Terrain: geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian
border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coast, coastline,
and islands
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Dinara 1,830 m
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 sq km
Environment:
current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and
resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from
industrial and domestic waste; widespread casualties and destruction
of infrastructure in border areas affected by civil strife
natural hazards: frequent and destructive earthquakes
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Law of the Sea
Geographic note: controls most land routes from Western Europe to
Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits
People ———
Population: 5,004,112 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 453,142; female 431,118)
15-64 years: 69% (male 1,731,200; female 1,716,824)
65 years and over: 13% (male 252,897; female 418,931) (July 1996
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.58% (1996 est.)