Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on 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, sharing a maritime border with Italy.
The Geography of Croatia is defined by its location—it is described as a part of Central Europe and Southeast Europe, a part of the Balkans and Mitteleuropa. Croatia’s territory covers 56,594 km², making it the 127th largest country in the world.
Key Cities
Key cities in Croatia include: Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Zadar
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
After the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian kingdom in 1867, Croatia became part of Hungary until the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918 following its defeat in World War I. On Oct. 29, 1918, Croatia proclaimed its independence and joined in union with Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia to form the Kingdom of Serbs,
The culture of Croatia has roots in a long history: the Croatian people have been inhabiting the area for fourteen centuries, but there are important remnants of the earlier periods still preserved in the country. Because of its geographic position, Croatia represents a blend of four different culture.
According to the 2011 census 86.28% of Croatians are Catholics, while Orthodox Christians make up 4.44% of the population, Muslims 1.47%, and Protestants 0.34% of the population. 3.81% of Croatians are not religious and atheists, 0.76% are agnostics and sceptics, and 2.17% are undeclared.
Brief Country History
Before 5,000 BC the people of what is now Croatia learned to farm although they only had stone tools. Later they learned to use bronze then iron. After 390 BC Greeks settled in colonies along the coast. Then after 229 BC the Romans gradually took control of Croatia. By 12 AD the Romans ruled it all. The Romans divided up the area into provinces. The coast was made the province of Dalmatia. Part of Croatia became the province of Noricum (which included part of Austria). The rest of Croatia became the province of Pannonia (which included part of Hungary). In time the Croatian adopted the Roman way of life. The Romans founded new towns and they built roads. However Roman control of Croatia collapsed in the 5th century.
In 1914 the First World War began. Even before it ended in November 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Empire was breaking up. Croatia declared its independence in October 1918. Nevertheless, on 1 December 1918, the Croats agreed to join with Slovenes and Serbs to form a new state called the kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The Croats soon became disenchanted as they wanted the new state to be federal whereas it became a unitary state. Demands for autonomy were led by Stjepan Radic, who was shot in 1928.
In 1929 King Alexander suspended parliament and introduced a royal dictatorship. The state was renamed Yugoslavia. In the 1930s there were 2 extremist parties in Croatia. The Communists and the Fascist Ustase, which was founded by Ante Pavelic in 1929. In 1939 the Yugoslav government gave in to demands for Croatian autonomy and created an autonomous region called the Banovina.
The same year the Second World War began. At first, Yugoslavia was neutral but in March 1941 a coup was held by pro-British officers. As a result, the Germans attacked Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941 and they quickly conquered the country. The Germans set up a puppet state in Croatia with the fascist Ustase in charge. However, Croatia was liberated by partisans in 1945 and afterward, a Communist regime was imposed.
However, during the 1960s nationalism re-emerged in Croatia. Some people demanded more autonomy but in 1971 Tito, the Communist leader put a lid on all demands for reform. However, Tito died in 1980.
Communism collapsed in most of Eastern Europe in 1989. The same year non-Communist organizations were formed in Croatia. In May 1990 elections were held. The Croatians sought to leave Yugoslavia but there was a substantial minority of Serbs living in Croatia. In May 1991 the Croatians voted for independence. However, on the pretext of protecting Serbs living within Croatian borders, the Yugoslav army invaded and a long war began.
Meanwhile the EU nations recognized Croatian independence on 15 January 1992. The war ended in 1995 with the Erdut Agreement. Eastern Slavonia was administered by the UN until 1998 when it was handed over to Croatia. Croatia joined NATO in 2009. Then in 2013, Croatia joined the EU. Meanwhile, tourism is flourishing in Croatia. The population of Croatia is 4.3 million.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
Standard Croatian is the official language of the Republic of Croatia and, along with Standard Bosnian and Standard Serbian, one of three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatian is a South Slavic language spoken mainly in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and the neighboring countries by about 5.5 million people. The oldest texts in Croatian date back to the 11th century and were written in the Glagolitic alphabet, mainly in Croatia.
Important Types of Commerce in Croatia
Croatia is a country located between southeast Europe and central Europe which spans an area of about 21,851 square miles with a population size of 4.28 million people. The economy of Croatia is largely based on the service industry with the tertiary sector which accounts for about 60% of the country’s GDP. Here are the largest industries in Croatia:
- Tourism
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture
Language Services US and others will provide working with Croatia
Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Having up to approximately 17 million to 21 million Croatian speakers, the interaction between Croatian and other languages has increased. Many Croatian people need to translate birth certificates and transcripts from Croatian into English. Court trials also require certified translations, and medical translation is increasingly needed as well. The importance of language service is paramount. Croatian interpretation may be required in the following settings asylum and immigration, family and children issues, crime, housing, mental health, medical issues, social services, welfare benefits, business meetings and conferences.
Looking for a Croatian translation company? Look no further. American Language Services (AML-Global) offers certified translations, native interpreting services, and turn-key localization solutions for any language. Call us today @ 1-800-951-5020 for further information, visit our website https://www.alsglobal.net/ or for a quick quote click http://alsglobal.net/quick-quote.php.
