Croatia Country Guide
Croatia offers some timeless pleasures. A coastline that stretches over 1778 kilometres, a shimmering sea winding its way around rock strewn coves and pine fringed beaches, Istrian ports buzzing with fisher folk and children diving into the pristine waters – these are some of Croatia’s enduring delights.
Croatia is trendy too, as is evident from the throbbing nightlife of its cities amidst their Roman ruins.
This Croatia Country Guide gives some useful background information on the country. A great way to see the local tourist highlights of Croatia and experience the local culture is by taking a Croatia tour.
Check out the latest Croatia Travel features on YouTube.
Croatia Country Guide
Useful information on this page includes:
Check out our Croatia weather page for some handy information regarding the climate and weather in Croatia. Our six-day Dubrovnik weather forecast will help in planning the upcoming weeks activities.
There are four major television channels in Croatia. These are HRT 1 & 2, RTL Televizija and Nova, which telecast many British and American programmes with Croatian subtitles. HRT 1 & 2 is owned by the government. Since the programmes are not dubbed in Croatian, tourists can enjoy their favourite programmes in the original language. Lately, reality shows have become very popular in Croatia and often tourists are surprised to find the Croatian versions of Pop Idol or Big Brother!
Internet
Just one single computer at some remote corner of a bar is enough for it to be called an internet café and there are many of these in Croatia. Broadband services are not easily accessible but the government is committed to increasing broadband facilities.
Post
Post offices are found in almost every city, town and village of Croatia. Croatia’s postal service is run by Hrvatska Pósta.
Telephone
Tourists can use any of the payphones that are found everywhere in Croatia. Telephone cards for these are available in all denominations and can be purchased even at the newspaper stall.
The currency of Croatia is the Kuna, which actually means ‘marten’, a small animal similar to the weasel. In days gone by, Croatians used the fur coats of these animals as payment. You can check today's Kuna exchange rate at OANDA.com, The Currency Site.
Electricity in Croatia is 220 (230) Volts, 50 Hz. Standard plugs are continental two-pin plugs.
For a list of Croatian embassies around the world and foreign embassies within Croatia, check EmbassyWorld.com.
Population: 4.5 million people
Total Area: 56,542 sq km (21,831 sq miles)
Capital: Zagreb (784,900 people)
Time Zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October)
For current time in Zagreb, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.
Present-day Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire up to the First World War in 1918. Thereafter the Serbs, the Croats and the Slovenes together formed a kingdom which, from 1929, came to be known as Yugoslavia. After World War 2, Yugoslavia became an independent federal Communist state under Marshall Tito. In 1991, Croatia proclaimed its independence from Yugoslavia. Even then, it took four years of intermittent but bitter fighting before the Serb armies left Croatia. The last Serb occupied territory in East Slovenia was returned to Croatia under the supervision of the United Nations in 1998.
Health care in Croatia is adequate and efficient. British nationals with a European Health Insurance Card can avail of free emergency medical attention. But public health care facilities face sporadic shortages of some drugs. Non UK citizens are advised to take comprehensive health insurance cover.
There are no mandatory requirements for vaccination. Tourists must guard against tick-borne encephalitis in the dense forest areas during summer. Ever since avian flu was detected in deceased migratory swans, the Croatian authorities have taken strict measures to control the virus. Tourists are advised to ensure that egg and poultry dishes are cooked adequately and avoid contact with birds.
Croatia made its appearance as a duchy in the 7th century. It became a kingdom in the 10th century and remained so through the following ten centuries. Though it remained a separate state with its own parliament and ruler (called ban), Croatia accepted the authority of its neighbours, Austria and Hungary. It was engaged in acrimonious struggles with the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 17th centuries. From 1941 to 1945, Croatia was a puppet state, but was nevertheless called ‘The Independent State of Croatia’. After the victory of the Allies and Marshall Tito’s People’s Liberation Movement, Croatia was declared a constitutive federal republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Croatia finally gained independence in 1991. Iceland was the first country to accord recognition to independent Croatia on 19th December 1991.It was recognized by the United Nations and the European Union on 15th January 1992.
The language of Croatia has its origins in the Serbo-Croatian or South Slavic language system, which is spoken by the inhabitants of Croatia and the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The phonetics comes largely from the Ijkevian inflexion of the Stokavian language, as well as from the Kajkavian and Cakavian dialects. The written word is based on the Croatian alphabet system that has its roots in Latin.
English and German are the other predominant languages of Croatia. Many Croats also speak Hungarian, Czech, Italian and French.
Croatia is located in the south eastern region of Europe along the Adriatic Sea and is spread over an area of 2197 kilometres. It is smaller than the state of West Virginia and shares a border of 329 kilometres with Hungary, 932 kilometres with Bosnia and Herzegovina, 241 kilometres with Serbia and north Montenegro, 25 kilometres with Serbia and south Montenegro, and 670 kilometres with Slovenia. The strategic location of Croatia gives it control over most land routes from the west of Europe to the Turkish Straits and the Aegean Sea. To view a map of Croatia, click on this link to WorldAtlas.com.
10% of Croatians are Serbs while a small number of the others are Italian and Hungarian in descent. The people of Croatia are traditional yet friendly and warm.
Art
Lace products from threads of the agave leaves found on the Hvar Islands are unique to Croatia. The artistic inclination of the Croatians is also evident in the primeval architecture and distinctive designs of the churches situated between Istria and the Boka Kotorska Bay.
Culture
Croatia is credited with the discovery of the fountain pen and the cravat (the necktie). It also has a rich history replete with literary and artistic masterpieces, monuments, landmarks and men of nobility. There are 6 World Heritage Sites in Croatia and 8 national parks known for their timeless grace and wealth of flora and fauna.
Music
Folk music is very popular in Croatia. Klapa is a type of folk music that originated here. It reflects the Croatians’ love for wine, the sea and the countryside. Folk instruments like the gusle and tamburitza play an integral part in Croatian music, which has also been influenced by music from Central Europe, the Balkans and Mediterranean regions. Croatians enjoy rock and pop music too. Often, their music is accompanied by European dance forms.
Follow the link to view a current list of public holidays in Croatia.
Most Croats follow the Catholic Church. Much of Croatia’s cultural and educational development can be attributed to the important role played by the clergy from the very early times. After being briefly eclipsed by communist forces, the church began rebuilding its presence in the lives of the Croatian people. Croatians are most devoted to ‘Gospa’ or the Blessed Virgin Mary whose churches are to be found all over Croatia. Almost every village has its own patron saint. The patron saint’s day is celebrated with a church service and procession. In some cases, they also have the traditional bonfire. Apart from this, many professionals have their own patron saint as well.
Visa Agencies: It is advisable to hire a visa agency to handle visa formalities and avoid the tedium and the queues involved in this process.
Entry requirements for Americans: American visitors do not require a visa for a visit not exceeding 90 days. However, they do require a valid passport.
Entry requirements for Canadians and Australians: Citizens of these countries do not require a visa for a stay up to 90 days, but they must possess a passport that is valid for the period of stay.
Entry requirements for South Africans: Citizens of South Africa need a visa and a valid passport for the period of their visit.
Entry requirements for New Zealanders: New Zealand nationals do not require a visa for a stay of up to 90 days; they do require a valid passport covering the period of stay.
Passport/Visa Note: All visitors are required to possess documents and tickets for return or onward travel. They are also required to have at least € 50 per day in case they have a confirmed invitation or a tourist voucher, and € 100 per day in other cases.
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