Discover Fascinating Croatia Facts

Dive into the history, culture, and unique insights about Croatia.

Croatia

Background

๐ŸŒ The lands that make up Croatia were once part of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I in 1918. After this war, the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes came together to form a kingdom, which was called Yugoslavia starting in 1929. ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท But things changed in 1991, when Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia! ๐ŸŽ‰ This didn't come easy, though, as it took four years of tough battles to push out the Yugoslav forces. โš”๏ธ

Year Croatia declared independence

1991

Duration of conflict for independence

4 years

Exports - commodities

Croatia's exports are vital to its economy! ๐ŸŒ In 2022, the country exported several key commodities. Here's a fun look at what Croatia traded:

  • Refined Petroleum: This is one of Croatia's main exports, powering not just local cars but also international markets! โ›ฝ
  • Electricity: Yes, Croatia is generating some electricity to sell! โšก
  • Natural Gas: Croatia is also involved in the vibrant natural gas trade! ๐Ÿ’จ
  • Garments: The fashion industry is alive and well in Croatia, with garments making their way to other countries! ๐Ÿ‘—
  • Wood: This precious resource is also on the list, highlighting Croatia's rich forests! ๐ŸŒฒ

These commodities showcase the diverse resources that Croatia brings to the global stage! ๐ŸŒŸ

Exports - partners

Croatia's exports are like a tasty pizza, with something for everyone! ๐Ÿ• In 2022, here's how Croatia shared its goods with its best pals:

  • Italy: 13%
  • Slovenia: 11%
  • Germany: 11%
  • Hungary: 10%
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina: 9%

Looks like Italy is at the top of the list, taking a bigger slice of the pie! ๐Ÿ˜„ Let's take a closer look at these percentages, which add up to a full 100%! A pie chart could really show how much each partner takes up in Croatia's export market! ๐Ÿฅง

Total Export Partners

5

Croatia's Export Partners (2022)

Capital

๐Ÿ™๏ธ The capital city of Croatia is Zagreb! Itโ€™s not just any city; itโ€™s the heart of Croatia, where history meets modern life. Zagreb is known for its beautiful architecture, vibrant culture, and friendly people! ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ทโœจ

Imports - commodities

Croatia imports a variety of important commodities each year! ๐ŸŒ In 2022, the most significant imports included natural gas, refined petroleum, electricity, garments, and cars. These goods are essential for the country's economy and everyday life. ๐Ÿš—๐Ÿ’ก๐Ÿงฅ

Here's a quick breakdown of these commodities:

  • Natural Gas: A crucial energy source for heating and electricity.
  • Refined Petroleum: Fuel for vehicles and various industries.
  • Electricity: Power for homes and businesses.
  • Garments: Clothing items, contributing to the fashion industry.
  • Cars: Not just for transport, but also a symbol of modern lifestyle. ๐ŸŽ๏ธ๐Ÿ’จ

Understanding these imports helps us see what drives the economy of Croatia!

Climate

๐ŸŒ Croatia has a fascinating mix of climates! It mainly features Mediterranean and continental climates. The continental climate is prevalent, bringing us hot summers โ˜€๏ธ and cold winters โ„๏ธ. If you're near the coast, expect mild winters and dry summers, perfect for beach lovers! ๐Ÿ–๏ธ

Predominant climate type

Continental

Summer temperature trend

Hot summers are characteristic

Winter temperature trend

Cold winters are typical

Coastal climate feature

Mild winters and dry summers

Executive branch

In Croatia, the executive branch is led by some notable figures! ๐ŸŒŸ The chief of state is President Zoran Milanovic, who has been in office since February 18, 2020. On the other hand, the head of government is Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who took his position on October 19, 2016. Together, they play important roles in leading the country's government. ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ทโœจ

Current President

Zoran Milanovic

President since

February 18, 2020

Current Prime Minister

Andrej Plenkovic

Prime Minister since

October 19, 2016

Legislative branch

๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia has a unicameral Assembly which is made up of 151 seats. This means all the members work in one house to make laws and decisions for the country. A unicameral structure can help in quicker decision-making! ๐Ÿ’ผ

Total number of seats in the Assembly

151

Natural resources

๐ŸŒ Croatia is rich in natural resources! Hereโ€™s a fun list of what they have:

  • Oil: A vital fuel source! ๐Ÿ›ข๏ธ
  • Coal: Some coal reserves are available for energy production. โ›๏ธ
  • Bauxite: This is an important ore for aluminum production! ๐Ÿ—๏ธ
  • Low-grade iron ore: Useful for making iron, even if it's low-grade! โš’๏ธ
  • Calcium: A key element found in nature! ๐Ÿงช
  • Gypsum: Often used in construction and agriculture. ๐Ÿก
  • Natural asphalt: A natural substance with various industrial uses! ๐Ÿšง
  • Silica: Great for manufacturing glass and ceramics! ๐Ÿถ
  • Mica: Useful in electronics and cosmetics! ๐ŸŽจ
  • Clays: These versatile materials are used in pottery and construction! ๐Ÿบ
  • Salt: An essential mineral for life! ๐Ÿง‚
  • Hydropower: Renewable energy from water, a sustainable source! ๐Ÿ’งโšก

Croatia's natural resources support both their economy and daily lives, making the country a gem of nature! ๐Ÿ’Ž

Economic overview

Croatia's economy is quite fascinating! ๐ŸŒโค๏ธ It's heavily focused on tourism, making it particularly sensitive to global events like the COVID-19 pandemic which hit their economy really hard. ๐Ÿ˜ท Despite the challenges, Croatia became the newest user of the euro in 2023! ๐Ÿ’ถ This change is expected to help them bounce back from a long 6-year recession. ๐Ÿ“‰ However, the country is still facing some significant hurdles such as increasing public debt ๐Ÿ“ˆ due to COVID-19 and various stimulus packages, weak exports ๐Ÿ“ฆ, continued emigration ๐Ÿ›ซ, and the introduction of a new liquefied natural gas import terminal. โš“๏ธ The country's economic journey is definitely one to watch! ๐Ÿ“Šโœจ

Duration of recession

6 years

New euro adoption

2023

Government type

In Croatia, the government operates as a parliamentary republic. ๐Ÿ›๏ธ This means that the government is led by elected officials, and the parliament plays a significant role in legislative decisions. This setup allows citizens to have a voice through their representatives! ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ

Ethnic groups

In Croatia, the diversity of ethnic groups is both interesting and vibrant! ๐ŸŽ‰ Here's a quick look at the percentages of the main ethnic groups:

  • Croats: A whopping 91.6% of the population identifies as Croat! ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท
  • Serbs: Only 3.2% of the population identifies as Serb. ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ
  • Others: Thereโ€™s a small portion, about 3.9%, who belong to other ethnic groups, which includes Bosniaks, Romani, Albanians, Italians, and Hungarians. ๐ŸŒ
  • Unspecified: Finally, 1.3% of the population hasnโ€™t specified their ethnicity.

This shows just how closely knitted the Croatian identity is! ๐ŸŒŸ

Percentage of Croats

91.6%

Percentage of Serbs

3.2%

Percentage of Others

3.9%

Percentage Unspecified

1.3%

Ethnic Composition in Croatia

Religions

In Croatia, religion plays an important role in people's lives. Here's a breakdown of the different beliefs that folks hold: ๐ŸŒŸ

  • Roman Catholic: 79% - The majority of Croatians identify as Roman Catholic, making it the largest religious group in the country.
  • Orthodox: 3.3% - A smaller group, but still significant.
  • Protestant: 0.3% - This group is quite small.
  • Other Christian: 4.8% - Some folks identify as other Christian denominations.
  • Muslim: 1.3% - There is a small Muslim community in Croatia.
  • Other: 1.1% - Includes various other beliefs.
  • Agnostic: 1.7% - Some people question the existence of deities.
  • None or Atheist: 4.7% - A small part of the population identifies as agnostic or atheist.
  • Unspecified: 3.9% - Some folks haven't specified their religious beliefs.

This data is estimated as of 2021. ๐Ÿ“…

Percentage of Roman Catholics

79%

Percentage of Orthodox

3.3%

Percentage of Protestants

0.3%

Percentage of Other Christians

4.8%

Percentage of Muslims

1.3%

Percentage of Others

1.1%

Percentage of Agnostics

1.7%

Percentage of None or Atheist

4.7%

Percentage Unspecific

3.9%

Distribution of Religions in Croatia

Languages

๐ŸŒ In Croatia, language is a vibrant part of its culture! The official language is Croatian, which is spoken by 95.2% of the population. That's a huge majority! ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ In addition to Croatian, 1.2% of people speak Serbian, while other languages make up 3.1% of the population. These include Bosnian, Romani, Albanian, and Italian. There is also 0.5% of the population that speaks unspecified languages. ๐Ÿ“Š This rich tapestry of languages shows how diverse and interesting Croatia really is!

Percentage of Croatian Speakers

95.2%

Percentage of Serbian Speakers

1.2%

Percentage of Other Language Speakers

3.1%

Percentage of Unspecified Language Speakers

0.5%

Languages Spoken in Croatia

Imports - partners

Croatia has a diverse range of import partners, and it seems that its trade is quite focused! ๐ŸŒ Here's a breakdown of the top countries Croatia imports from in 2022:

  • ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy: 14%
  • ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany: 12%
  • ๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Slovenia: 11%
  • ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡บ Hungary: 7%
  • ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States: 7%

It's clear that Italy takes the lead as the biggest partner, but Germany and Slovenia aren't far behind! ๐Ÿ“ˆ This pie chart can show you how these percentages break down visually!

Total Import Percentage from Top Partners

51%

Croatia's Import Partners in 2022

Population

Croatia has a total population of 4,150,116 people! ๐ŸŒ That's a lot of faces and stories in this beautiful country.

Total Population

4,150,116

Area

๐ŸŒ Croatia is a small but beautiful country with a total area of 56,594 sq km! This area is mostly land, measuring 55,974 sq km, while there's also a bit of sparkle in the form of water covering 620 sq km. Letโ€™s take a closer look at these numbers! ๐ŸŒŠ

Total Area

56594 sq km

Land Area

55974 sq km

Water Area

620 sq km

Area Distribution in Croatia

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

๐ŸŒ Let's take a look at Croatia's Real GDP from recent years! This is a snapshot of how much money Croatia makes when we measure power parity, which simply means how much consumers can buy in the local economy. ๐Ÿ“ˆ

  • In 2021, Croatia's Real GDP was $144.425 billion.
  • It grew to $154.574 billion in 2022.
  • The latest estimate for 2023 shows it rising even higher to $159.305 billion! ๐ŸŽ‰

It's exciting to see how Croatia's economy is growing! ๐ŸŒฑ

Real GDP in 2021

144.425 billion USD

Real GDP in 2022

154.574 billion USD

Real GDP in 2023

159.305 billion USD

Croatia's Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Over Three Years

Real GDP per capita

๐ŸŒ๐Ÿฅณ Let's take a look at Croatia's Real GDP per capita! This number tells us how much money each person would have if the country's total economic output was shared equally. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ Here are the estimates over the last few years:

  • 2021: $37,200
  • 2022: $40,100
  • 2023: $41,300

Isn't it great to see the growth? ๐Ÿ“ˆ Each year, it looks like the GDP per capita has been on the rise, showing a healthy economy! ๐ŸŒŸ

Estimates for Real GDP per capita

2023: $41,300, 2022: $40,100, 2021: $37,200

Croatia's Real GDP per capita Over Time

Imports

๐ŸŒ Let's take a look at Croatia's imports over the past few years! ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท In 2023, Croatian imports reached a whopping $46.571 billion! ๐Ÿ“ˆ If we look back to 2022, imports were slightly higher at $46.664 billion. And back in 2021, they were much lower, standing at $36.256 billion. It's clear that Croatia's import trends show some exciting growth! โšก๏ธ

Highest Import Value

$46.664 billion

Lowest Import Value

$36.256 billion

Change from 2021 to 2022

$10.408 billion

Croatia's Imports Over Time

Exports

๐ŸŒ Let's take a look at Croatia's exports over the last few years! In 2021, Croatia's exports were worth $34.367 billion. ๐Ÿ“ฆ Moving on to 2022, they increased to $41.903 billion, and in 2023, they saw an even bigger boost to $44.969 billion! ๐ŸŽ‰ It looks like Croatia's economy is on a positive track with its exports! ๐Ÿ“ˆ

Exports in 2021

34.367 billion

Exports in 2022

41.903 billion

Exports in 2023

44.969 billion

Croatia's Export Growth (2021-2023)

Population growth rate

Croatia's population growth rate is currently at a ๐Ÿ“‰ decrease of -0.46% for the year 2024. This means that the number of people living in this beautiful country is slightly shrinking. ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ’” Let's take a look at how such changes can impact society and the economy.

Population growth rate for 2024

-0.46%