Hrvatska
CroatiaContext of Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west. Its capital and largest city, Zagreb, forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, with twenty counties. Other major urban centers include Split, Rijeka and Osijek. The country spans 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles), and has a population of nearly 3.9 million.
The Croats arrived in modern-day Croatia, then part of Roman Illyria, in the late 6th century. By the 7th century, they had organized the territory into two duchies. Croatia was first internationally recognized as independent on 7 June 879 during the reign of Duke Branimir. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status ...Read more
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west. Its capital and largest city, Zagreb, forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, with twenty counties. Other major urban centers include Split, Rijeka and Osijek. The country spans 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles), and has a population of nearly 3.9 million.
The Croats arrived in modern-day Croatia, then part of Roman Illyria, in the late 6th century. By the 7th century, they had organized the territory into two duchies. Croatia was first internationally recognized as independent on 7 June 879 during the reign of Duke Branimir. Tomislav became the first king by 925, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. During the succession crisis after the Trpimirović dynasty ended, Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest, the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of Austria to the Croatian throne. In October 1918, the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs, independent from the Habsburg Empire, was proclaimed in Zagreb, and in December 1918, it merged into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, most of Croatia was incorporated into a Nazi-installed puppet state, the Independent State of Croatia. A resistance movement led to the creation of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, which after the war became a founding member and constituent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991, Croatia declared independence, and the War of Independence was successfully fought over the next four years.
Croatia is a republic and has a parliamentary system. It is a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen Area, NATO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the World Trade Organization, a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean, and is currently in the process of joining the OECD. An active participant in United Nations peacekeeping, Croatia contributed troops to the International Security Assistance Force and was elected to fill a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council in the 2008–2009 term for the first time.
Croatia is a developed country with an advanced high-income economy. Service, industrial sectors, and agriculture dominate the economy. Tourism is a significant source of revenue for the country, with nearly 20 million tourist arrivals as of 2019. Since the 2000s, the Croatian government has heavily invested in infrastructure, especially transport routes and facilities along the Pan-European corridors. Croatia has also positioned itself as a regional energy leader in the early 2020s and is contributing to the diversification of Europe's energy supply via its floating liquefied natural gas import terminal off Krk island, LNG Hrvatska. Croatia provides social security, universal health care, and tuition-free primary and secondary education while supporting culture through public institutions and corporate investments in media and publishing.
More about Croatia
- Currency Croatian kuna
- Native name Hrvatska
- Calling code +385
- Internet domain .hr
- Mains voltage 230V/50Hz
- Democracy index 6.5
- Population 4784265
- Area 56594
- Driving side right
- Stay safe
During summer make sure you use adequate SPF to protect yourself from sunburn. There are no ozone holes over Croatia but it's fairly easy to burn in the sun. If this happens make sure you get out of the sun, drink plenty of fluids and rehydrate your skin. The locals will often advise covering the burnt spot with cold yogurt bought from the supermarket.
In case of an emergency you can dial 112 - responsible for dispatching all emergency services such as fire departments, police, emergency medical assistance and mountain rescue.
A mine warning signSince the hostilities ended in 1995, there remain an estimated 46,317 landmines in Croatia. However these are not to be found in areas visited by tourists. If you plan to hike consult locals before you go. The mine suspected areas are marked with 13,274 mine warning signs. Although mines are still a problem for Croatia, it is highly unlikely you will spot any minefields in Croatia today.
If you find yourself in area that can be potential contaminated with mines, do not stray from marked roads or known safe areas. As of 2020, very few minefields remain in some rural areas. For further advice refer to Wikivoyage's war zone safety section.
Watch out for bura wind danger signs. The bura can be particularly strong in the Velebit area, where it can blow up to 200 km/h and overturn lorries. However, if the wind is strong enough to pose a significant danger to all traffic on a road section, that section will be closed. During strong bura wind, avoid any activity on the sea. Accidents caused by wind occur every year and claim adventurous tourists' lives in Croatia. From sailing accidents to drownings due to high water.
...Read moreStay safeRead lessDuring summer make sure you use adequate SPF to protect yourself from sunburn. There are no ozone holes over Croatia but it's fairly easy to burn in the sun. If this happens make sure you get out of the sun, drink plenty of fluids and rehydrate your skin. The locals will often advise covering the burnt spot with cold yogurt bought from the supermarket.
In case of an emergency you can dial 112 - responsible for dispatching all emergency services such as fire departments, police, emergency medical assistance and mountain rescue.
A mine warning signSince the hostilities ended in 1995, there remain an estimated 46,317 landmines in Croatia. However these are not to be found in areas visited by tourists. If you plan to hike consult locals before you go. The mine suspected areas are marked with 13,274 mine warning signs. Although mines are still a problem for Croatia, it is highly unlikely you will spot any minefields in Croatia today.
If you find yourself in area that can be potential contaminated with mines, do not stray from marked roads or known safe areas. As of 2020, very few minefields remain in some rural areas. For further advice refer to Wikivoyage's war zone safety section.
Watch out for bura wind danger signs. The bura can be particularly strong in the Velebit area, where it can blow up to 200 km/h and overturn lorries. However, if the wind is strong enough to pose a significant danger to all traffic on a road section, that section will be closed. During strong bura wind, avoid any activity on the sea. Accidents caused by wind occur every year and claim adventurous tourists' lives in Croatia. From sailing accidents to drownings due to high water.
Avoid strip clubs at all costs. They are often run by very shady characters, and often overcharge their guests. Foreigners have been charged €2000 for a bottle of champagne. These clubs overcharge their customers to the extreme, and their bouncers will not have any mercy if you tell them you can't pay. You will soon find yourself in a local hospital. Using common sense is essential, but due to the nature of the clubs this may be in short supply, and you may be better advised simply to steer well clear of these clubs.
Abuse of LGBT people is possible in Croatia, so travellers should avoid public displays of same-sex affection. People in urban centres are usually more tolerant than those in rural areas.
Far-right and Neo-Nazi activism is visible throughout Croatia, mostly targeting minorities like Serbs. While they are somewhat successful in distorting the country's history in World War II (such as by infiltrating the Croatian Wikipedia and feeding it with neo-Nazi propaganda), there is no information that these activists target normal tourists.
Bribery and corruption are still common in Croatia, but unless you get involved in criminal activities, you won't be affected.
