Croatia joins the EU!! 01/07/2013 - On the 1 July 2013, Croatia became the 28th member of the EU after a decade of carrying out all the reforms needed to bring it into line with EU laws and standards. CROATIA : Year of EU entry: 2013 Capital city: Zagreb Total area: 56 594 km² Population: 4 398 150 Currency: kuna Schengen area: Croatia is expected to join the Schengen area by 2015 Croatia Introducing Croatia Croatia borders Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. It has been an independent country since 1991. For over 70 years before that, it was part of the former Yugoslavia. History The duchy of Croatia first appeared in the 8th century, becoming a kingdom 200 years later. It was heavily influenced by neighbouring Austria and Hungary in the following decades, while the 15th to 17th centuries saw frequent clashes with the Ottoman Empire. Flag The three colours of the Croatian flag represent Croatia’s three constituent states: the Kingdom of Croatia (red and white), the Kingdom of Slavonia (white and blue) and the Kingdom of Dalmatia (red and blue). Parliamentary democracy Croatia is a parliamentary democracy. Power is divided between: the elected parliament (legislative), the government and elected president (executive) and autonomous courts (judicial). Geography Much of Croatia is lowland. Its mountains and in particular its beaches attract many visitors. Croatia also has 1 246 islands and islets, of which just 48 are permanently inhabited.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:24:47 +0000