Croatia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Croatia Image File history File links Croatian_Coat_of_Arms. ... The Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska) is a parliamentary democracy with an elected president. ...

Constitution President Stjepan Mesić Parliament Government Prime Minister Ivo Sanader Political parties Elections President: 2005 Parliament: 2003 - 2007 Counties (Županija) Foreign relations EU accession

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The President of Croatia is the head of state. ... Stjepan Stipe Mesić (born December 24, 1934) has been the President of the Republic of Croatia since 2000. ... The parliament of Croatia is called Hrvatski Sabor in Croatian - the word sabor means an assembly, a gathering, a congress. ... List of prime ministers/premiers in the Croatian Government Prime Minister is officially called President of the Government (Croatian: Predsjednik Vlade). ... Ivo Sanader [] (born June 8, 1953 in Split) is the current Prime Thief of Croatia (President of the Government). ... This article lists political parties in Croatia. ... Elections in Croatia gives information on election and election results in Croatia. ... The fourth presidential elections in Croatia took place in two rounds in January 2005. ... Elections for the Croatian Parliament were held on November 23, 2003. ... Next elections for the Croatian Parliament are due to be held in November 2007[1]. ^ Prime minister announcing election Categories: | | | | ... The counties of Croatia are called županije in Croatian, županija is the singular form. ... This article treats the accession of Croatia to the European Union. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...

History

Croatian foreign policy has focused on greater Euro-Atlantic integration, mainly entering the European Union and NATO. In order to gain access to European and trans-Atlantic institutions, it has had to undo many negative effects of the breakup of Yugoslavia and the war that ensued, and improve and maintain good relations with its neighbors. A foreign policy is a set of political goals that seeks to outline how a particular country will interact with the other countries of the world. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[2] (NATO; French: ; also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance, the Western Alliance, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. ... Capital Belgrade Language(s) Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, Macedonian Government Socialist republic President  - 1945 - 1953 Ivan Ribar  - 1991 Stjepan Mesić Prime Minister  - 1945 - 1963 Josip Broz Tito  - 1989 - 1991 Ante Marković Historical era Cold War  - Proclamation November 29, 1943  - UN membership October 24, 1945  - Constitution February 21, 1974  - dissolution June 25...

Key issues over the last decade have been the implementation of the Dayton Accords and the Erdut Agreement, nondiscriminatory facilitation of the return of refugees and displaced persons from the 1991-95 war including property restitution for ethnic Serbs, resolution of border disputes with Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and general democratization. General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, i. ... Languages Serbian Religions Predominantly Serbian Orthodox Christian Related ethnic groups Other Slavic peoples, especially South Slavs See Cognate peoples below Serbs (Serbian: Срби or Srbi) are a South Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia. ... Anthem: Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Anthem: Oj, svijetla majska zoro Oh, the bright dawn of May Capital (and largest city)  Podgorica Official languages Serbian (Ijekavian dialect)1 (local also Albanian) Government Republic  - President Filip Vujanović  - Prime Minister Željko Å turanović Independence from Serbia and Montenegro   - Declared June 3, 2006   - Recognised June 8, 2006  Area  - Total 13... Democracy (literally rule by the people, from the Greek demos, people, and kratos, rule[1]) is a form of government. ...

Croatia has had an uneven record in these areas between 1996 and 1999 during the right-wing HDZ government, inhibiting its relations with European Union and the U.S. Improvement in these areas severely hindered the advance of Croatia's prospects for further Euro-Atlantic integration. Progress in the areas of Dayton, Erdut, and refugee returns were evident in 1998, but progress was slow and required intensive international engagement. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Croatia's unsatisfactory performance implementing broader democratic reforms in 1998 raised questions about the ruling party's commitment to basic democratic principles and norms. Areas of concern included restrictions on freedom of speech, one-party control of public TV and radio, repression of independent media, unfair electoral regulations, a judiciary that is not fully independent, and lack of human and civil rights protection. Democratization is the transition from authoritarian or semi-authoritarian systems to democratic political systems, where democratic systems are taken to be those approximating to universal suffrage, regular free and fair elections, a civil society, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Public broadcasting is a form of public service broadcasting (PSB) intended to serve the diverse needs of the listening public. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In law, the judiciary or judicial is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

A centre-left coalition government was elected in early 2000. The SDP-led government slowly relinquished control over public media companies and did not interfere with freedom of speech and independent media, though it didn't complete the process of making Croatian Radiotelevision independent. Judiciary reforms remained a pending issue as well. This article is about the year 2000. ... Croatian Radiotelevision or Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT) is the Croatian public broadcasting company. ...

Major Croatian advances in foreign relations during this period have included:

• admittance into NATO's Partnership for Peace Programme in May 2000
• admittance into World Trade Organization in July 2000;
• signing a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU in October 2001
• becoming part of NATO's Membership Action Programme in May 2002
• becoming a member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in December 2002
• application for membership in the EU in February 2003
• full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and the beginning of accession negotiations with the EU in October 2005

The EU application was the last major international undertaking of the Račan government, which submitted a 7,000-page report in reply to the questionnaire by the European Commission. Partnership for Peace is a NATO project aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union. ... WTO redirects here. ... A European Union Association Agreement (for short, Association Agreement or AA) is a treaty between the European Union (EU) and a non-EU country that creates a framework for co-operation between them. ...  member states  former member states  prospective member states The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is a trade agreement between Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ivica Račan, former Prime Minister of Croatia Ivica Račan (born February 24, 1944) is a Croatian left-wing politician, formerly the Prime Minister of Croatia. ... The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ...

Foreign relations were severely affected by the government's hesitance and stalling of the extradition of Croatian general Janko Bobetko to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and inability to take general Ante Gotovina into custody for questioning by the Court. Janko Bobetko (1919 - 2003) was a Croatian army general and the Croatian armys Chief of the General Staff between 1992 and 1995. ... The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), is a body of the United Nations (UN) established to... Ante Gotovina Ante Gotovina (born October 12, 1955) is a former lieutenant general (general pukovnik) of the Croatian Army who served in the 1991-1995 war in Croatia. ...

Refugee returns accelerated since 1999, reached a peak in 2000, but then slightly decreased in 2001 and 2002. The OSCE mission in Croatia has continued to monitor the return of refugees and is still recording civil rights violations. Croatian Serbs continue to have problems with restitution of property and acceptance to the reconstruction assistance programmes. Combined with lacking economic opportunities in the rural areas of former Krajina, the return process is highly troubled. 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... RSK may stand for: Republic of Serb Krajina Robinson-Schensted algorithm, between biwords and pairs of tableaux RSK (gene), ribosomal S6 kinase, a notable gene Sanyo Broadcasting, a Japanese radio and TV station Categories: | ...

At the time of Croatia's application to the European Union, three EU countries were yet to ratify the Stabilization and Association Agreement: United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy.

The new Sanader government repeated the assurances that Croatia will fulfill the missing political obligations, and expedited the extradition of several ICTY indictees. Ivo Sanader [] (born June 8, 1953 in Split) is the current Prime Thief of Croatia (President of the Government). ...

The European Commission replied to the answers of the questionnaire sent to Croatia on April 20, 2004 with a positive opinion. The country was finally accepted as EU candidate in July 2004. Italy and Britain ratified the SA agreement shortly thereafter, while the ten EU countries that were admitted to membership that year ratified it en masse on a European Summit. April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In December 2004, the EU leaders announced that accession negotiations with Croatia would start on March 17, 2005 provided that Croatian government cooperates fully with the ICTY. The main issue, the flight of general Gotovina, however, remained unsolved and despite the agreement on an accession negotiation framework, the negotiations did not begin in March 2005. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), is a body of the United Nations (UN) established to... Ante Gotovina Ante Gotovina (born October 12, 1955) is a former lieutenant general (general pukovnik) of the Croatian Army who served in the 1991-1995 war in Croatia. ...

On October 4, 2005 Croatia finally received green light for accession negotiations after the main prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Carla del Ponte officially stated that Croatia is fully cooperating with the Tribunal. This has been the main condition demanded by EU foreign ministers for accession negotiations. The International Criminal Court (ICTY) called upon other southern European states to follow Croatia's good example. Thanks to the consistent position of Austria during the meeting of EU foreign ministers, a long period of instability and the questioning of the determination of the Croatian government to surrender war criminals has ended successfully. The Croatian Prime minister declared that full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal will continue. The Croatian people have always felt attached to Europe and European values are now looking full of hope towards an interesting negotiation period and the fulfilment of an old dream - equal membership in the European Union and the renewed belonging to a European community of values. Procureur (Prosecutor) of the ICTY Carla del Ponte Carla Del Ponte (born February 9, 1947 in Lugano, Switzerland) is currently a Chief UN War Crimes Prosecutor. ... Official logo of the ICC. The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, crime of aggression, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ...

Current events

The main objective of the Croatian foreign policy is admittance to the European Union. It applied in 2003, and began with accession negotiations in 2005 (see also: Accession of Croatia to the European Union). 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article treats the accession of Croatia to the European Union. ...

Government officials in charge of foreign policy include the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, currently Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, and the President of the Republic, currently Stjepan Mesić. The chief EU negotiator is Vladimir Drobnjak. A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the governmental foreign policy of a sovereign nation. ... Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (born April 29, 1968) is a Croatian diplomat, the current foreign minister of that country. ... The President of Croatia is the head of state. ... Stjepan Stipe Mesić (born December 24, 1934) has been the President of the Republic of Croatia since 2000. ...

As of 2004, Croatia has diplomatic missions in 124 locations around the world, including two permanent missions to the United Nations. A complete listing of Croatian embassies in foreign countries is available at "Diplomatic Missions and Consular Offices" at the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

International organizations

Republic of Croatia participates in the following international organizations:

CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMOGIP, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO The Palais de lEurope in Strasbourg Council of Europe Flag: used by the Council of Europe The Council of Europe (French: , German: ) is an international organization of 46 member states in the European region (with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia and Cyprus also extending into Southwest Asia and Russia into... The Central European Initiative or CEI, is a cultural and scientific international cooperative of at present 17 countries, founded in 1991/92 as a successor of the Pentagonale group1. ... The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a NATO organization, a multilateral forum created to improve relations between NATO and non-NATO countries in Europe and those parts of Asia on the European periphery. ... Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe to central Asia. ... The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE or ECE) was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. ... It has been suggested that FAOSTAT be merged into this article or section. ... The Inter-American Development Bank (preferred abbreviation: IDB; but frequently given as IADB), was established in 1959 to support Latin American and Caribbean economic/social development and regional integration by lending mainly to public institutions. ... The IAEA flag The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established as an autonomous organization on July 29, 1957. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of the five institutions consisting the World Bank Group. ... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... Official logo of the ICC. The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, crime of aggression, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ... The Red Cross and the Red Crescent emblems, the symbols from which the Movement derives its name. ... The International Development Association (IDA) created on September 24, 1960, is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. ... The International Fund for Agricultural Development is an agency of the United Nations. ... The International Finance Corporation (IFC) promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries as a way to reduce poverty and improve peoples lives. ... The Red Cross and the Red Crescent emblems, the symbols from which the Movement derives its name. ... The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental international organization established in 1921. ... The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations to deal with labour issues. ... The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by observing exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering financial and technical assistance when requested. ... Headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation in Lambeth, adjacent to the east end of Lambeth Bridge Headquarters building taken from the west side of the Thames Headquartered in London, U.K., the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to... Inmarsat plc is an international telecommunications company founded in 1979, originally as an intergovernmental organization. ... Intelsat, Ltd. ... Interpol (or International Criminal Police Organization) was created in 1923 to assist international criminal police co-operation. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. ... The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from national standards bodies. ... The International Telecommunication Union (ITU; French: Union internationale des télécommunications, Spanish: Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones) is an international organization established to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications. ... The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the worlds largest trade union federation. ... Member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (2005). ... The Organization of American States (OAS; OEA in the other three official languages) is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA. Its members are the 35 independent nations of the Americas. ... The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is not an agency of the United Nations. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), also known as the Hague Tribunal is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. ... Partnership for Peace is a NATO project aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union. ... Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) In the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), Romania has had an opportunity to demonstrate its leadership in the region. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone. ... The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1963 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and development issues. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is an agency of the United Nations with the mission of helping countries pursue sustainable industrial development, it is a specialist in industrial affairs. ... The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) was originally formed to monitor a ceasefire in the border war that began in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea. ... UNMOGIP or United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan was set up in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. ... The Universal Postal Union (UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence the world-wide postal system. ... The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization that helps Members (currently Customs administrations from 169 countries) communicate and co-operate on customs issues. ... The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ... Headquarters in Geneva The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. ... The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 187 Member States and Territories. ... World Tourism Organization Building in Madrid The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. ... WTO redirects here. ...

Foreign support

Croatia receives support from donor programs of:

• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• European Union
• International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
• International Monetary Fund
• USAID

Between 1991 and 2003, the EBRD had directly invested a total of 1,212,039,000 EUR into projects in Croatia. Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe to central Asia. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of the five institutions consisting the World Bank Group. ... The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by observing exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering financial and technical assistance when requested. ... The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the US government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid. ... ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) European Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy (except Campione dItalia), Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. ...

In 1998, U.S. support to Croatia came through the Southeastern European Economic Development Program (SEED), whose funding in Croatia totaled $23.25 million. More than half of that money was used to fund programs encouraging sustainable returns of refugees and displaced persons. About one-third of the assistance was used for democratization efforts, and another 5% funded financial sector restructuring. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

In 2003, USAID considered Croatia to be on a "glide path for graduation" along with Bulgaria. Its 2002/2003/2004 funding includes around $10 million for economic development, up to $5 million for the development of democratic institutions, about $5 million for the return of population affected by war and between 2 and 3 million dollars for the "mitigation of adverse social conditions and trends". A rising amount of funding is given to cross-cutting programs in anti-corruption, slightly under one million dollars. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The European Commission has proposed to assist Croatia's efforts to join the European Union with 245 million euros from PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD aid programs over the course of 2005 and 2006. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) European Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy (except Campione dItalia), Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. ... The Phare programme is one of the three pre-accession instruments financed by the European Union to assist the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their preparations for joining the European Union. ... ISPA stands for the Internet Service Providers Association and is a British body representing providers of Internet Services. ... SAPARD (Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development) established in June 1999 by the Council of the European Union to help countries of Central and Eastern Europe deal with the problems of the structural adjustment in their agricultural sectors and rural areas, as well as in the implementation of...

International disputes

Relations with neighbouring states have normalized somewhat since the breakup of Yugoslavia. Work has begun — bilaterally and within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe since 1999 — on political and economic cooperation in the region. Capital Belgrade Language(s) Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, Macedonian Government Socialist republic President  - 1945 - 1953 Ivan Ribar  - 1991 Stjepan Mesić Prime Minister  - 1945 - 1963 Josip Broz Tito  - 1989 - 1991 Ante Marković Historical era Cold War  - Proclamation November 29, 1943  - UN membership October 24, 1945  - Constitution February 21, 1974  - dissolution June 25... Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe is an institution aimed at strengthening peace, democracy, human rights and economy in the countries of South Eastern Europe. ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Discussions continue between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on various sections of the border, the longest border with another country for each of these countries.

Sections of the Una river and villages at the base of Mount Plješevica are cadastrally part of Croatia, while some are part of Bosnia, which causes an excessive number of border crossings on a single route and impedes any serious development in the region. The Zagreb-Bihać-Split railway line is still closed for major traffic due to this issue. The road Karlovac-Bihać-Knin, which is on the European route E71, is becoming increasingly unused because Croatia built a separate highway to the west of it. Una can mean: Una, a river in Bosnia and Croatia, tributary to Sava Una, a city in Bahia, Brazil Una, a district of Himachal Pradesh, India Una-, a purported SI prefix. ... Lička PljeÅ¡ivica: view from Gola PljeÅ¡ivica PljeÅ¡evica (Croatian Lička PljeÅ¡ivica) is a mountain in Croatia and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of the Dinaric Alps. ... Zagreb (pronounced: ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. ... Municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina General Information Entity {{{entity}}} Land area Population (1991 census) 70,896 Population density Coordinates Area code +387 37 Mayor Hamdija Lipovača (SDP) Website http://www. ... For other uses, see Split (disambiguation). ... Karlovac on the map of Croatia Karlovac municipality within Karlovac county Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. ... Municipality of Bosnia and Herzegovina General Information Entity {{{entity}}} Land area Population (1991 census) 70,896 Population density Coordinates Area code +387 37 Mayor Hamdija Lipovača (SDP) Website http://www. ... Knin is a historical town in the Å ibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. ... Europes road system incorporates a series of European routes, which are numbered E1 and up. ...

The border on the Sava river between Hrvatska Kostajnica on the northern, Croatian side of the river, and Bosanska Kostajnica on the southern, Bosnian side, is also being discussed. A river island between the two towns cadastrally belongs to Croatia but is controlled by Bosnia. The countries have been discussing the building of an international border crossing on the said river island. Sava also Save (German Save, Hungarian Száva) is a river in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, a right side tributary of Danube at Belgrade. ... Hrvatska Kostajnica, often just Kostajnica, is a small town in central Croatia, population 1,993, with total municipality population of 2. ... Hrvatska Kostajnica, often just Kostajnica, is a small town in central Croatia, population 1,993, with total municipality population of 2. ...

The Herzegovinian municipality of Neum in the south makes the southernmost part of Croatia an exclave and the two countries are negotiating special transit rules through Neum to compensate for that. Shield of Neum Neum is the only seaside town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... D is Bs exclave, but is not an enclave. ...

Recently Croatia has opted to build a bridge to connect the Croatian mainland with the southernmost Croatian territory (exclave) but Bosnia and Herzegovina has protested that it will close their way to the international waters (although Croatian territory and territorial waters surround Bosnian-Herzegovinan ones completely) and has suggested that the bridge must be higher over 55 meters for free passage of all types of ships. Negotiations are still being led. The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems (aquifers), and wetlands [1]. Oceans and seas, waters outside...

Slovenia

Croatia and Slovenia have several land and maritime boundary disputes. Croatia seeks international arbitration, however Slovenia opposes.[1]

Slovenia claims the water border in the bay of Piran/Savudrija does not go through the middle of the bay, while Croatia claims it does. This is causing problems for the fishermen due to undefined area where the naval police of each country may patrol. Area: 44,6 km² Population  - males  - females 16. ...

Related to the border in the said bay is Slovenian access to international waters which would require Croatia to cede at least some of its territorial waters to the west of Umag. The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems (aquifers), and wetlands [1]. Oceans and seas, waters outside... Map of Sealand and the United Kingdom, with territorial water claims of 3nm and 12nm shown. ... Umag (Italian: Umago) is a coastal city in Istria, Croatia. ...

A small number of cadastral units on the right-hand side of the river Dragonja in Istria have remained under Croatian jurisdiction after the river was re-routed after the Second World War. This area is located near the Sečovlje-Plovanija official border crossing point (set up by an interim agreement of the two countries in the 1990s). Coat of arms Istria (Istra, pronounced in Croatian and Slovenian; Istria, pronounced in Italian, Istrien, pronounced in German) is the biggest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. ...

The area around the peak of the Žumberak/Gorjanci mountain is cadastrally assigned partly to Slovenia (the Trdinov vrh area) and partly to Croatia (the Sveta Gera area). However, an old Yugoslav People's Army barracks building on the Croatian part of the border is still occupied by a small number of Slovenian army personnel. Gorjanci on Slovene side, telecommunication tower on Trdinov vrh is visible Žumberak (in Croatian) or Gorjanci (in Slovenian) is a mountain situated between Croatia and Slovenia. ... The Yugoslav Peoples Army (YPA) (Serbian: Југословенска народна армија / Jugoslovenska narodna armija (JHA / JNA); Croatian: Jugoslavenska narodna armija (JNA); Slovene: Jugoslovanska ljudska armada (JLA); Macedonian: Jугословенската народна армија (JНA); Albanian: Armata Popullore e Jugosllavisë) was the military force of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ...

Slovenia is disputing Croatia's claim to establish an economic section of the Adriatic, requiring direct access to the international waters. Croatia decided to pursue a policy of stricter control over fishing and other economic use of the sea. This policy is in place since late 2004 but excludes the EU countries (namely, Slovenia and Italy).

Montenegro

In late 2002, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro adopted an interim agreement to settle the disputed Prevlaka peninsula at the entrance of the Bay of Kotor, allowing the withdrawal of the UN monitoring mission. Full demilitarization of the area is pending. The Prevlaka Peninsula is a small peninsula at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. ... Historic mpap of the Bay, 16th century Boka Kotorska (Bay of Kotor, Bocche di Cattaro) in western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic sea. ... UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) (January 15, 1996 - December 15, 2002) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission that monitored the demilitarization of the disputed Prevlaka peninsula by carrying out daily foot and vehicle patrols on both sides of the border between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ...

Serbia

Due to the meandering of the Danube, the eastern border of Baranja according to cadastral delineation is not followed, as each country controls territory on their side of the main river flow. Further south, near Vukovar and near Šarengrad, there are two river islands that are nearer to the Serbian side of the river and have thus been controlled by the Yugoslav army ever since the secession, also contrary to the cadastre records. Meanders in a river A meander is a bend in a river, also known as an oxbow loop. ... The Danube (ancient Danuvius, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river of the European Union and Europes second-longest[3] (after the Volga). ... Baranya (Hungarian, in Croatian and Serbian: Baranja) is the name of an administrative county (comitatus or megye) in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary. ... Position of Vukovar within Croatia Vukovar (Hungarian: Vukovár, German: Wukowar) is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river into the Danube. ...

Italy

Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and ethnic minority rights issues stemming from border changes after the World War II. Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000,000 Civilian dead: 4,000,000 Total dead 12,000,000 World War II (abbreviated WWII), or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict...

There are a number of people who are Italian citizens but who had previously been citizens of Yugoslavia before they were exiled shortly after WWII - the so-called esuli or optanti. A later contract between SFR Yugoslavia and Italy prevented the restitution of their property since a deal was made that made this seized property treated as war reparation. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from 1945 to 1992. ...

Nevertheless, there now exist at least two groups of people dissatisfied with the situation:

• people who were exiled during a period not covered by the aforementioned agreement (post 1956?) who demand that their property be returned
• the people who were exiled and/or their children who wish to buy real-estate in the same areas (if not the same buildings or land)

Neither of these are allowed to pursue these actions legally in Croatia.

Illicit drugs

Croatia is a transit point along the Balkan route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe. ... Heroin, also known as diamorphine (BAN) or diacetylmorphine (INN), is a semi-synthetic opioid. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ...

It has also been used as a minor transit point for maritime shipments of South American cocaine bound for Western Europe. South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Diplomatic Relations

States with which Croatia has established diplomatic relations

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia [2]
A state is a set of institutions that possess the authority to make the rules that govern the people in one or more societies, having internal and external sovereignty over a definite territory. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Knights of Malta, Knights of Rhodes, and Chevaliers of Malta) is an organization that began as an Amalfitan hospital founded in Jerusalem in 1080 to provide care for poor and sick... Anthem: Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Anthem: Oj, svijetla majska zoro Oh, the bright dawn of May Capital (and largest city)  Podgorica Official languages Serbian (Ijekavian dialect)1 (local also Albanian) Government Republic  - President Filip Vujanović  - Prime Minister Željko Å turanović Independence from Serbia and Montenegro   - Declared June 3, 2006   - Recognised June 8, 2006  Area  - Total 13...

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
• Government of the Republic of Croatia
• Economic Reconstruction and Development in South East Europe - Croatia
• EBRD and Croatia
• Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
• Opinion of the European Commission on the application of Croatia for membership of the European Union