CIRCOM regional

CROATIA

Have you ever been to Croatia?

If your answer is yes, then surely you remember the unforgettable summers or autumns, the untouched natural beauty, or the towns, or the vacations when you could have had a beach to yourself.

If your answer is no, then it is time to come.

A place where the Mediterranean, the Alps and the Pannonian plain come together: this country has taken something from every one of them and blended those parts into a unique harmony and a rare beauty. Side by side in Croatia there are phenomenon which are usually many miles apart. Within a hundred kilometres you will find the sea, the karst, densely wooded mountains and fertile plains.

And all those beauties are just a few hours drive away from the European capitals on whose traditions, through constant giving and receiving, Croatia has been building its history and culture, past and present. And above all, its future.

We must say that the Croatian coast is one of the most indented coasts in the world and that the largest archipelago in the Mediterranean is to be found here. Monuments of world cultural and historical heritage secured a place in European culture for Croatia. Croatian culture is an integral part of Western European culture; indeed it is at the eastern outpost. But Croatia is unique in Europe: four cultures meet here: the West meets the East, and Central Europe meets the Mediterranean. This is reflected in some of the historical monuments, which unite all these influences. The other dimension of Croatia is the urban culture: towns are more numerous here than in any other part of Southeastern Europe. Most of them were founded in ancient or medieval times, and each town has its unique personality, a unique touch of the era.

Its geographical position is by no means the only reason (perhaps it's the least of the reasons) why Croatia is a true European country. It has not only shared the cultural heritage of the Old World, it has contributed to the creation of that culture.

The Republic of Croatia covers an area of 56,538 km2, and its territorial waters cover 31,900 kmz. The coastline including the islands is 5,740 km long.

According to the latest census, Croatia has a population of 4,8 million. More than 78°% are ethnic Croats, and Roman Catholicism is the prevalent religion (76,5% of all inhabitants are Roman Catholics). The official language is Croatian, written in the Roman script. In the northern regions, the way of life is typically Central European, whereas the South is Mediterranean.

Although there was an independent Croatian principality and Kingdom from the 9th to the l2th century, today's Croatia is one of the newest states in Europe. It adopted its constitution on 22nd December 1990; and was recognised internationally on l5th January 1992. The international recognition of its sovereignty and its acceptance into the membership of the UN in 1992 marked the end of a crucial period in the establishment of Croatia as a new state in the European and world community.

The capital of Croatia is Zagreb, a city of 1 milion inhabitants, the hub of Croatian culture, education and trade.

The unit of currency is the kuna(KN).