*Croatia, Geography Location: Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina Map references: Africa, Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 56,538 km2 land area: 56,410 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than West Virginia Land boundaries: total 1,843 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina (east) 751 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina (southeast) 91 km, Hungary 292 km, Serbia and Montenegro 254 km (239 km with Serbia; 15 km with Montenego), Slovenia 455 km Coastline: 5,790 km (mainland 1,778 km, islands 4,012 km) Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 m depth or to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: Serbian enclaves in eastern Croatia and along the western Bosnia and Herzegovinian border; dispute with Slovenia over fishing rights in Adriatic 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 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% Irrigated land: NA km2 Environment: air pollution from metallurgical plants; damaged forest; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; subject to frequent and destructive earthquakes *Croatia, Geography Note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits *Croatia, People Population: 4,694,398 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.07% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 11.38 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 10.73 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.19 years male: 69.7 years female: 76.89 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Croat(s) adjective: Croatian Ethnic divisions: Croat 78%, Serb 12%, Muslim 0.9%, Hungarian 0.5%, Slovenian 0.5%, others 8.1% Religions: Catholic 76.5%, Orthodox 11.1%, Slavic Muslim 1.2%, Protestant 1.4%, others and unknown 9.8% Languages: Serbo-Croatian 96%, other 4% Literacy: total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 1,509,489 by occupation: industry and mining 37%, agriculture 16% (1981 est.), government NA%, other *Croatia, Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Croatia conventional short form: Croatia local long form: Republika Hrvatska local short form: Hrvatska Digraph: HR Type: parliamentary democracy Capital: Zagreb Administrative divisions: 100 districts (opcine, singular - opcina) Beli Manastir, Biograd (Biograd Na Moru), Bielovar, Bjelovar, Brac, Buje, Buzet, Cabar, Cakovec, Cazma, Cres Losinj, Crikvenica, Daruvar, Delnice, Djakovo (Dakovo), Donja Stubica, Donji Lapac, Dordevac, Drnis, Dubrovnik, Duga Resa, Dugo Selo, Dvor, Garesnica, Glina, Gospic, Gracac, Grubisno Polje, Hvar, Imotski, Ivanec, Ivanic-Grad, Jastrebarsko, Karlovac, Klanjec, Knin, Koprivnica, Korcula, Kostajnica, Krapina, Krizevci, Krk, Kutina, Labin, Lastovo, Ludbreg, Makarska, Metkovic, Nova Gradiska, Novi Marof, Novska, Obrovac, Ogulin, Omis, Opatija, Orahovica, Osijek, Otocac, Ozalj, Pag, Pazin, Petrinja, Ploce (Kardeljevo), Podravska Slatina, Porec, Pregrada, Pukrac, Pula, Rab, Rijeka, Rovinj, Samobor (part of Zagreb), Senj, Sesvete, Sibenik, Sinj, Sisak, Slavonska Pozega, Slavonski Brod, Slunj, Split (Solin, Kastela), Titova Korenica, Trogir, Valpovo, Varazdin, Vinkovci, Virovitica, Vukovar, Vis, Vojnic, Vrborsko, Vrbovec, Vrgin-Most, Vrgorac, Zabok, Zadar, Zagreb (Grad Zagreb), Zelina (Sveti Ivan Zelina), Zlatar Bistrica, Zupanja Independence: NA June 1991 (from Yugoslavia) Constitution: adopted on 2 December 1991 Legal system: based on civil law system National holiday: Statehood Day, 30 May (1990) Political parties and leaders: Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Stjepan MESIC, chairman of the executive council; Croatian People's Party (HNS), Savka DABCEVIC-KUCAR, president; Croatian Christian Democratic Party (HKDS), Ivan CESAR, president; Croatian Party of Rights, Dobroslav PARAGA; Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Drazen BUDISA, president; Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), leader NA; Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS), leader NA; Social-Democratic Party (SDP), leader NA; Croatian National Party (PNS), leader NA Other political or pressure groups: NA Suffrage: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal Elections: President: last held 4 August 1992 (next to be held NA); Franjo TUDJMAN reelected with about 56% of the vote; Dobroslav PARAGA 5% House of Parishes: last held 7 February 1993 (next to be held NA February 1997); seats - (68 total; 63 elected, 5 presidentially appointed) HDZ 37, HSLS 16, HSS 5, IDS 3, SDP 1, PNS 1 *Croatia, Government Chamber of Deputies: last held NA August 1992 (next to be held NA August 1996); seats - (138 total) 87 HDZ Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime ministers, cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or House of Parishes (Zupanije Dom) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Predstavnicke Dom) Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Constitutional Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Nikica VALENTIC (since NA April 1993); Deputy Prime Ministers Mate GRANIC, Vladimir SEKS, Borislav SKEGRO (since NA) Member of: CEI, CSCE, ECE, ICAO, IMO, IOM (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Peter A. SARCEVIC chancery: 2356 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 543-5586 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: (vacant) embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb mailing address: AMEMB Unit 25402, APO AE 09213-5080 telephone: [38] (41) 444-800 FAX: [38] (41) 440-235 Flag: red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (red and white checkered) *Croatia, 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 roughly comparable to that of Portugal and perhaps one-third above the Yugoslav average. Croatian Serb Nationalists control approximately one third of the Croatian territory, and one of the overriding determinants of Croatia's long-term political and economic prospects will be the resolution of this territorial dispute. Croatia faces monumental problems stemming from: the legacy of longtime Communist mismanagement of the economy; large foreign debt; damage during the fighting to bridges, factories, powerlines, 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. At the minimum, extensive Western aid and investment, especially in the tourist and oil industries, would seem necessary to salvage a desperate economic situation. However, peace and political stability must come first. As of June 1993, fighting continues among Croats, Serbs, and Muslims, and national boundaries and final political arrangements are still in doubt. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $26.3 billion (1991 est.) National product real growth rate: -25% (1991 est.) National product per capita: $5,600 (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 50% (monthly rate, December 1992) Unemployment rate: 20% (December 1991 est.) Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $2.9 billion (1990) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 30%, other manufacturers 37%, chemicals 11%, food and live animals 9%, raw materials 6.5%, fuels and lubricants 5% partners: principally the other former Yugoslav republics Imports: $4.4 billion (1990) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 21%, fuels and lubricants 19%, food and live animals 16%, chemicals 14%, manufactured goods 13%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 9%, raw materials 6.5%, beverages and tobacco 1% partners: principally other former Yugoslav republics External debt: $2.6 billion (will assume some part of foreign debt of former Yugoslavia) Industrial production: growth rate -29% (1991 est.) Electricity: 3,570,000 kW capacity; 11,500 million kWh produced, 2,400 kWh per capita (1992) Industries: chemicals and plastics, machine tools, fabricated metal, electronics, pig iron and rolled steel products, aluminum reduction, paper, wood products (including furniture), building materials (including cement), textiles, shipbuilding, petroleum and petroleum refining, food processing and beverages *Croatia, Economy Agriculture: Croatia normally produces a food surplus; most agricultural land in private hands and concentrated in Croat-majority districts in Slavonia and Istria; much of Slavonia's land has been put out of production by fighting; wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflowers, alfalfa, and clover are main crops in Slavonia; central Croatian highlands are less fertile but support cereal production, orchards, vineyards, livestock breeding, and dairy farming; coastal areas and offshore islands grow olives, citrus fruits, and vegetables Economic aid: $NA Currency: 1 Croatian dinar (CD) = 100 paras Exchange rates: Croatian dinar per US $1 - 60.00 (April 1992) Fiscal year: calendar year *Croatia, Communications Railroads: 2,592 km of standard guage (1.435 m) of which 864 km are electrified (1992); note - disrupted by territorial dispute Highways: 32,071 km total; 23,305 km paved, 8,439 km gravel, 327 km earth (1990); note - key highways note disrupted because of territorial dispute Inland waterways: 785 km perennially navigable Pipelines: crude oil 670 km, petroleum products 20 km, natural gas 310 km (1992); note - now disrupted because of territorial dispute Ports: coastal - Rijeka, Split, Kardeljevo (Ploce); inland - Vukovar, Osijek, Sisak, Vinkovci Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 77,074 GRT/93,052 DWT; includes 4 cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off, 10 passenger ferries, 2 bulk, 1 oil tanker; note - also controlled by Croatian shipowners are 198 ships (1,000 GRT or over) under flags of convenience - primarily Malta and St. Vincent - totaling 2,602,678 GRT/4,070,852 DWT; includes 89 cargo, 9 roll-on/ roll-off, 6 refrigerated cargo, 14 container, 3 multifunction large load carriers, 51 bulk, 5 passenger, 11 oil tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 6 service vessel Airports: total: 75 usable: 72 with permanent-surface runways: 15 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5 Telecommunications: 350,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 14 AM, 8 FM, 12 (2 repeaters) TV; 1,100,000 radios; 1,027,000 TVs; NA submarine coaxial cables; satellite ground stations - none *Croatia, Defense Forces Branches: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces Manpower availability: males age 15-49 1,177,029; fit for military service 943,259; reach military age (19) annually 32,873 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: 337-393 billion Croatian dinars, NA% of GDP (1993 est.); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results