Croatia is a country located in Southeastern Europe with a population of over 4 million people. The majority of people are Roman Catholic and speak Croatian as their official language. Croatia has a long history, having been ruled by Romans, Franks, Hungarians, and was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Yugoslavia before gaining independence in 1991. Croatia joined the European Union in 2013 and has a growing economy focused on tourism and manufacturing, though it still faces issues with corruption and organized crime.

1. Croatia
KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY
Know your world
A PROGRAM OF GLOBAL TIES AKRON

2. Map

3. Country quick facts
● Full name: Republic of Croatia
● Population: 4,008,617
● Capital: Zagreb
● Largest city: Zagreb
● Official language: Croatian
● Major religion: Roman Catholic (86.3%)
● Life expectancy: Male- 73, Female- 80
● Monetary unit: Croatian Kuna
● Main exports: transport equipment, machinery, textiles,
chemicals, foodstuffs, fuels
● GNI per capita: $19,470

4. History
• Romans ruled the land today known as Croatia until the 5th century
and there are still ruins around the country today
• Around the middle of the 7th century, Croat tribes arrived in the land
• Shortly after, they came under Frankish rule and much conversion to
Christianity resulted, which is still evident today, with 90% of the
population identifying as Catholic
• In 925, a king was crowned and Croatia the Kingdom was created
• The Kingdom of Croatia eventually merged with Hungary in the
Middle Ages

5. History continued
• Croatia became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the
19th century until it fell in 1918
• Croatia then became part of communist Tito’s Yugoslavia in
the 1950s
• Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in June 1991
• A civil war resulted from the breakup of Yugoslavia and
Croatia faced many casualties
• Croatia joined the European Union in 2013

6. Bombing of the coastal
city of Dubrovnik during
the civil war in the 1990s

7. Language
• HELLO: Dobar dan
• GOODBYE: Dovidenja
• YES: Da
• NO: Ne
• THANK YOU: Hvala
• YOU’RE WELCOME: nema na čemu
• PLEASE: Molim
• I LOVE YOU: Volim te
• HOW ARE YOU?: Kako si?

8. Government
• President: Zoran Milanovic
• Prime Minister: Andrej Plenkovic
• Parliamentary democracy
• Voting age- 18 years old, 16 if employed

9. Zagreb, the capital

10. Current Issues
● Corruption in the public sector
● Organized crime migration
● Cybercrime
● The Roma, ethnic Serbs, and LGBTQ+
people face discrimination

11. Economy
• Has been doing well economically despite being part of the
communist Yugoslavia until 1991 and the damaging war that
followed independence
• Became a member of the European Union in 2013 (newest
member)
• Heavily relies on tourism, especially on its Adriatic Coast, which is
15% of the GDP (10 million foreign visitors/year)
• Major industries: shipbuilding, construction, petrochemicals, and
food processing

12. Currency
• Euro (European Union)
• 1 US Dollar= 0.92 Euro

13. Traditional Clothing

14. Traditional Dance

15. Food
• Food varies depending on where you are in Croatia: the mainland
or the coast
• The mainland dishes have Slavic, Hungarian, and Turkish
influence, while the coast has more Mediterranean influence like
from Italy and Greek, for example
• Pasta dishes and seafood are common along the coast
• Goulash and stew dishes are common in the mainland
• Popular dessert, fritule, is like little donut holes with powdered-
sugar on top

17. Fun Facts
• The necktie was created in Croatia in the 17th century
• The first ball-point pen was invented in Croatia
• There is hardly any security outside the government buildings, such as the parliament
building, in Zagreb, Croatia
• Croatia has over 1,000 islands!
• Even though he was ethnically Serbian, Nikola Tesla, the famous scientist and inventor,
was born in a small village in Croatia
• The dog breed Dalmatian, got its name from Dalmatia, a south coastal region in Croatia
• The smallest town in the world, according to the Guiness World Records is Hum, Croatia,
with a population of 23 people

18. Hum, Croatia
City of Split on the
Dalmatian Coast
Tesla