
Easter
May 1 – International Labour Day
Corpus Christy
June 22 – Day of Antifascists' Solidarity
July 25 – Constitution Day
August 5 – Homeland Thanksgiving
August 15 – Assumption
October 8 – Independence Day
November 01 – Holy Saints
December 25 – Christmas

ECONOMY

CROATIA

Economy – survey :

After the crush of the Berlin Wall, Croatia has failed to attract the first “wave” of foreign investments in Eastern Europe, due to the political instability in the region (1991-1995).
In the year 2000, after the recovery period and ever since, the Croatian economy marked a strong development, with the GDP of  3-6 %. The national currency and the exchange rate are stable.  The conservative policy of the Croatian National Bank has brought to the macroeconomic stability of the country, which has shown rather immune to the new global economic dislocations (recession).
Note: The renown magazine 'The Banker' declared the Croatian National Bank’ s governor,  the best European and World central banker for the year 2008.This recognition represents additional recognition to the stability of the Croatian financial sector.

GDP (in bil. Euro – current prices:

37.497 (2007)

GDP -nnual growth rate:

5.7% (2007 est.)

GDP – per capita:

EUR 8.452 (2007)

Unemployment rate:

9.6% (2007)

Investments:

30.1%  GDP (2007)

Average inflation rate – per annum:

2.9% (2007 est.)

Direct foreign investments:

3.618,8 bil EUR (2007)

Agricultural products:

Olives, corn, wheat, sugar-beet, sunflower, lemon, potato,
Other

Industry:

Chemical and plastic industry, machine/engine production, electronics, aluminum, construction raw material, paper, textile, shipyards, steel, petroleum, food and beverages, tourism.   

Industrial production growth – per annum :

5.3% (2007)

Export partners:

Italy 19.3%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.9%, Germany 10.2%, Slovenia 8.4%, Austria 6.2% (2007)

Import -  partners:

Italy 16.1%, Germany 14.4%, Russia 10.1%, China 6.2%, Slovenia 6%, Austria 5.3% (2007)

Gross international reserves:

9.307 bil. Euro (December 31, 2007)

Currency:

Kuna (HRK)

Exchange rate:

Kuna (HRK) per EURO – 7.235 (2008.)

TRAFFIC

CROATIA

Airports:

68 (2007)
The most intensive traffic has been registered in Zagreb and Split airport.

Railway:

2,726 km
1,199 km electrified (2006)

Roads and highway:

Car ferry ports:

28,788 km (of which 1.163 km highway) (2007)

The biggest is the Split port with 3.500.000 passenger – traffic intensity per annum (2007)