Croatia went into the new millennium recovering from a decade of authoritarian nationalism under president Franjo Tudjman and bitter war.
By early 2003 it had made enough progress to apply for EU membership, becoming the second former Yugoslav republic after Slovenia to do so.
A country of striking natural beauty with a stunning Adriatic coastline, Croatia is again very popular as a tourist destination.
Overview
Croatia's EU Accession talks were postponed because of its failure to detain Gen Ante Gotovina, wanted by the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Croatia later got the green light for talks to proceed in October 2005. The fugitive general was arrested in Spain shortly afterwards.
Zagreb's old town blends the Gothic and Baroque
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The country hopes to become a member of the EU by 2010, remarkable progress since the time of Tudjman's death in December 1999 when the country was in a parlous state.
Its citizens suffered from government-backed attacks on their civil and political rights. The governing party, the HDZ, was then corrupt and the economy was in difficulties, with around 20% of Croatians unemployed.
Presidential and parliamentary elections at the beginning of 2000 ushered in politicians who pledged commitment to Croatia's integration into the European mainstream.
The constitution has been changed to shift power away from the president to the parliament. Croatia has joined the World Trade Organisation and has pledged to open up its economy. It has achieved growth and inflation is under control.
It has rumbling disputes with Slovenia over sea and land borders dating back to the break-up of Yugoslavia and the construction of a controversial coastal bridge that will allow motorists to skirt Bosnian territory has drawn criticism from Bosnia.
Facts
- Full name: Republic of Croatia
- Population: 4.4 million (UN, 2005)
- Capital: Zagreb
- Area: 56,594 sq km (21,851 sq miles)
- Major language: Croatian
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 kuna = 100 lipa
- Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, clothing, chemicals
- GNI per capita: US $8,060 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .hr
- International dialling code: +385
Leaders
President: Stjepan (Stipe) Mesic
Stjepan Mesic won a second five-year term in January 2005. The presidency is a largely ceremonial role.
The president proposes the prime minister but it is for parliament to approve the nomination. The president can dissolve parliament and call elections.
Prime minister: Ivo Sanader
Ivo Sanader says his party has changed since Tudjman's time
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Ivo Sanader, who has been prime minister since 2003, was given a new mandate by the president to form a government after his conservative HDZ party won the most seats in parliamentary elections in November 2007.
The HDZ failed to secure an outright majority in parliament and will therefore need to govern in a coalition.
Mr Sanader, leader of the right-wing Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), has said his party has undergone major change since he took over from the late nationalist president, Franjo Tudjman, and describes it as a traditional conservative party. He has pledged commitment to democracy and the rule of law as well as to upholding human rights and promoting a free market economy.
He has said that EU and Nato membership are the top priority in foreign policy. On the economic front, he aims to address a budget deficit and to reduce the foreign debt.
He comes from an academic background and speaks several languages, including English.
Media
Croatia's media operate in a climate of relative freedom. The constitution bans censorship and guarantees press freedom.
In 2008 US-based Freedom House rated the Croatian media as "partly free", saying officials had sometimes used libel laws against the press.
Croatian Radio-Television, HRT, is a national state-owned public broadcaster and is financed by advertising and licence fee revenues. The frequencies of HRT's third national TV network were allocated to a private bidder in 2003.
Public TV is the main source of news and information for most Croatians. National commercial networks and dozens of private local TV stations compete for viewers.
The press
Television
Radio
News agencies
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