The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

      Land use: arable land: 23.55% permanent crops: 2.24% other: 74.21% (1998 est.)

      Irrigated land:

       30 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       destructive earthquakes

      Environment - current issues: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992–95 civil strife

      Environment - international agreements:

       party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity,

       Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous

       Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone

       Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

       signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic

       Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

      Geography - note:

       controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and

       Turkish Straits

      People Croatia

      Population:

       4,422,248 (July 2003 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 18.3% (male 415,873; female 394,414)

       15–64 years: 66.1% (male 1,465,488; female 1,454,778)

       65 years and over: 15.6% (male 258,943; female 432,752) (2003 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 38.9 years

       male: 37.1 years

       female: 40.7 years (2002)

      Population growth rate:

       0.31% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       12.76 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       11.25 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       1.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 6.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 7.78 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 74.37 years

       male: 70.76 years

       female: 78.2 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.93 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       200 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       less than 10 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Croat(s), Croatian(s)

       adjective: Croatian

      Ethnic groups:

       Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, Bosniak 0.5%, Hungarian 0.4%, Slovene 0.3%,

       Czech 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Albanian 0.1%, Montenegrin 0.1%, others 4.1%

       (2001)

      Religions:

       Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, Muslim 1.3%, Protestant 0.3%,

       others and unknown 6.2% (2001)

      Languages:

       Croatian 96%, other 4% (including Italian, Hungarian, Czech,

       Slovak, and German)

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 98.5%

       male: 99.4%

       female: 97.8% (2003 est.)

      Government Croatia

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of Croatia

       conventional short form: Croatia

       local short form: Hrvatska

       local long form: Republika Hrvatska

      Government type:

       presidential/parliamentary democracy

      Capital:

       Zagreb

      Administrative divisions:

       20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad -

       singular); Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Zupanija, Brodsko-Posavska

       Zupanija, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska Zupanija, Istarska Zupanija,

       Karlovacka Zupanija, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka Zupanija,

       Krapinsko-Zagorska Zupanija, Licko-Senjska Zupanija, Medimurska

       Zupanija, Osjecko-Baranjska Zupanija, Pozesko-Slavonska Zupanija,

       Primorsko-Goranska Zupanija, Sibensko-Kninska Zupanija,

       Sisacko-Moslavacka Zupanija, Splitsko-Dalmatinska Zupanija,

       Varazdinska Zupanija, Viroviticko-Podravska Zupanija,

       Vukovarsko-Srijemska Zupanija, Zadarska Zupanija, Zagreb*,

       Zagrebacka Zupanija

      Independence:

       25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

      National holiday:

       Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

      Constitution:

       adopted on 22 December 1990

      Legal system:

       based on civil law system

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Stjepan (Stipe) MESIC (since 18 February

       2000)

       head of government: Prime Minister Ivica RACAN (since 27 January

       2000); Deputy Prime Ministers Goran GRANIC (since 27 January 2000),

       Ante SIMONIC (since 30 July 2002), Zeljka ANTUNOVI (since 27 January

       2000), Slavko LINIC (since 27 January 2000)

       cabinet: Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and

       approved by the House of Representatives

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;

       election last held 7 February 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime

       minister nominated by the president in line with the balance of

       power in the Assembly

       note: government coalition - SDP, HSLS, HSS, LP, HNS; a sixth party,

       the Istrian