Croatia

The Republic of Croatia is a democratic parliamentary republic at the crossroads of Central Europe, Southeast Europe, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb.

The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. It has mostly continental and Mediterranean climate. Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast contains more than a thousand islands. The country's population is 4.28 million.

 

The Croats arrived in the area of present-day Croatia during the early part of the 7th century. They organised the state into two duchies by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925 AD, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Peter Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir.

 

Croatian is the official language of Croatia, and became the 24th official language of the European Union upon its accession in 2013. Minority languages are in official use in local government units where more than a third of population consists of national minorities or where local legislation defines so. Those languages are Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Ruthenian, Serbian and Slovakian. The money is called kuna.