Flag of Croatia Coat of Arms of Croatia
Croatia Republic of Croatia , is a country in Central and Southeast Europe , on the coast of the Adriatic Sea . It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west. The Croatian archipelago contains over 1,000 islands and islets, the largest overseas territory on the Adriatic Sea. Its capital, largest city and main cultural and economic centre is Zagreb . Major urban centers include Split , Rijeka , and Osijek . The country is composed of twenty counties spanning 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) within four administrative regions . Croatia has a population of nearly 3.9 million as of 2026[ update]
Croatian history began with the 6th century arrival of the Croats to Roman Illyria . Settled as two duchies a century later, Croatia was granted independence in 878 under Duke Branimir and elevated into a kingdom under King Tomislav in 925. The Trpimirović dynastic succession crisis placed Croatia into a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, amid Ottoman conflict , Croatia aligned with the Habsburg monarchy . It reorganized into the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs before merging into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918. During World War II , most of Croatia was invaded by the Axis powers who installed a puppet state known as the Independent State of Croatia . A resistance movement restored sovereignty, emerging as the Socialist Republic of Croatia within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1943. Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, successfully fighting the War of Independence until 1995.
Modern Croatia is a representative democracy with a prime minister , president , and unicameral parliament . Its constitution ensures separation of powers between the executive , legislative , and judicial branches . Croatian politics reflect a multi-party system . Croatia is part of many international organizations and forums including the European Union , United Nations , WTO , and NATO , among others. It exerts regional influence as a small power in Europe, particularly within neighboring Southeast Europe. Since 1999, the Croatian Armed Forces have deployed internationally for a variety of peacekeeping missions and military interventions. Croatia was elected to serve on the non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council from 2008 to 2009.
A developed country , Croatia has an advanced economy considered high-income and dominated by its service, industrial, and agricultural sectors. Its tourism sector is prominent, generating significant economic activity across the country. Croatia has heavily invested in infrastructure, especially in transport routes and facilities along European corridors . An emerging energy power in Europe, it has strategic investments in liquefied natural gas , geothermal networks , and electric transport. It has extensive biodiversity, wildlife, and natural resources across its geography . Croatia provides social security , universal health care , and subsidized primary and secondary education while supporting culture through media and publishing . (Full article...
Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards. The Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia Croatian : Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske ; ZNDH), was the air force of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a puppet state established with the support of the Axis powers on the territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II. The ZNDH was founded under German authority in April 1941, following the German-led Axis invasion of Yugoslavia .
Although it could not be considered a large air arm in the wider context of World War II, the ZNDH nonetheless had on its charge at one time or another some 650 aircraft between April 1941 and May 1945, as well as anti-aircraft and paratroop units. From humble beginnings in 1941, the ZNDH was still providing some measure of air-support (fighter, attack and transport) until the last days of World War II in Europe. (Full article...
The following are images from various Croatia-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 Croatia joined the
EU in 2013 and the
Eurozone a decade later in 2023. (from
Croatia )
Image 5 Dubrovnik is Croatia's most visited and most popular destination. (from
Croatia )
Image 7 Poglavnik of the Independent State of Croatia,
Ante Pavelić , shakes hands with
Adolf Hitler in 1941. (from
History of Croatia )
Image 8 Croatian musical
diva Josipa Lisac . (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 9 Klis Fortress in the hinterland of town of
Split was one of the places that saw action during the
First Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1242. (from
History of Croatia )
Image 10 Zlatni Rat beach on the Island of
Brač (from
Croatia )
Image 11 The capital city of
Zagreb is the nation's primary economic and financial centre. (from
Croatia )
Image 12 People of Zagreb celebrating
liberation on 12 May 1945 by
Croatian Partisans (from
Croatia )
Image 13 The climax of Hasan Pasha's Great Offensive was
third Battle of Sisak on 22 June 1593. The battle is depicted here by
Johann Weikhard von Valvasor . (from
History of Croatia )
Image 15 Traditional Croatian musicians playing violins (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 16 University Hospital Centre Zagreb is the largest hospital in Croatia and the teaching hospital of the
University of Zagreb . (from
Croatia )
Image 17 One of the seats of 14th-century magnate
Paul Šubić , in
Bribir . Paul held the hereditary titles of the
Ban of Croatia and
Lord of Bosnia . Croatian historians sometimes refer to Paul as "the uncrowned king of Croatia". (from
History of Croatia )
Image 19 Medieval Croatia (dark green) south of
Gvozd Mountain shown in relation to medieval Slavonia (green) centered around
Diocese of Zagreb . (from
History of Croatia )
Image 22 Iapodian headwear and other material culture from
Gacka valley , Croatia. (from
History of Croatia )
Image 23 Pelješac Bridge connects the peninsula of
Pelješac and through it the southernmost part, including
Dubrovnik , with the
Croatian mainland . (from
Croatia )
Image 24 Mass protests in Zagreb against the unification of the
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs with the
Kingdom of Serbia in 1918 (from
Croatia )
Image 25 Kingdom of Croatia c.
925, during the reign of
King Tomislav (from
Croatia )
Image 26 The
Baška Tablet from the 11th century, written in the Croatian language and Glagolitic script. (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 27 Radio Zagreb , now a part of
Croatian national
public broadcasting company,
Croatian Radiotelevision , was the first public radio station in Southeast Europe. (from
Croatia )
Image 28 The assassination of Croatian MPs in the National Assembly in Belgrade was one of the events which greatly damaged relations between Serbs and Croats in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. (from
History of Croatia )
Image 29 The 1527 Cetingrad Charter, preserved in the
National Archives of Austria contains seals of most distinguished Croatian nobles such as:
Ivan Karlović ,
Nikola III Zrinski as well as seal with
Croatian checkerboard . (from
History of Croatia )
Image 30 Pluteus with the figure of king from 11th century, found in
Hollow Church in
Solin is thought to most likely depict a King of Croatia, probably
Petar Krešimir IV or
Demetrius Zvonimir . Above the sculpture,
Croatian interlace can also be seen, which is a common feature of
Croatian pre-romanesque art . (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 31 Marko Marulić (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term "psychology". He is the
national poet of Croatia. (from
Croatia )
Image 32 A map of 10th-century Croatian counties (
županije ), as they were mentioned in
De Administrando Imperio . (from
History of Croatia )
Image 33 The
Split pluteus with the figure of a king, dating from the 11th century. It is hypothesized to depict a Croatian king, probably
Petar Krešimir IV or
Zvonimir . It was originally situated in
Hollow Church . (from
History of Croatia )
Image 34 Zagreb Cathedral in
Zagreb , the capital of Croatia (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 36 Ban
Josip Jelačić at the opening of the first Croatian civic Parliament (
Sabor ) whose deputies were elected on 5 June 1848.
In earlier Sabors, members represented feudal estates rather than citizens. The Croatian tricolor flag can also be seen in the background. Dragutin Weingärtner, 1885. (from
History of Croatia )
Image 37 Poštak Wind Farm near
Gračac ,
Zadar County (from
Croatia )
Image 38 Modern-day
necktie , originating from
cravat worn by Croatian soldiers in 17th century (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 39 Clockwise from top left: The central street of
Dubrovnik , the
Stradun , in ruins during the
Siege of Dubrovnik ; the damaged
Vukovar water tower , a symbol of the early conflict, flying the
Croatian tricolor ; soldiers of the
Croatian Army getting ready to destroy a
Serbian tank; the
Vukovar Memorial Cemetery; a Serbian
T-55 tank destroyed on the road to
Drniš (from
History of Croatia )
Image 40 Two parts of the Triune Kingdom: Croatia-Slavonia (number 17) and Dalmatia (number 5) within Austria-Hungary (from
History of Croatia )
Image 44 A chair designed by Bernardo Bernardi in 1956. (from
Culture of Croatia )
Image 45 Ozalj Castle - one of Zrinski-Frankopan conspirators center and a center of Ozalj literary-linguistic circle which produced Croatian
baroque literature such as:
Putni tovaruš ,
Gazophylacium or
Gartlic za čas kratiti . (from
History of Croatia )
Image 46 Savka Dabčević-Kučar ,
Croatian Spring participant; Europe's first female prime minister (from
History of Croatia )
Image 48 Cardinal
Aloysius Stepinac with the Croatian communist leader
Vladimir Bakarić at the celebration of
May Day in 1945. (from
Croatia )
Image 49 A map of the Istrian peninsula from the Roman map
Tabula Peutingeriana , made sometime in the 4th century (from
History of Croatia )
Image 50 Novigrad Castle , near
Zadar was a place where anti-court supporters held queens Mary and Elizabeth in captivity.
Velebit mountain can be seen in castle's background. (from
History of Croatia )
Count Josip Jelačić von Bužim – 20 May 1859; also spelled Jellachich , Jellačić or Jellasics ; Croatian : Josip grof Jelačić Bužimski ; Hungarian : Jelasics József ) was a Croatian lieutenant field marshal in the Imperial Austrian Army and politician. He was the Ban of Croatia between 23 March 1848 and 19 April 1859. He was a member of the House of Jelačić and a noted army general, remembered for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848 and for his abolition of serfdom in Croatia . (Full article...
Dubrovnik Ragusa , is a city in southern Dalmatia , Croatia , by the Adriatic Sea . It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean , a seaport and the centre of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County . In 2021, its total population was 41,562. Recognizing its outstanding medieval architecture and fortifications, UNESCO inscribed the Old City of Dubrovnik as a World Heritage Site in 1979.
The history of the city probably dates back to the 7th century, when the town known as Ragusa Epidaurum (Ragusa Vecchia protectorate of the Byzantine Empire and later under the sovereignty of the Republic of Venice . Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Dubrovnik ruled itself as a free state . The prosperity of the city was historically based on maritime trade ; as the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa , it achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomacy . At the same time, Dubrovnik became a cradle of Croatian literature . In his letter to Nikola Nalješković (1564), poet Ivan Vidalić named it "crown of Croatian cities". (Full article...
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