Croatia country profile

27 August 2006
by eub2 -- last modified 06 January 2008

Croatia became an independent state in 1991 as part of the break-up of former Yugoslavia. Croatia is a candidate to become a member state of the European Union.

Republika Hrvatska

Croatia became an independent state in 1991 as part of the break-up of former Yugoslavia. The Zagorje region, north of the capital Zagreb, is a land of rolling hills, while the fertile agricultural region of the Pannonian Plain is bordered by the Drava, Danube, and Sava rivers in the east. Over one third of Croatia is forested.The Croatian Parliament (the Sabor) is a single-chamber legislative body made up of 160 members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. Croatia has an economy based mainly on light industry and services. Tourism is a notable source of income. The best known feature of Croatia is the Dalmatian coast with its hundreds of islands and the historic cities of Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar.

Six World Heritage sites and eight national parks bear witness to Croatia’s immense cultural wealth. The richness of Croatia’s culture reflects in its sometimes turbulent history first as part of the Roman empire and then as a frontier region on the border between the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires.

Croatian cooking features dishes like grilled meat, Dalmatian smoked ham, salted pilchards, sheep's cheese and paprika-flavoured salami. Croatia is also known for its wines, which are the result of an ancient wine-growing tradition.

Government: Parliamentary democracy with unicameral parliament
Head of State: President Stjepan Mesić
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
Foreign Minister: Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović

Population: 4.4 million
Capital: Zagreb
Area: 56 538 km²
Currency: 1 Kuna = 100 Lipa; 1 EUR = 7.34 Kuna (Dec. 2006)

GDP in real terms: 42.9 billion USD
GDP per capita: 9 664 USD (2006)
Economic growth: 4.8% (2006)
Unemployment: 11.8 % (ILO)

Main export markets: Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany
Main exports: Textiles, machinery, electronics, iron and steel
Main source of imports: Italy, Germany
Main imports: Automobiles, machinery, textiles, chemical products
Major economic sectors: Manufacturing industry (esp. pharmaceuticals), energy, financial services, property, trade, logistics and transport services, construction, agriculture and tourism, environmental technologies

Map of Croatia


Source: European Commission, Slovenia EU Presidency