Croatia

The lands that today comprise Croatia were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the close of World War I. 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.

Languages & Population

Approximate Population: 4,493,312 (July 2007 est.)

Nationality (Noun): Croat(s), Croatian(s)

Nationality (Adjective): Croatian

Official Language(s): Croatian

Major Languages Spoken: Bosnian, Croatian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Italian, Serbian, Slovak

Country Facts

Country Name (long form): Republic of Croatia

Country Name (short form): Croatia

Country Name (local long form): Republika Hrvatska

Country Name (local short form): Hrvatska

Name of Capital: Zagreb

UTC Time Difference (from capital): UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Countries Near by, and Bordering Croatia: Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro

Land Area: 56414 sq km

Water Area: 128 sq km

Comparative Area: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Total Land Boundry: 2,197 km

Coastline: 5,835 km

National Holiday: Independence Day, 8 October (1991)

International Phone Code: 385

Currency Code: kuna (HRK)

Internet Country Code: .hr

US Embassy Location: 2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb

US Embassy Mailing Address: use street address