Croatia

Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska ), is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Southeast Europe, and the Mediterranean Sea.

• Capital: Zagreb

• Population: 4,500,000

• Ethnic groups: Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other 5.9% (including Bosniak, Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and Roma) (2001 census)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 87.8%, Orthodox 4.4%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.9%, none 5.2% (2001 census)

• Languages: Croatian (known as Serbo-Croatian until 1990s)

• Literacy: 98%

Learn more about Croatia

Culture

The collapse of communism in Yugoslavia led to the escalation of nationalistic tendencies that resulted in the Balkan war (1992-1995). The newly formed states Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina share culture, traditions and history. Thus the implications for SLP found in Bosnia or Serbia website can be applied when working with Croatian clients.

Prior to the disintegration of the country the intermarriages among the peoples of Yugoslavia were quite common. As a result some people, of mixed ancestry prefer to identify themselves as Yugoslavians.

The Illyrians populated modern-day Croatia during the Bronze Age, and some Illyrian buildings from the 7th century BC still stand in Croatia today. Croatian culture is influenced by the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, and Mediterranean culture.

Education

Croatia has free, government-sponsored education through high school, with partially free university education. 

Original Contributor: Gosha Spiess, Winter term 2009