1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

45 10 N, 15 30 E -- Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than West Virginia

land area

56,410 sq km

total area

56,538 sq km

Climate

Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Coastline

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

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

international agreements

party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

natural hazards

frequent and destructive earthquakes

Geographic coordinates

45 10 N, 15 30 E

Geographic note

controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits

International disputes

Eastern Slavonia, which was held by ethnic Serbs during the war, is currently being overseen by the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia; reintegration of Eastern Slavonia into Croatia will occur in 1997; although Croatia does not recognize the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," both countries have agreed to open consular sections in each other's capitals; Croatia and Italy have not resolved a bilateral issue dating from WWII over property and ethnic minority rights; a border dispute with Slovenia is unresolved

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

border countries

Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and Montenegro 266 km (241 km with Serbia; 25 km with Montenego), Slovenia 546 km

total

2,073 km

Land use

arable land

32%

forest and woodland

15%

meadows and pastures

18%

other

15%

permanent crops

20%

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Natural resources

oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt

Terrain

geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coast, coastline, and islands

highest point

Dinara 1,830 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 18% (male 453,142; female 431,118) 15-64 years: 69% (male 1,731,200; female 1,716,824) 65 years and over: 13% (male 252,897; female 418,931) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

9.83 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.33 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

10.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Serbo-Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czechoslovak, and German)

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.72 years (1996 est.)

male

69.13 years

total population

72.81 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1991 est.)

female

95%

male

99%

total population

97%

Nationality

adjective

Croatian

noun

Croat(s)

Net migration rate

7.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

5,004,112 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.58% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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 fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

21 counties (zupanijas, zupanija -

singular)

Bjelovar-Bilogora, City of Zagreb, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istra, Karlovac, Koprivnica-Krizevci, Krapina-Zagorje, Lika-Senj, Medimurje, Osijek-Baranja, Pozega-Slavonija, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Sibenik, Sisak-Moslavina, Slavonski Brod-Posavina, Split-Dalmatia, Varazdin, Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem, Zadar-Knin, Zagreb

Capital

Zagreb

Constitution

adopted on 22 December 1990

Data code

HR

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Miomir ZUZUL

telephone

[1] (202) 588-5899

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

chief of state

President Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 4 August 1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - Franjo TUDJMAN reelected with about 56% of the vote; his opponent Dobroslav PARAGA received 5% of the vote

head of government

Prime Minister Zlatko MATESA (since NA November 1995) and 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-HODAS (since November 1995) were appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 588-8936

[385] (41) 455-85-85

consulate(s) general

New York

Flag

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

House of Districts (Zupanije Dom)

elections last held 7 and 21 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (68 total; 63 elected, 5 presidentially appointed) HDZ 37, HSLS 16, HSS 5, Istrian Democratic Assembly 3, SPH-SDP 1, HNS 1

House of Representatives (Zastupnicki Dom)

elections last held 29 October 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); results - HDZ 45.23%, HSS/IDS/HNS/HKDU/SBHS 18.26%, HSLS 11.55%, SDP 8.93%, HSP 5.01%; seats - (127 total) 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

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

International organization participation

CCC, CE (guest), CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral parliament Assembly (Sabor)

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Croatia

conventional short form

Croatia

local long form

Republika Hrvatska

local short form

Hrvatska

National holiday

Statehood Day, 30 May (1990)

Other political or pressure groups

NA

Political parties and leaders

Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Franjo TUDJMAN, president; Croatian Democratic Independents (HND), Stjepan MESIC, president; Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Vlado GOTOVAC, president; Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), Ivica RACAN; Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Ante DAPIC; Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Josip PANKRETIC; Croatian People's Party (HNS), Radimir CACIC, president; Serbian National Party (SNS), Milan DJUKIC; Action of the Social Democrats of Croatia (ASH), Miko TRIPALO; Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU), Marko VASELICA, president; Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), Ivan JACKOVIC; Slanvonsko-Baranja Croatian Party (SBHS)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Type of government

parliamentary democracy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Peter W. GALBRAITH

embassy

Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb

mailing address

US Embassy, Zagreb, Unit 1345, APO AE 09213-1345

telephone

[385] (41) 455-55-00

Agriculture

wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, vegetables; livestock breeding, dairy farming

Budget

expenditures

$3.72 billion, including capital expenditures of $320 million (1994 est.)

revenues

$3.86 billion

Currency

1 Croatian kuna (HRK) = 100 paras

Economic aid

note

IMF has given Croatia $192 million; World Bank has given Croatia $100 million

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic 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; large foreign debt; damage during the internecine fighting to bridges, factories, power lines, buildings, and houses; the large refugee population, both Croatian and Bosnian; and the disruption of economic ties to Serbia and the other former Yugoslav republics, as well as within its own territory. 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 including stabilization policies and has normalized relations with creditors. Yet it still is struggling with privatization of large state enterprises and with bank reform. The draft 1996 budget, which had raised concerns about inflation, capitalizes on the "peace dividend" to boost expenditures on the repair and upgrading of infrastructure.

Electricity

capacity

3,630,000 kW

consumption per capita

2,000 kWh (1993 est.)

production

11.234 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Croatian kuna per US$1 - 5.405 (January 1996), 5.230 (1995), 5.996 (1994), 3.577 (1993)

Exports

$4.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

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)

partners

Germany 22.9%, Italy 21.2%, Slovenia 18.3% (1993)

External debt

$3.15 billion (September 1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $20.1 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

12.7%

industry

30.6%

services

56.7% (1993 est.)

GDP per capita

$4,300 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

1.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transit point for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe

Imports

$5.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994)

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)

partners

Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Iran

Industrial production growth rate

0.9% (1995 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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.7% (1995)

Labor force

1.444 million (1995)

by occupation

industry and mining 31.1%, agriculture 4.3%, government 19.1% (including education and health), other 45.5% (1993)

Unemployment rate

18.1% (January 1996)

Branches

Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Home Guard

Defense expenditures

337 billion to 393 billion dinars, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

1,314,718

males fit for military service

1,046,490

males reach military age (19) annually

34,914 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 14, FM 8, shortwave 0

Radios

1.1 million

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

no satellite earth stations

Telephones

1.216 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

12 (repeaters 2)

Televisions

1.52 million (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

68

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

6

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

3

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

47

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

7 (1995 est.)

Heliports

2 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

22,176 km (including 302 km of expressways)

total

27,378 km

unpaved

5,202 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine

note

Croatia owns an additional 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,368,035 DWT operating under the registries of Malta, Liberia, Cyprus, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1995 est.)

ships by type

bulk 2, cargo 23, chemical tanker 1, container 3, oil tanker 1, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 4

total

39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 203,495 GRT/252,818 DWT

Pipelines

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

Ports

Dubrovnik, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split, Zadar

Railways

note

disrupted by territorial dispute with Serbia (1994)

standard gauge

2,699 km 1.435-m gauge (1213 km electrified)

total

2,699 km

Waterways

785 km perennially navigable