Geography
Climate
History
Population
Public Administration
Time
Languages
Tourism

Geography

The Republic of Croatia borders with Slovenia and Hungary to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the east, and Montenegro to the far southeast. Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea. The capital and largest city is Zagreb.

Croatia is a mid-size European country with a total area of 56,542 square kilometres.

Climate

Northern Croatia has a temperate continental climate whereas central, semi-mountainous and mountainous regions have a mountainous climate. The entire Adriatic coast has a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Spring and autumn are mild along the coast, while winter is cold and snowy in central and northern regions. The average temperature inland in January ranges from 0 to 2°C, while in August it ranges from 19 to 23°C. The average temperature at the seaside is higher: January from 6 to 11°C, August from 21 to 27°C.

Information on the current weather in Croatia can be accessed on the website of the Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

History

Croatia first appeared as a duchy in the 7th century and then as a kingdom in the 10th century. In 1102 it entered into a personal union with the Hungarian Kingdom. Croatia became a part of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1527. In 1918, after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Croatia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). In 1941-1945 an Axis puppet-state known as the Independent State of Croatia existed. After the war, Croatia became one of the constituent republics of the federal Yugoslavia. Croatia proclaimed independence from Yugoslavia on 25 June 1991.

Croatia is now working to become a member of the European Union, and has been invited to become a member of NATO.

Population

Around 4.4 million inhabitants live in Croatia. The population density is 78.5 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Public Administration

The Republic of Croatia is a parliamentary democracy.

The President of the Republic (Predsjednik Republike) is the head of state, directly elected for a five-year term.
 
The Croatian Government (Vlada) is headed by the Prime minister.

The Croatian Parliament (Sabor) is a unicameral legislative body. Currently the Croatian Parliament has 153 members, who are elected directly for a term of four years.  

Time

GMT + 1 (Summer time from end March till the end October GMT + 2 hours)

Languages

The official language is Croatian, which is a member of the South Slavic language group. Many Croatians speak English as their second language, but Italian and German are popular too.

Tourism

Tourism in Croatia is a well-developed industry as Croatia is an attractive tourist destination, particularly because of its extensive coastline and well-preserved historical towns. A lot of architectural and natural sights can be found in Croatia. Some of the most famous ones are on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the old city of Dubrovnik, the Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, the Cathedral of Saint Jacob in Šibenik, the historic City of Trogir, the Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč, and the Plitvice Lakes National Park. In addition, there are several protected areas in Croatia (including Kornati, Brijuni, Krka, Paklenica, Mljet, and Velebit).