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: 56,538 sq km
land : 56,410 sq km
water: 128 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 266 km (241 km with Serbia; 25 km with Montenego), Slovenia 670 km

Coastline: 5,790 km (mainland 1,778 km, islands 4,012 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 coast, 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

Land use:
arable land: 21%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures : 20%
forests and woodland: 38%
other: 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent and 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; widespread casualties and destruction of infrastructure in border areas affected by civil strife

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

Geography - note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits

Population: 4,664,710 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 417,181; female 395,430)
15-64 years: 68% (male 1,590,334; female 1,593,470)
65 years and over: 14% (male 253,201; female 415,094) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.17% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 10.63 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 11.2 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population : 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population : 73.49 years
male: 70.16 years
female: 77.03 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.56 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Croat(s)
adjective: Croatian

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

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

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

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 97%
male: 99%
female: 95% (1991 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska

Data code: HR

Government type: presidential/parliamentary democracy

National capital: Zagreb

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

Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: Statehood Day, 30 May (1990)

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 Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Zlatko MATESA (since NA November 1995); 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-HODAK (since November 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 August 1992 (next to be held 15 June 1997); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: President Franjo TUDJMAN reelected; percent of vote - Franjo TUDJMAN 56%, Dobroslav PARAGA 5%

Legislative branch: bicameral Assembly or Sabor consists of the House of Districts or Zupanijski Dom (68 seats - 63 directly elected by popular vote, 5 presidentially appointed; members serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives or the Zastupnicki Dom (127 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Districts - last held 13 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001); House of Representatives - last held 29 October 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: House of Districts - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - HDZ 42, HDZ/HSS 11, HSS 2, IDS 2, SDP/PGS/HNS 2, SDP/HNS 2, HSLS/HSS/HNS 1, HSLS 1; note - in some districts certain parties ran as coalitions, while in others they ran alone; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - HDZ 45.23%, HSS/IDS/HNS/HKDU/SBHS 18.26%, HSLS 11.55%, SDP 8.93%, HSP 5.01%; seats by party - 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

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

Political parties and leaders: Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Franjo TUDJMAN, president]; Croatian Democratic Independents or HND [Stjepan MESIC, president]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Vlado GOTOVAC, president]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Ante DAPIC]; Croatian Peasants' Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Radimir CACIC, president]; Serbian National Party or SNS [Milan DJUKIC]; Action of the Social Democrats of Croatia or ASH [Silvija DEGEN]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Marko VASELICA, president]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JACKOVIC]; Slanvonsko-Baranja Croatian Party or SBHS; Primorje Gorski Kotar Alliance

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Miomir ZUZUL
chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
FAX : [1] (202) 588-8936
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter W. GALBRAITH
embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb
mailing address: US Embassy, Zagreb, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5080
telephone: [385] (1) 455-55-00
FAX : [385] (1) 455-85-85

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

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. Croatia faces considerable economic problems stemming from: the legacy of longtime communist mismanagement of the economy; 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. 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 - partially macroeconomic stabilization policies - and it has normalized relations with its creditors. Yet it still is struggling with privatization of large state enterprises and with bank reform. The draft 1997 budget boosts expenditures on the repair and upgrading of infrastructure. In 1996, the substantial trade deficit was partially offset by increased earnings from tourism.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $21.4 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,300 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 30%
services : 59% (1994)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total : 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: 13% (yearend 1996)

Budget:
revenues : $3.86 billion
expenditures: $3.72 billion, including capital expenditures of $320 million (1994 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: 0% (1995)

Electricity - capacity: 3.59 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 8.03 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 2,208 kWh (1995 est.)

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

Exports:
total value : $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995)
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%, Italy 21%, Slovenia 18% (1994)

Imports:
total value: $7.6 billion (c.i.f., 1995)
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 21%, Italy 19%, Slovenia 10% (1994)

Debt - external: $3.15 billion (September 1995)

Economic aid:
recipient : ODA, $NA
note: IMF has given Croatia $192 million; World Bank has given Croatia $100 million

Currency: 1 Croatian kuna (HRK) = 100 lipas

Exchange rates: Croatian kuna per US$1 - 5.681 (January 1997), 5.434 (1996), 5.230 (1995), 5.996 (1994), 3.577 (1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones: 1.216 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international : no satellite earth stations

Radio broadcast stations: AM 14, FM 8, shortwave 0

Radios: 1.1 million

Television broadcast stations: 12 (repeaters 2)

Televisions: 1.52 million (1992 est.)

Railways:
total: 1,907 km
standard gauge : 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (769 km electrified)
note: some lines inoperative or not in use; disrupted by territorial dispute (1997)

Highways:
total: 26,929 km
paved: 21,947 km (including 302 km of expressways)
unpaved: 4,982 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 785 km perennially navigable; Sava blocked by downed bridges

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

Ports and harbors: Dubrovnik, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split, Zadar

Merchant marine:
total : 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 449,619 GRT/645,328 DWT
ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 29, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, container 4, multi-function large load carrier 3, oil tanker 1, passenger 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 4
note: Croatia owns an additional 105 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,875,941 DWT operating under the registries of Malta, Liberia, Cyprus, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1996 est.)

Airports: 68 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 60
over 3,047 m : 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m : 47 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)

Military branches: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Frontier Guard, Home Guard

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,190,814 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 946,063 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 35,464 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.56 billion (1996)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 10% (1996)

Disputes - international: Eastern Slavonia, which was held by ethnic Serbs during the ethnic conflict, is currently being overseen by the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia; reintegration of Eastern Slavonia into Croatia will occur in 1997; Croatia and Italy have not resolved a bilateral issue dating from WWII over property and ethnic minority rights; maritime border dispute with Slovenia over direct access to the sea in the Adriatic; the border issue is currently under negotiation; Serbia and Montenegro is disputing Croatia's claim to the Prevlaka Peninsula in southern Croatia because it controls the entrance to Kotor Bay in Montenegro; Prevlaka is currently under observation by the UN military observer mission in Prevlaka (UNMOP)

Illicit drugs: transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; a minor transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe