67 Facts About Croatia

Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. 

Croatia has an area of 56,594 square km. 

Zagreb is its capital and largest city. 

Croatian is its official language. 

Kuna (HRK) is its official currency. 

Croatia five land bordering countries are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. 

Croatians are the country's inhabitants or natives.

For the most part of the year, Croatia offers breathtaking beauty, delicious seafood, incredible wine, and plenty of sunshine.

The meaning of the name Croatia is unknown.

Croats are thought to have arrived in what is now Croatia in the early 7th century from southern Poland, south of Kraków.

Croatia was once a kingdom in 925, ruled by Tomislav, the country's first king.

Duke Branimir was the first native Croatian ruler recognised by the Pope.

Neanderthal fossils have been discovered in northern Croatia. The fossils were discovered to be from the middle Palaeolithic period.

In 1102 the Kingdoms of Croatia and Hungary were ruled by the same King, Ladislaus I. Hungary makes an important contribution to Croatian tourism. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Hungarians visit Croatia.

Croatians are also excellent conversationalists.

Bog! is a common and friendly greeting among Croats in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hi! and Bye! are both represented by the greeting.

Because of the country's many dialects, it is common for people to have difficulty understanding each other's language and intentions.

Croats murdered between 70,000 and 100,000 people during World War II. This atrocity occurred as part of a racial and ethnic persecution policy.

Lacemaking in Croatia has been designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO due to its distinctive patterns and designs.

In Zavratnica bay, the wreckage of a German WWII ship can be seen in just a few metres of clear water.

Croatia has been described as a country of glittering waters by Lonely Planet, one of the world's leading travel websites.

Croatia was named one of the top 12 best retirement destinations in the world by FORBES magazine in 2011. One possible explanation is that retirees in Croatia are exempt from paying income tax.

The IMF classifies Croatia as an emerging and developing economy.

Croatia is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank.

Tourism is important to the country's economy, which is also based on agriculture.

In 2009, approximately 11 million tourists visited Croatia.

Cres and Krk are the country's two largest islands.

Vis, Croatia's most remote inhabited island, has been named the best beach in Europe for 2016.

At least three of Croatia's numerous deep caves are deeper than 1,000 metres.

The country also has a lake system with distinct colours such as mint green, grey, and blue.

According to some statistics, Croatia is one of the top 40 most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Tourism accounts for 15% of the country's GDP.

Croatia's most important trading partner is the European Union.

The Sea Organ is a piece of architecture in Zadar, Croatia. It is an experimental musical instrument that generates music using sea waves and tubes hidden beneath a set of large marble steps.

Croatia experienced an economic downturn between 2008 and 2015.

Croatia devotes nearly 8% of its GDP to health.

Croatia is a popular destination for celebrities and business titans looking to invest in real estate.

The Institute for Economics and Peace ranks Croatia higher than the United States in terms of safety and security.

Impressed by the beauty of the Dubrovnik, George Bernard Shaw has said "those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik".

The city (Dubrovnik) has also been described as "the pearl of the Adriatic".

Croatia is a biodiversity-rich country.

Croatia has eight national parks in total. UNESCO has designated Plitvice Lakes National Park as a World Heritage Site.

In Croatia, there is a museum dedicated to frogs performing human tasks. Froggyland houses 507 stuffed frogs in 21 cases. The stuffed frogs in the museum are doing a variety of things that people do on a daily basis.

Hum, the world's smallest town, is located in Croatia. The world's smallest town, with a population of 21, is located in the heart of Istria. The town is also mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some consider Vatican City to be the world's smallest city; however, it is a country.

The Walls of Ston in Croatia are the world's longest fortress system. For the last 500 years, the city was protected by the great walls from the Ottomans. The 5 kilometer-long walls envelop Ston and its neighbour Mali Ston.

So far, Croatia has only had one Noble Prize winner. At the time, it was also born in Austria-Hungary. In 1939, Leopold Ruzicka was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Vinkovci, in eastern Croatia, is another city that has been continuously inhabited for the last 8000 years.

Croatia has the world's second highest rate of immigration. Ireland is currently ranked first.

Croatia has designated 47% of its land and 39% of its sea as specially protected areas and conservation areas.

Pula, Croatia, is home to the world's sixth largest amphitheatre.

The necktie was also invented by the Croats. It was done in the 17th century.

Croats are the most fond of football. Water polo, basketball, and handball are also popular among the countrymen.

The famous inventor of alternating current, Nikola Tesla, was born in Serbia ( now Croatia.) On July 10, 2006, Tesla's birthplace became a museum.

Croatian celebrities include soccer player Luka Modric, race car driver Mario Andretti, and singer Jelena Rozga (pop Singer).

The wing span of an adult Eagle owl found in Croatia can reach up to 2 metres. It is Europe's largest owl. There are approximately 1200 pairs of these in Croatia.

Croatia became the EU's 28th member state on July 1, 2013.

Croatia has its first female president, Kolinda Grabar-Kiratovic.

Dalmatian dogs are a popular breed from Dalmatia. However, this name was given in the nineteenth century in the United States. The "Dubrovnik hunter" was its previous name.

In Croatia, there is a Museum of Broken Relationships. People who have been bereaved donate the remains of their loved ones to the museum. Every week, nearly 1,000 people visit the museum.

Croatia is the world's 127th largest country in terms of land area.

Faust Vraneiae invented the parachute in Croatia in 1617.

Pliva, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Zagreb, also invented Azithromycin, a world-famous antibiotic.

Croatian currency (Kuna notes) and (Lipa, the hundredth part of the kuna) are named after the Marten and a lime tree, respectively.

Croatia is known in Croatian as Hrvatska.

In Croatia, primary and secondary education are both free.

Croatia has 1165 Adriatic Sea islands, 66 of which are protected.

The Velebit, Croatia's tallest mountain, is located in Paklenica National Park.