*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