Careers, Jobs and Education Resources for: Croatia

Economic Overview

Once one of the wealthiest of the yugoslav republics, croatia's economy suffered badly during the 1991-95 war as output collapsed and the country missed the early waves of investment in central and eastern europe that followed the fall of the berlin wall. since 2000, however, croatia's economic fortunes have begun to improve slowly, with moderate but steady gdp growth between 4% and 6% led by a rebound in tourism and credit-driven consumer spending. inflation over the same period has remained tame and the currency, the kuna, stable. nevertheless, difficult problems still remain, including a stubbornly high unemployment rate, a growing trade deficit and uneven regional development. the state retains a large role in the economy, as privatization efforts often meet stiff public and political resistance. while macroeconomic stabilization has largely been achieved, structural reforms lag because of deep resistance on the part of the public and lack of strong support from politicians. the eu accession process should accelerate fiscal and structural reform.

Environmental 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

Government Type

Presidential/parliamentary democracy

Population

4,491,543 (july 2008 est.)

Location

Southeastern europe, bordering the adriatic sea, between bosnia and herzegovina and slovenia

Area

Total: 56,542 sq km land: 56,414 sq km water: 128 sq km

Slightly smaller than west virginia

Country Aliases

Conventional long form: republic of croatia conventional short form: croatia local long form: republika hrvatska local short form: hrvatska former: people's republic of croatia, socialist republic of croatia

Capital

Name: zagreb geographic coordinates: 45 48 n, 16 00 e time difference: utc+1 (6 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last sunday in march; ends last sunday in october

Military Service

18-27 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age with consent for voluntary service; 6-month conscript service obligation; full conversion to professional military service by 2010 (2006)

International Disputes

Dispute remains with bosnia and herzegovina over several small disputed sections of the boundary related to maritime access that hinders ratification of the 1999 border agreement; the croatia-slovenia land and maritime boundary agreement, which would have ceded most of pirin bay and maritime access to slovenia and several villages to croatia, remains un-ratified and in dispute; slovenia also protests croatia's 2003 claim to an exclusive economic zone in the adriatic; as a european union peripheral state, slovenia imposed a hard border schengen regime with non-member croatia in december 2007