Croatia
Croatia, also known as the Republic of Croatia, is located in
central Europe. It has an area of 56,500 km2 and a population of
4.44 million. The country is mainly occupied by Croats, although
other groups such as Serbians, Hungarians, Italians and others also
reside there. The official religion is Catholic and the official
language is Croatian. The Kuna is the unit of currency and the
capital city is Zagreb.
Flag
The national flag consists of three horizontal stripes of red, white
and blue, with Croatia's national emblem painted in the middle.
History
From the eighth century to the early ninth century, the Croats had
an early feudal state. In the 10th century, the powerful kingdom of
Croatia was established. Between 1102 and 1527, Croatia was under
the rule of Hungary. Between 1527 and 1918, Croatia was ruled by the
Habsburg dynasty until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire.
In December 1918, Croatia and a number of national unities
established the southern Slavic kingdom of SerbiaCroatiaSlovenia,
which in 1929 was renamed Yugoslavia. In 1941, German and Italian
fascist invasion supported the establishment of the "Independent
State of Croatia." In 1945, after winning the Yugoslavia
anti-fascist war, the country was proclaimed the Federal People's
Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1965, it was renamed the Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with the Republic of Croatia one of
its six states. On June 25, 1991, it renounced the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia and gained independence.
Economy and Culture
Croatia's primary industries are petroleum, chemical, machine
building and shipbuilding. The old town of Dubrovnik is one the best
preserved European medieval cities. The country benefits from
beautiful scenery and pleasant weather, and is sometimes known as
the "Pearl of the Adriatic."
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Built in 1949, the Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in the
Plitvice Lake Basin. Its landscape is world famous, with unique
natural beauty and a scientific value to win. The park covers an
area of 35,000 hectares, with winding canyons in the limestone and
dolomite that turn the River Korana into a string of lakes. The
level of disparity between the lakes has formed numerous small
waterfalls.
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