Croatia. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Croatia | 
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| Introduction | Croatia |
| Background: |
In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became an 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. |
| Geography | Croatia |
| 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 sq
km water: 128 sq km land: 56,414 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 (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: |
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 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, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 23.55%
permanent crops: 2.24% other: 74.21% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
30 sq km (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-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, 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 |
| People | Croatia |
| Population: |
4,390,751 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 18.3%
(male 411,847; female 390,797) 15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,461,305; female 1,448,973) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 252,970; female 424,859) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.12% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
12.8 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
11.31 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
9.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
7.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
74.13 years female: 77.96 years (2002 est.) male: 70.52 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.02% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
350 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s)
adjective: Croatian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Croat 78.1%, Serb 12.2%, Bosniak 0.9%, Hungarian 0.5%, Slovene 0.5%, Czech 0.4%, Albanian 0.3%, Montenegrin 0.3%, Roma 0.2%, others 6.6% (1991) |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 76.5%, Orthodox 11.1%, Muslim 1.2%, Protestant 0.4%, others and unknown 10.8% (1991) |
| Languages: |
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.) |
| Government | Croatia |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Croatia conventional short form: Croatia local short form: Hrvatska local long form: Republika Hrvatska |
| 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: |
Statehood Day, 25 June (1991) |
| 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
Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since 27 January 2000), Ante SIMONIC (since NA July 2002), Slavko LINIC (since 27 January 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 7 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister nominated by the president in line with the balance of power in the Assembly note: government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS; a fifth party, the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), withdrew in June 2001 election results: Stjepan MESIC elected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 56%, Drazen BUDISA (HSLS) 44% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral Assembly or Sabor
(151 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms);
note - House of Counties was abolished in March 2001 election results: Assembly (then referred to as the House of Representatives) - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - HDZ 46, SDP 44, HSLS 24, HSS 17, HSP/HKDU 5, IDS 4, HNS 2, independents 4, minority representatives 5 elections: Assembly - last held 2-3 January 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2003) |
| 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 House of Representatives |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance of Croatian Coast
and Mountains Department or PGS [Luciano SUSANJ]; Croatian Christian Democratic
Union or HKDU [Marko VESELICA]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo
SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Dobroslav PARAGA]; Croatian
Peasant Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna
PUSIC]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Drazen BUDISA]; Croatian
True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Independent Democratic Serb
Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or
IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal Party or LP [leader NA]; Social Democratic
Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN] note: the Social Democratic Party or SDP and the Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS formed a coalition as did the HSS, HNS, LP, and IDS, which together defeated the Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ in the 2000 lower house parliamentary election; the IDS subsequently left the governing coalition in June 2001 over its inability to win greater autonomy for Istria |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ivan GRDESIC FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899 chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Lawrence G. ROSSIN embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb 10000 mailing address: use street address telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200 FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373 |
| Flag
description: |
red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered) |
| Economy | Croatia |
| 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 its mild recession in 2000 with tourism the main factor, but massive structural unemployment remains a key negative element. The government's failure to press the economic reforms needed to spur growth is largely the result of coalition politics and public resistance, particularly from the trade unions, to measures that would cut jobs, wages, or social benefits. As a result, the country is likely to experience only moderate growth without disciplined fiscal and structural reform. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $38.9 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $8,800 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 9% industry: 33% services: 58% (2002 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 23% (1998) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
29 (1998) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
4% (2002 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
1.7 million (2001) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
20.2% (2002 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $8.6 billion
expenditures: $9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 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: |
2.8% (2002 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
10.578 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 45%
hydro: 55% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
12.638 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
900 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
3.7 billion kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products |
| Exports: |
$5.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels |
| Exports
- partners: |
Italy 23.7%, Germany 14.8%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 12%, Slovenia 9.1%, Austria 5.7%, France 3.5 (2001) |
| Imports: |
$9.7 billion c.i.f. (2002) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery, transport and electrical equipment, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs |
| Imports
- partners: |
Germany 17.1%, Italy 16.9%, Slovenia 7.9%, Russia 7.2%, Austria 7%, France 4.4% (2001) |
| Debt
- external: |
$16.5 billion (2001) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA $66 million (2000) |
| Currency: |
kuna (HRK) |
| Currency
code: |
HRK |
| Exchange
rates: |
kuna per US dollar - 8.452 (January 2002), 8.340 (2001), 8.277 (2000), 7.112 (1999), 6.362 (1998), 6.101 (1997) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Croatia |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
1,721,139 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
1.3 million (2001) |
| 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: 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 (2000) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999) |
| Radios: |
1.51 million (1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995) |
| Televisions: |
1.22 million (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.hr |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
9 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
480,000 (2001) |
| Transportation | Croatia |
| Railways: |
total: 2,726 km standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (NA electrified) (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 28,009 km
paved: 23,695 km (including 330 km of expressways) unpaved: 4,314 km (2001) |
| Waterways: |
785 km note: (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) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split, Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 49 ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 681,465 GRT/1,076,315 DWT note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Hong Kong 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 13, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 5, container 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 3 |
| Airports: |
67 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 22 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 8 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 45 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 37 (2002) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2002) |
| Military | Croatia |
| Military
branches: |
Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HV), Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
19 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 1,086,578 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 860,497 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 30,037 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$520 million (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.39% (2002 est.) |
| Transnational Issues | Croatia |
| Disputes
- international: |
Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue discussions on the disputed boundary in the Una River near Kostajnica, Hrvatska Dubica, and Zeljava; Bosnia and Herzegovina also protests Croatian claim to the tip of the Klek Peninsula and several islands near Neum; Hungary opposes Croatian plan to build a hydropower dam on the boundary stream Drava; Slovenia and Croatia have not obtained parliamentary ratification of 2001 land and maritime boundary treaty which cedes villages on the Dragonja River and Sveta Gera (Trdinov Peak) to Croatia, and most of Pirin Bay to Slovenia, but restricts Slovenian access to the open sea; Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro continue to discuss disputed Prevlaka Peninsula and control over the Gulf of Kotor despite imminent UN intention to withdraw observer mission (UNMOP); Croatia and Italy are still trying to resolve bilateral property and ethnic minority rights dating from World War II |
| 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 |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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