Croatia

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

9 (2000)

Internet country code

.hr

Internet users

480,000 (2001)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 16, FM 98, shortwave 5 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be included in the plan for the main trunk international: digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece (2000)

Telephones - main lines in use

1,721,139 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.3 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations

36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)

Agriculture - products

wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, barley, alfalfa, clover, olives, citrus, grapes, soybeans, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Budget

revenues: $8.6 billion expenditures: $9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Currency

kuna (HRK)

Currency code

HRK

Debt - external

$16.5 billion (yearend 2002 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

29 (1998)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA $66 million (2000)

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. The economy emerged from its mild recession in 2000 with tourism the main factor, but massive structural unemployment remains a key negative element. The government's failure to press the economic reforms needed to spur growth is largely the result of coalition politics and public resistance, particularly from the trade unions. Opponents fear reforms would cut jobs, wages, and social benefits. The government has a heavy backload of civil cases, many involving tenure land. The country is likely to experience only moderate growth without disciplined fiscal and structural reform.

Electricity - consumption

14.27 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

386 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

3.386 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

12.12 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 33.6% hydro: 66% other: 0.4% (2001) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

kuna per US dollar - 7.87 (2002), 8.34 (2001), 8.28 (2000), 7.11 (1999), 6.36 (1998)

Exports

$4.9 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities

transport equipment, textiles, chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels

Exports - partners

Italy 22.4%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 14.4%, Germany 12.5%, Slovenia 8%, Austria 7.3% (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $43.12 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 9% industry: 33% services: 58% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,800 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5.2% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 23.3% (1998)

Imports

$10.7 billion c.i.f. (2002)

Imports - commodities

machinery, transport and electrical equipment, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Italy 16.8%, Germany 16.4%, Slovenia 7.8%, Russia 6.8%, Austria 6.7%, France 5.2% (2002)

Industrial production growth rate

2.8% (2002 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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.2% (2002 est.)

Labor force

1.7 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 13.2% NA, industry 25.4% NA, services 46.4% NA (2002)

Natural gas - consumption

2.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

34.36 billion cu m (37257)

Oil - consumption

89,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

29,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

93.6 million bbl (37257)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

21.7% (2002 est.)

Area

total: 56,542 sq km water: 128 sq km land: 56,414 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate

Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Coastline

5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geographic coordinates

45 10 N, 15 30 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 2,197 km border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and Montenegro (north) 241 km, Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km, Slovenia 670 km

Land use

arable land: 23.55% permanent crops: 2.24% other: 74.21% (1998 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Terrain

geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Administrative divisions

20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija, Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija, Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija, Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija, Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija, Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija, Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka Zupanija

Capital

Zagreb

Constitution

adopted on 22 December 1990

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph FRANK embassy: Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb mailing address: use street address telephone: [385] (1) 661-2200 FAX: [385] (1) 661-2373

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Ivan GRDESIC FAX: [1] (202) 588-8936 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899 chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch

chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January 2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since 27 January 2000), Ante SIMONIC (since 30 July 2002), Zeljka ANTUNOVI (since 27 January 2000), Slavko LINIC (since 27 January 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the House of Representatives elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 7 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister nominated by the president in line with the balance of power in the Assembly note: government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS; a sixth party, the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), withdrew in June 2001 election results: Stjepan MESIC elected president; percent of vote - Stjepan MESIC (HNS) 56%, Drazen BUDISA (HSLS) 44%

Flag description

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

Government type

presidential/parliamentary democracy

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

International organization participation

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly or Sabor (152 seats; note - one seat was added in the November Parliamentary elections; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - House of Counties was abolished in March 2001 election results: Assembly (then referred to as the House of Representatives) - percent of vote by party - HDZ 43.4%, SDP 23%, HNS 7.4%, HSS 6.57%, HSP 6%; seats by party - HDZ 66, SDP 34, HNS 10, HSS 9, HSP 7; note - these are preliminary results elections: Assembly - last held 23 November 2003 (next to be held in 2007)

National holiday

Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Political parties and leaders

Croatian Bloc or HB [Ivic PASALIC]; Croatian Christian Democratic Union or HKDU [Anto KOVACEVIC]; Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Ivo SANADER]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Anto DJAPIC]; Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party or HNS [Vesna PUSIC]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Drazen BUDISA]; Croatian True Revival Party or HIP [Miroslav TUDJMAN]; Democratic Centre or DC [Mate GRANIC]; Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC]; Liberal Party or LS [Ivo BANAC]; Party of Liberal Democrats or LIBRA [Goran GRANIC]; Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN] note: the Social Democratic Party or SDP and the Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS formed a coalition as did the HSS, HNS, LP, and IDS, which together defeated the Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ in the 2000 lower house parliamentary election; the IDS subsequently left the governing coalition in June 2001 over its inability to win greater autonomy for Istria

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Background

In 1918, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes formed a kingdom known after 1929 as Yugoslavia. Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a federal independent Communist state under the strong hand of Marshal TITO. Although Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it took four years of sporadic, but often bitter, fighting before occupying Serb armies were mostly cleared from Croatian lands. Under UN supervision, the last Serb-held enclave in eastern Slavonia was returned to Croatia in 1998.

Military branches

Ground Forces (Hrvatska Vojska, HV), Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$520 million (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.39% (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,081,135 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 856,946 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

19 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 30,096 (2003 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 415,873; female 394,414) 15-64 years: 66.1% (male 1,465,488; female 1,454,778) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 258,943; female 432,752) (2003 est.)

Birth rate

12.76 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate

11.25 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups

Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, Bosniak 0.5%, Hungarian 0.4%, Slovene 0.3%, Czech 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Albanian 0.1%, Montenegrin 0.1%, others 4.1% (2001)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 10 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

200 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 7.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and German)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.37 years male: 70.76 years female: 78.2 years (2003 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.5% male: 99.4% female: 97.8% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 38.9 years male: 37.1 years female: 40.7 years (2002)

Nationality

noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s) adjective: Croatian

Net migration rate

1.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population

4,422,248 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate

0.31% (2003 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%, others and unknown 6.2% (2001)

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 total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.93 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Disputes - international

discussions continue with Bosnia and Herzegovina on sections of the Una River and villages at the base of Mount Pljesevica; parliamentarians are far from ratifying the Croatia-Slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of Pirin Bay and maritime access to Slovenia and several villages to Croatia; in late 2002, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro adopted an interim agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka Peninsula, allowing the withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission (UNMOP), but discussions could be complicated by the inability of Serbia and Montenegro to come to an agreement on the economic aspects of the new federal union; Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and ethnic minority rights issues stemming from border changes after the Second World War

Illicit drugs

transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe; has been used as a transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe

Airports

59 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 16 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 9 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 43 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 34 (2002)

Heliports

1 (2002)

Highways

total: 28,123 km paved: 23,792 km (including 410 km of expressways) unpaved: 4,331 km (2000)

Merchant marine

total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 765,830 GRT/1,188,948 DWT note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Hong Kong 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 16, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 5, multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 3

Pipelines

gas 1,374 km; oil 583 km (2003)

Ports and harbors

Dubrovnik, Dugi Rat, Omisalj, Ploce, Pula, Rijeka, Sibenik, Split, Vukovar (inland waterway port on Danube), Zadar

Railways

total: 2,296 km standard gauge: 2,296 km 1.435-m gauge (983 km electrified) (2002)

Waterways

785 km note: (perennially navigable; large sections of Sava blocked by downed bridges, silt, and debris)