Croatia

Republic of CroatiaRepublika Hrvatska

parliamentary democracyIndependence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Croatia as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 91 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalZagreb

Position45 10 N, 15 30 E

Area56,538 sq km

LocationSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between

Populationas each edition published it

5 million July 1996 est. · 4.78m in 1992

Population growth% a year

0.58% 1996 est. · 0.07% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 38.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.81 years 1996 est. · 73.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.4 children per woman 1996 est. · 1.66 in 1993

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 10 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,300 1995 est. · $5,600 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.5% 1995 est. · -25% in 1993

Geography

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

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Area

56,538sq km

land area: 56,410 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Coastline

5,790km

(mainland 1,778 km, islands 4,012 km)continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Land boundaries

2,073km

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

Location

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

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

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

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:: 32%
permanent crops:: 20%
meadows and pastures:: 18%
forest and woodland:: 15%
other:: 15%

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
natural hazards:: frequent and destructive earthquakes
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

Geographic note

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

People

15 fields

Population

5,004,112

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.58% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

9.83Death

11.33Net migration

7.31

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years72.81

69.13 · 76.72

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy97%

99% · 95%

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

Ethnic divisions(1991)

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%

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.)

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
all ages:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

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

Nationality

noun:: Croat(s)
adjective:: Croatian

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

45.23%

HDZ 45.23%HSS/IDS/HNS/HKDU/SBHS 18.26%HSLS 11.55%SDP 8.93%HSP 5.01%

Legislature, 127 seatsone dot, one seat

HDZ 75HSLS 12HSS 10SDP 10IDS 4HSP 4HNS 2SNS 2HND 1ASH 1HKDU 1SBHS 1independents 4

Name of country

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

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) 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
cabinet:: Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

Legislative branch

bicameral parliament Assembly (Sabor)

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

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

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)

Other political or pressure groups

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)

Diplomatic representation in 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

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

FAX

[385] (41) 455-85-85

Flag

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

Economy

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.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$4,300

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

1.5%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 0.9% (1995 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

3.7%

(1995)

Unemployment rate

18.1%

(January 1996)

GDP composition by sector(1993 est.)

agriculture 12.7%industry 30.6%services 56.7% (1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$3.86 billionExpenditures

$3.72 billion (1994 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $320 million

Installed generating capacity, 3,630,000 kW

Electricity production

11.234 billionElectricity consumption per capita

2,000 (1993 est.)

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.

GDP

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

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)

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

transit point for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe

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)

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

External debt

$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 paras

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 68 in all

over 3 047 m

2 438 to 3 047 m

1 524 to 2 437 m

914 to 1 523 m

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

27,378Railways

2,699Waterways

785

Highways: paved: 22,176 km (including 302 km of expressways) · unpaved: 5,202 km (1991 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 2,699 km 1.435-m gauge (1213 km electrified) note: disrupted by territorial dispute with Serbia (1994)

Railways

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

note: disrupted by territorial dispute with Serbia (1994)

Highways

total:: 27,378 km
paved:: 22,176 km (including 302 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 5,202 km (1991 est.)

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

Merchant marine

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

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.)