Country Information on Croatia 

Terrain

The republic swings around like a boomerang from the Pannonian plains of Slavonia, across hilly central Croatia to the Istrian Peninsula and the rugged Adriatic Coast. The southernmost portion of Croatia's Adriatic coast, including the town of Dubrovnik, is separated from the rest of the country by a knuckle of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The country has 1778 km of coastline; 5790 km if you count the islands. Most of the beaches, however, are slabs of rock rather than sand. The country's offshore islands are as beautiful as those in Greece. There are 1185 of them, 66 of which are inhabited.

Climate

The climate varies from Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast to continental inland. The sunny coastal areas have hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. The high coastal mountains help to shield the coast from cold northerly winds, making for an early spring and a late autumn. In Zagreb, average daily high temperatures peak at 27°C in July and drop to 2°C in January.

Fauna/Flora

Croatia has seven marvellous national parks. Brijuni, near Pula, is the most carefully cultivated, with well-preserved Mediterranean holm oak forests. Mountainous Risnjak National Park is home to lynx, while the dense forests of Paklenica National Park harbour insects, reptiles and birds, including the endangered griffon vulture. At Plitvice National Park you'll find bears, wolves and deer.

History/Politics

In 925, given a period of political unrest leading Hungary's intervention, the independent Croatian Kingdom was found, with Croatia eventually entering a political union with Hungary (1102). Due to Hungary's defeat at Mohács (1526), the entire territory came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In the 16th century, as the Turks threatened to take over the Balkans, Northern Croatia turned to the Habsburgs of Austria for protection, remaining under their influence until 1918. In 1699, the Turks suffered defeat, and with the termination of Ottoman rule in Hungary and Croatia, the territories were integrated into the Habsburg Empire. A revival of Croatian cultural and political life began in 1835 - the serfs were liberated, and Northern Croatia came under the rule of Hungary, which granted it a certain degree of internal autonomy.

When the Austro-Hungarian empire was defeated in World War I, Croatia became part of the "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes", with Alexander I as king. The period after World War I was characterized by the struggle of Croatian nationalists for more political independence. King Alexander was assassinated in 1934. In 1941, Germany invaded Yugoslavia and set up a government (the Ustasa) in Croatia. In 1944, partisans led by Croat Josip Broz Tito finally succeeded in overthrowing the Ustasa (the government being supported by Italy). Post-war Croatia was granted the status of republic within the Yugoslav Federation, governed by Marshal Tito. When Tito died in 1980, a political system was instituted which resulted in the presidency rotating annually between the republics, and Croatia's economy ground to a halt.

Tension grew between the Croatian Republic and Serb-dominated governments of the Yugoslav Federation. Increasingly, the Croatian people were showing strong support of Croat dissidents, like Franjo Tudjman. In 1990, after a weakened Yugoslav federal government authorized introduction of a multi-party system, Tudjman became founder of the Croatian Democratic Union. In 1990, Franjo Tudjman's Croatian Democratic Union won elections, and he was made president. A new constitution was instituted which changed the status of Serbs in Croatia to a "national minority" rather than a "constituent nation".

In June 1991, Croatia declared its independence from the Federation, and the Serbian enclave of Krajina declared its independence from Croatia. Eventually, on 19 January 1994, a bilateral agreement was signed by Croatia and Serbia providing for re-establishing communication and transport connections between both republics. However, by May 1995, Croatian military units crossed the dividing line set up by UN-peacekeepers and succeeded in securing the enclave of Western Slavonia, formerly controlled by Serbs. In August 1995, Croatians conquered "Krajina", forcing resident Serbs to flee their homes. Finally, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia managed to agree on the future implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, terminating the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in March 1996. In September 1996, Croatia re-established diplomatic ties with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

Economy

Before the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Croatia, after Slovenia, was the most prosperous and industrialized area. Croatia faces considerable economic problems stemming from damage during the internecine fighting to bridges, factories, power lines, buildings, and houses; the large refugee and displaced population, both Croatian and Bosnian; and the disruption of economic ties. The government has been successful in some reform efforts?partially macroeconomic stabilization policies?and has normalized relations with its creditors. Major industries are steel, cement, chemicals, fertilizers, and textiles.

Culture

Sculptor Ivan Mestrovic is the pride and joy of Croatia's art world. His works can be seen in town squares throughout the country, and he has also designed several imposing buildings, including the Croatian History Museum in Zagreb. Croatian literary figures include 16th century playwright Marin Drzic and 20th century novelist, playwright and poet Miroslav Krleza - the latter's multi-volume work, 'The Banners', is a saga about Croatian life at the turn of the century. Croatian folk music is a hotchpotch of styles. Violinists or players of the "Tambura", a Croatian mandolin, accompany the "Kolo", a lively Slavic round dance. Dalmatia's gentle guitar and accordion bands have a distinctly Italian flavour.