About Croatia

The Republic of Croatia

Croatia is situated close to densely populated and industrially developed European countries. Many internationally important transport routes cross Croatia. The importance of the geographical position of the Republic of Croatia is also enhanced by the Adriatic Sea, the northernmost gulf of the Mediterranean which is the closest to the central part of the European continent.
According to population census 2011. Croatia has 4,456,096 inhabitants.

The Republic of Croatia is a parliamentary democracy, like most countries in Western and Central Europe. There are 21 units of regional self-government (20 counties and the City of Zagreb that has both city and county status) and 547 units of local self-government (122 towns and 425 municipalities) in Croatia.

The area of Croatia can be divided into three major natural and geographic parts:

• The Pannonian and Peri-Pannonian area comprises the lowland and hilly parts of eastern and northwestern Croatia
• The hilly and mountainous area, which separates Pannonian Croatia from its coastal part, is less developed
• The Adriatic Area includes the narrow coastal belt separated from the hinterland by high mountains
• The Croatian Adriatic coast is one of the most indented in the world: it has 1246 islands and islets with a total coastline of 4058 km, the total length of the mainland coast being 1777 km. The largest island is Cres; other large islands include Krk, Brac, Hvar, Pag and Korcula. The largest peninsulas are Istria and Peljesac, and the largest bay is Kvarner Bay.
   

The climate of Croatia varies from Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast to continental, inland. The coastal areas have hot, dry summers and rainy winters yet the inland areas are cold in winter and warm in summer. The coast benefits from refreshing winds in the summer and the mountain ranges shield them from bitter winds in the winter. Sea temperatures never fall below 10 degrees in the winter and in August it can be as high as 26 degrees, due to warm currents flowing north up the Adriatic coast. Winter temperatures range from -10 to 20°C in the continental region, -5 to 0 °C in the mountain region and 5 to 10 °C in the coastal region. Summer temperatures range from 22 to 26 °C in the continental region, 15 to 20 °C in the mountain region and 26 to 30 °C in the coastal region.

The principal economic activities in the Republic of Croatia include:

• agriculture,
• the foodstuff,
• textile,
• wood and timber,
• metalworking,
• chemical and petroleum industries,
• the electrical manufacturing industry,
• shipbuilding,
• the shipping industry and
• tourism
   

The future of Croatian industry lies in the area of accessing new markets, introducing modern technologies and new products, as well as forming joint ventures and strategic partnerships with foreign companies. A skilled labour force and highly educated experts in engineering and computer technology supported through technology centres at the technical schools within Croatian Universities represent a good foundation for foreign investments in advanced technologies.
 

On the following links can be found about Investment Promotion Law in Croatia

• http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/128853.html
• http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2011_06_61_1359.html
   

On the following link can be found data on important economic indicators in Croatia:

• http://www2.hgk.hr/en/
   

Labour relations in Croatia are regulated by laws, collective and individual contracts, and regulations adopted by employers. The Labour Act is in harmony with the conventions of the International Labour Organisation.

Croatia has a high quality education system. Croatian university programmes, especially those for science, medicine and engineering, meet the highest international standards, which is attested to by the large number of Croats who have found work in reputable institutions - hospitals, universities, institutes world-wide. Every year about 80,000 students enrolles in Croatian University centres.

Belonging to the Middle-European and Mediterranean cultural and civilisation circle and tradition, Croatia is extremely rich with valuable cultural and historical heritage, pointing to the millenium old presence of Croatia in the area.

The specific urban culture of coastal and island areas is easily seen in towns such as: Porec, Rovinj, Pula, Zadar, Sibenik, Hvar, Korcula and Ston, with Split (Diocletian's Palace) and Dubrovnik representing a part of the world cultural heritage under UNESCO protection.