About Croatia

Welcome to About Croatia!

I created this web page for all those people who would like to get information about Croatia and learn a little bit more about this beautiful Central European and Mediterranean country. I will be writing about Croatian history, culture, geography, economy, people and a lot of other interesting facts regarding Croatia. In this first entry I provide you with a small map that shows you all where is Croatia located on the map of the European continent. Croatia is the small orange highlited country on the coast of the Adeiatic Sea.

I hope you will enjoy my hub!

Croatia (Hrvatska), officially the Republic of Croatia (Republika Hrvatska), is a country at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Central Europe. Croatia shares land borders with Slovenia and Hungary on the north, Serbia on the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the south and east, and Montenegro on the south, as well as a sea border with Italy to the west. It is a candidate for membership in the European Union and NATO.

Capital: Zagreb

Anthem: Our beautiful homeland (Lijepa naša domovino)

Area: 56,542 sq km

Population: ca. 4,550,000

Internet TLD: .hr

Calling code: +385

The Croats settled in the area of the Balkans in early 7th century and formed two principalities: Dalmatia and Panonia or Red and White Croatia as they were called. The establishment of the Trpimirovic dinasty ca 850 brought strengthening to the Dalmatian Croatia, which together with the Pannonian Croatia became a Kingdom in 925 under King Tomislav, the first King of Croatia.

In the year of 1102, Croatia entered into a personal union with the Hungarian Kingdom. The signed agreement was known as "Pacta Conventa". After the 1526 Battle of Mohacs the "reliquiae reliquiarum" ("remains of the remains of a once great Croatian Kingdom") of Croatia became a part of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1527.

After the First World War it was time for the Croatians to join another state. It was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, from 1918-1929, and Kingdom of Yugoslavia, from 1929-1941. In 1941-1945 an Axis puppet-state known as the Independent State of Croatia was set up by Ante Pavelic, and after the victory of the Allies, Croatia became a constitutive republic of the new comunist state of Yugoslavia ruled by Josip Broz Tito.

In 1991 Croatia declared independence, and a bitter and costly war was fought (originally between the new independant Croatia and the Yugoslav People's Army), and then mutating into a conflict between independent Croatia and the rebel Serbs, with the support of Slobodan Milosevic'es Serbia proper. The war ended with a decisive Croatian victory in 1995 and the new state of Croatia was formed after almost 900 years of Croatia being part of other federational states and ruled by foreign rulers.

Republic of Croatia is now a democratic state and it is in the proces of entering the European Union.

The culture of Croatia has roots in a long history: the Croatian people have been inhabiting the area for thirteen centuries, but there are important remnants of the earlier periods still preserved in the country.

Some of the earliest remaining historical features include 100,000 year old bones of a Neandertal man near Krapina (Krapina-Zagorje county).

Greeks from Syracuse in Sicily in 390 BC came to islands of Vis (Issa), Hvar (Pharos) and Korčula (Corcyra Nigra) and there have founded city-states in which they lived quite isolated. Pharos and Issa were strong Greek centers that showed their independence with their own money and marital fleet. While the Greek colonies were flourishing on the island, on the continent the Illyrians were organizing their centers. Their art was greatly influenced by Greek art, and they have even copied some. Illyrians even conquered Greek colonies on Dalmatian islands. Famous was the queen Teuta of Issa (today island of Vis) which waged wars with Romans. But finally, Romans subdued Illyrians in first century BC, and after that the history of these parts is a history of Illyrian provinces of Rome and Byzantium.

Romans organized the entire coastal territory by transforming citadels to urban cities. There have been at least thirty urban cities in Istria, Liburnia and Dalmatia with roman citizenship . The best-preserved nets of roman streets are those in Epetion (Poreč) and Jader (Zadar). The most entirely preserved roman monuments are in Pola (Pula) as: stonewalls, two city gates, two temples on Forum, and remains of two theaters, as well as the Arch from year 30 AD, and the temple of August build in years 2 to 14 AD, and finally the Fluvian Amphitheater (so called – Arena) from 2nd century. In 3rd century AD the city of Salona becomes the largest (it had 40 000 inhabitants) and most important city of Dalmatia. Near the city emperor Diocletian, born in Salona, build the Palace (around year 300 AD), which is largest and most important monument of late antique architecture in the World. In the Palace we can trace numerous different art influences from the entire Empire.

In the 7th century the Croats, with other Slavs and Avars, came from Northern Europe to the region where they live today. The Croats were open to roman art and culture, and first of all to Christianity. First churches were build as royal sanctuaries, and influences of roman art was strongest in Dalmatia where urbanization was thickest, and there was largest number of monuments. Gradually that influence was neglected and certain simplification, alteration of inherited forms and even creation of original buildings appeared.

The largest and most complicated central based church from 9th century is St Donatus in Zadar. From those times, with its size and beauty we can only compare the chapel of Charlemagne in Aachen. Altar enclosure and windows of those churches were highly decorated with transparent shallow string-like ornament that is called Croatian pleter (meaning to weed) because the strings were threaded and rethreaded through itself. Sometimes the figures from Bible appeared along side this decoration, like relief in Holy Nedjeljica in Zadar, and then they were subdued by their pattern. That happened to engravings in early Croatian script – Glagolitic. Soon, the glagolic writings were replaced with Latin on altar boundaries and architraves of old-Croatian churches.

By joining the Hungarian state in the twelfth century, Croatia lost its independence, but it didn't lose its ties with the south and the west, and instead this ensured the beginning of a new era of Central European cultural influence. Early Romanesque art appeared in Croatia at the beginning of 11th century with strong development of monasteries and reform of the church. In that period many valuable monuments and artefacts alongside Croatian coast were made, like Cathedral of St. Anastasia, Zadar (natively - St. Stošija) in Zadar (13th century). In Croatian Romanesque sculpture we have a transformation of decorative interlace relief (Croatian pleter) to figurative. The best examples of Romanesque sculpture are: wooden doors of Split cathedral done by Andrija Buvina (c.1220) and Stone portal of Trogir cathedral done by artisan Radovan (c. 1240). Early frescoes are numerous and best preserved in Istria. On them we can evidence the mixing of influences of Eastern and Western Europe. The oldest miniatures are from 13th century – Evangelical book from Split and Trogir.

The Gothic art in 14th century was supported by culture of cities councils, preaching orders (like Franciscans), and knightly culture. It was the golden age of free Dalmatian cities that were trading with Croatian feudal nobility in the continent. Largest urban project of those times was complete building of two new towns – Small and Large Ston, and about a kilometre of wall with guard towers between them (14th century). After Hadrian's wall in Scotland, the longest wall in Europe.

Tatars destroyed Romanesque cathedral in Zagreb during their scourge in 1240, but right after their departure Zagreb got the title of a free city from Hungarian king Bela IV. Soon after bishop Timotej began to rebuild the cathedral in new Gothic style. During the 14th century, the Split cathedral of St Duje and cluster of Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik were also build. The Church of St Mark in Zagreb was built in 14th and 15th century in Late Gothic style. Zadar was independent Venetian city. The most beautiful examples of gothic humanism in Zadar are reliefs in gilded metal as in Arc of St Simon by artisan from Milan in 1380. Gothic painting is less preserved, and finest works are in Istria as fresco-cycle of Vincent from Kastv in Church of Holy Mary in Škriljinah near Beram, from 1474. From that times are the two of the best and most decorated illuminated liturgies done by monks from Split, – Hvals’ Zbornik (today in Zagreb) and Misal of Bosnian duke Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić (now in Istanbul).

In 15th century, Croatia was divided between three states – northern Croatia was a part of Austrian Empire, Dalmatia was under the rule of Venetian Republic (with exception of Dubrovnik) and Slavonia was under Ottoman occupation. Dalmatia was on the periphery of several influences so religious and public architecture with clear influence of Italian renaissance flourished. Three works out of that period are of European importance, and will contribute to further development of Renaissance: Cathedral of St.Jacob in Šibenik, in 1441 by Juraj Dalmatinac; chapel of Blessed John from Trogir in 1468 by Nikola Firentinac; and Sorkočević’s villa in Lapad near Dubrovnik in 1521. The most important Croatian renaissance painters are from Dubrovnik: Lovro Dobričević, Mihajlo Hamzić and Nikola Božidarević. They painted the altar screens with first hints of portraits in characters, linear perspective and even still life motifs. In northwestern Croatia, the beginning of the wars with the Ottoman Empire caused many problems but in the long term it both reinforced the northern influence (by having the Austrians as the rulers). With permanent danger by Ottomans from east, there was modest influence of renaissance, while fortifications thrived, like fortified city of Karlovac in 1579 and fort of Ratkay family in Veliki Tabor from 16th century. Some of the famous Croatian renaissance artists lived and worked in other countries, like brothers Laurana (natively - Vranjanin, Franjo and Luka), miniaturist Juraj Klović (also known as Giulio Clovio) and famous mannerist painter Andrija Medulić (teacher of El Greco).

In 17th and 18th century Croatia was reunited with the parts of country that were occupied by Venetian Republic and Ottoman Empire. The unity attributed to sudden flourishing of Art in every segment.

In northern Croatia and Slavonia sprung out numerous and worthy works of baroque art – from urban plans and large forts to churches, palaces, public buildings and monuments, all were done in Baroque style. Large fortifications with radial plan, ditches and numerous towers were built because of constant Ottoman threat. The two largest ones were Osijek and Slavonski Brod. Later they become large cities. Urban planning of Baroque is felt in numerous new towns like Karlovac, Bjelovar, Koprivnica, Virovitica etc. Cities of Dalmatia also got baroque towers and bastions incorporated in their old walls, like the ones in Pula, Šibenik or Hvar. But biggest baroque undertaking happened in Dubrovnik in 17th century after catastrophic earthquake in 1667 when almost entire city was destroyed. In Baroque style were rebuilt the church of St Vlaho on the main square (1715), Main Chatedral and Jesuit monastery with church of St Ignatius. Wall painting experienced flourishing in all parts of Croatia, from illusionist frescoes in church of Holy Mary in Samobor, St Catherine in Zagreb to Jesuit church in Dubrovnik. An exchange of artists between Croatia and other parts of Europe happened. The most famous Croatian painter was Federiko Benković who worked almost his entire life in Italy, while an Italian – Francesco Robba, did the best Baroque sculptures in Croatia.

The turbulent twentieth century re-oriented Croatia politically on many occasions and affected it in many other ways, but it couldn't significantly alter its already peculiar position at the crossroads of many different cultures.

Croatia economy is service based with service sector accounting for 67% of the national total GDP.

Industrial sector is dominated by shipbuilding, food processing and chemical industry taking a significant portion of Industrial output. Industrial Sector represents 27% of Croatia’s total economic output and agriculture represents 6%. Agricultural sector in Croatia started to thrive in recent years; exports of blue water fish experienced a surge in demand especially from the far East. Croatia is a strong producer of wines, olive oils and lavander and most of those products are being exported to the EU.

Tourism is the biggest source of income during the summer. With almost 9 million foreign tourists in 2006 generating a revenue of over 7 billion euros, Croatia is ranked as eighteenth most popular tourist destination in the world.

GDP (2007 estimate)

Total: 68,21 billion $ (70th in the World)

Per Capita: 15,355 $ (53th in the World)

Due to fast economic growth and membership in the European Union and NATO, Croatia has become one of the most popular destinations in Europe for hollidays and living. Buying property in Croatia is not only an investment into a better future, but it is also an excelent business move. During the last few years real estate market in Croatia has been constantly growing and most analists believe that the prices of real estate in the country will skyrocket in the near future. Most people who make a decision to move to Croatia choose the beautiful Adriatic coast as their destination, but the continental part of the country is not to be ignored as well.