Country name: 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
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: name:Zagrebgeographic 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
Administrative divisions: 20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) and 1 city* (grad - singular) with special county status; Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska, Brodsko-Posavska, Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Istarska (Istria), Karlovacka, Koprivnicko-Krizevacka, Krapinsko-Zagorska, Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj), Medimurska, Osjecko-Baranjska, Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia), Primorsko-Goranska, Sibensko-Kninska, Sisacko-Moslavacka, Splitsko-Dalmatinska (Split-Dalmatia), Varazdinska, Viroviticko-Podravska, Vukovarsko-Srijemska (Vukovar-Syrmia), Zadarska, Zagreb*, Zagrebacka (Zagreb county)
Independence: 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: Independence Day, 8 October (1991) and Statehood Day, 25 June (1991); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia
Constitution: several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990; amended several times, last in December 2013 by referendum
Legal system: civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age, 16 if employed; universal
Executive branch: chief of state:President Ivo JOSIPOVIC (since 18 February 2010)head of government:Prime Minister Zoran MILANOVIC (since 23 December 2011); First Deputy Prime Minister Vesna PUSIC (since 16 November 2012) cabinet:Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the parliamentary assembly elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 10 January 2010 (next to be held in December 2014); the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president and then approved by the assembly election results:Ivo JOSIPOVIC elected president; percent of vote in the second round - Ivo JOSIPOVIC 60%, Milan BANDIC 40%
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Sabor (151 seats; members elected from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms; each of 10 electoral districts elect 14 members, Croatian citizens abroad vote as an electoral district and elect 3 members, national minorities vote as an electoral district and elect 8 members)elections:last held on 4 December 2011 (next to be held in late 2015) election results:percent of vote by party/coalition - Kukuriku 40.0%, HDZ-led Coalitiion 23.8%, Croatian Laborists-Labor Party 5.1%, HSS 3.0%, HDSSB 2.9%, Independent list of Ivan Grubisic 2.8%, HCSP-HSP AS 2.8%, other 19.6%; number of seats by party/coalition - Kukuriku 80 (SDP 61, HNS 13, IDS 3, HSU 3), HDZ-led coalition 47 (HDZ 44, HGS 2, DC 1), Croatian Laborists-Labor Party 6, HDSSB 6, SDSS 3, Independent list of Ivan Grubisic 2, HSS 1, HCSP-HSP AS 1, other 5 note:seats by party as of 25 March 2014 - SDP 58, HDZ 42, HNS 13, HDSSB 7, Croatian Laborists - Labor Party 6, HSU 4, SDSS 3, HGS 2, IDS 2, BDSH 1, DC 1, HSS 1, HSP AS 1, ORaH 1, independents 9
Judicial branch: highest court(s):Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices)judge selection and term of office:president of Supreme Court nominated by president of Croatia and elected by Croatian Sabor for a 4-year term; other Supreme Court justices appointed by National Judicial Council; all judges serve until age 70 subordinate courts:Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts; note - there is an 11-member Constitutional Court with jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues but is outside Croatia's judicial system
Political parties and leaders: Bosniak Democratic Party of Croatia or BDSH [Medzad HODZIC]Croatian Civic Party or HGS [Zeljko KERUM] Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Vladimir SISLJAGIC] Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Tomislav KARAMARKO] Croatian Laborists - Labor Party [Dragutin LESAR] Croatian Party of Rights - dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP AS [Ruza TOMASIC] Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Branko HRG] Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Silvano HRELJA] Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats or HNS [Vesna PUSIC] Croatian Pure Party of Rights or HCSP [Josip MILJIC] Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT] HDZ-led Coalition [Tomislav KARAMARKO] (includes HDZ, HGS, and DC) Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC] Independent List of Ivan Grubisic [Ivan GRUBISIC] Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC] Kukuriku Coalition [Zoran MILANOVIC] (includes SDP, HNS, IDS, and HSU) Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Zoran MILANOVIC] Sustainable Development for Croatia or ORaH [Mirela HOLY]
| | Political pressure groups and leaders: Bosniak Democratic Party of Croatia or BDSH [Medzad HODZIC]Croatian Civic Party or HGS [Zeljko KERUM] Croatian Democratic Congress of Slavonia and Baranja or HDSSB [Vladimir SISLJAGIC] Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Tomislav KARAMARKO] Croatian Laborists - Labor Party [Dragutin LESAR] Croatian Party of Rights - dr. Ante Starcevic or HSP AS [Ruza TOMASIC] Croatian Peasant Party or HSS [Branko HRG] Croatian Pensioner Party or HSU [Silvano HRELJA] Croatian People's Party - Liberal Democrats or HNS [Vesna PUSIC] Croatian Pure Party of Rights or HCSP [Josip MILJIC] Democratic Centre or DC [Vesna SKARE-OZBOLT] HDZ-led Coalition [Tomislav KARAMARKO] (includes HDZ, HGS, and DC) Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS [Vojislav STANIMIROVIC] Independent List of Ivan Grubisic [Ivan GRUBISIC] Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS [Ivan JAKOVCIC] Kukuriku Coalition [Zoran MILANOVIC] (includes SDP, HNS, IDS, and HSU) Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP [Zoran MILANOVIC] Sustainable Development for Croatia or ORaH [Mirela HOLY]
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU, FAO, G-11, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission:Ambassador Josko PARO (since 20 April 2012)chancery:2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone:[1] (202) 588-5899 FAX:[1] (202) 588-8936 consulate(s) general:Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission:Ambassador Kenneth MERTEN (since 3 October 2012)embassy:2 Thomas Jefferson Street, 10010 Zagreb mailing address:use street address telephone:[385] (1) 661-2200 FAX:[385] (1) 661-2373
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue - the Pan-Slav colors - superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms; the coat of arms consists of one main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields) surmounted by five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield; the five small shields represent five historic regions, they are (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia
National symbol(s): red-white checkerboard
National anthem: name:'Lijepa nasa domovino' (Our Beautiful Homeland)
lyrics/music:Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN note:adopted 1972; 'Lijepa nasa domovino,' whose lyrics were written in 1835, served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891 |