2003 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 415,873; female 394,414) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,465,488; female 1,454,778) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 258,943; female 432,752) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Airports

59 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

total

16

under 914 m

9 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8

under 914 m

34 (2002)

Area

land

56,414 sq km

total

56,542 sq km

water

128 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Background

In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal 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

Birth rate

12.76 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

revenues

$8.6 billion

Capital

Zagreb

Climate

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

Coastline

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

Constitution

adopted on 22 December 1990

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Croatia

conventional short form

Croatia

local long form

Republika Hrvatska

local short form

Hrvatska

Currency

kuna (HRK)

Currency code

HRK

Death rate

11.25 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$16.5 billion (yearend 2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Ralph FRANK

embassy

Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb

mailing address

use street address

telephone

[385] (1) 661-2200

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Ivan GRDESIC

Distribution of family income - Gini index

29 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA $66 million (2000)

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. Opponents fear reforms would cut jobs, wages, and social benefits. The government has a heavy backload of civil cases, many involving tenure land. The country is likely to experience only moderate growth without disciplined fiscal and structural reform.

Electricity - consumption

14.27 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

386 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

3.386 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

12.12 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

33.6%

hydro

66%

nuclear

0%

other

0.4% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Dinara 1,830 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

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

Ethnic groups

Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, Bosniak 0.5%, Hungarian 0.4%, Slovene 0.3%, Czech 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Albanian 0.1%, Montenegrin 0.1%, others 4.1% (2001)

Exchange rates

kuna per US dollar - 7.87 (2002), 8.34 (2001), 8.28 (2000), 7.11 (1999), 6.36 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the House of Representatives

chief of state

President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000)

election results

Stjepan MESIC elected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 56%, Drazen BUDISA (HSLS) 44%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since 27 January 2000), Ante SIMONIC (since 30 July 2002), Zeljka ANTUNOVI (since 27 January 2000), Slavko LINIC (since 27 January 2000)

note

government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS; a sixth party, the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), withdrew in June 2001

Exports

$4.9 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Exports - partners

Italy 22.4%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.4%, Germany 12.5%, Slovenia 8%, Austria 7.3% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 588-8936

[385] (1) 661-2373

chancery

2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

telephone

[1] (202) 588-5899

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Croatia

Flag description

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $43.12 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

9%

industry

33%

services

58% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.2% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

45 10 N, 15 30 E

Geography - note

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

Government type

presidential/parliamentary democracy

Heliports

1 (2002) Military Croatia

Highways

paved

23,792 km (including 410 km of expressways)

total

28,123 km

unpaved

4,331 km (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 10 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

200 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

23.3% (1998)

lowest 10%

3.7%

Imports

$10.7 billion c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport and electrical equipment, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Italy 16.8%, Germany 16.4%, Slovenia 7.8%, Russia 6.8%, Austria 6.7%, France 5.2% (2002)

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2002 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

Infant mortality rate

female

6.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

7.78 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.92 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.2% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, 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, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.hr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

9 (2000)

Internet users

480,000 (2001) Transportation Croatia

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1998 est.)

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

Labor force

1.7 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 13.2% NA, industry 25.4% NA, services 46.4% NA (2002)

Land boundaries

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

total

2,197 km

Land use

arable land

23.55%

other

74.21% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

2.24%

Languages

Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was added in the November Parliamentary elections; 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 - HDZ 43.4%, SDP 23%, HNS 7.4%, HSS 6.57%, HSP 6%; seats by party - HDZ 66, SDP 34, HNS 10, HSS 9, HSP 7; note - these are preliminary results

elections

Assembly - last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

78.2 years (2003 est.)

male

70.76 years

total population

74.37 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.8% (2003 est.) Government Croatia

male

99.4%

total population

98.5%

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

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

40.7 years (2002)

male

37.1 years

total

38.9 years

Merchant marine

convenience

Hong Kong 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of

ships by type

bulk 14, cargo 16, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 3

total

56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 765,830 GRT/1,188,948 DWT

Military branches

Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HV), Naval Forces, Air and Air

National holiday

Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Nationality

adjective

Croatian

noun

Croat(s), Croatian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

2.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

34.36 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

1.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

89,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

29,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

93.6 million bbl (37257)

Pipelines

gas 1,374 km; oil 583 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; 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]; Democratic Centre or DC [Mate GRANIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal Party or LS [Ivo BANAC]; Party of Liberal Democrats or LIBRA [Goran GRANIC]; 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

Population

4,422,248 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

0.31% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split, Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)

Radios

1.51 million (1997)

Railways

standard gauge

2,296 km 1.435-m gauge (983 km electrified) (2002)

total

2,296 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, others and unknown 6.2% (2001)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

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

Telephone system

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

general assessment

NA

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

1,721,139 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.3 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations

36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions

1.22 million (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

21.7% (2002 est.)

Waterways

785 km

note

(perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris)

Disputes - international

discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina on sections of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Pljesevica; parliamentarians are far from ratifying the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia; in late 2002, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro adopted an interim agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka Peninsula, allowing the withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission (UNMOP), but discussions could be complicated by the inability of Serbia and Montenegro to come to an agreement on the economic aspects of the new federal union; Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and ethnic minority rights issues stemming from border changes after the Second World War

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 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$520 million (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.39% (2002 est.) Transnational Issues Croatia

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

1,081,135 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

856,946 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

30,096 (2003 est.)