Croatia Facts: What It's Known For, How It Got Its Name, And More

Croatia is one of the most scenic coastal countries in eastern Europe and there are plenty of reasons why you should take a trip to this amazing country!

Croatia borders five countries: Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. The Adriatic Sea borders the country's southwest territory.

Croatia has some historic towns, national parks, scenic villages, and striking beaches along the Adriatic coastline that you should definitely visit if you take a trip to this country. The country of Croatia was first inhabited by the Illyrians, who were followed by the Celts and then the Roman empire took over.

After being conquered by the Byzantine Empire, Croatia eventually became part of the Hungarian Kingdom. In the early 20th century, Croatia became an independent country, and in 1991 it declared itself a republic.

The official language spoken in Croatia is Croatian! Croatian currency is named after a rodent and is called 'Kuna'!

The national currency is divided into 100 lipa, which is also the Croatian name for the linden lime tree. A special feature about the Croatian language is that the Croatian alphabet is that it consists of over 30 letters and has close links with the Latin script.

Croatian people are considered to be some of the most friendliest and helpful people you can find.

If you visit Croatia and get lost in any city, don't worry! The people of Croatia got you!

The oldest inhabited city in Europe is also found here! It is the Croatian city of Vinkovci in eastern Croatia. The biggest Croatian island is Cres, which is a popular island that tourists love visiting.

Croatia enjoys the luxury of having the most beautiful sunset in the world too, at least according to Alfred Hitchcock, the world-famous filmmaker. According to Alfred Hitchcock, the town of Zadar in Dalamatia has the most beautiful sunset you can ever see!

Croatian Geography And Cities

Croatia is located in Central and Southeast Europe, sharing borders with Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Montenegro. The Adriatic Sea coastline stretches for over a thousand miles, making it one of the longest coastlines in Europe.

Croatia is divided into four geographical regions: Istria, Lika and Gorski Kotar, Dalmatia, and Slavonia. Istria is the westernmost region of Croatia and is known for its rolling hills, vineyards, and olive groves.

Lika and Gorski Kotar are located in the mountainous central part of Croatia. This region is home to dense forests, crystal-clear lakes, and stunning waterfalls.

Dalmatia is the most popular tourist destination in Croatia due to its beautiful beaches and Mediterranean climate. Slavonia is located in the eastern part of Croatia and is known for its fertile plains and abundance of wildlife.

Croatia might be one of Europe's smaller countries but it is actually the 127th largest country in the world. The current population in the country is slightly over four million.

The largest island you'd find in Croatia is Cres. There is also a heart-shaped island called Galešnjak, which is known to be frequently visited by couples who have just gotten married and lovers. Hence, this island has been nicknamed 'the Lovers Island'.

The country is home to eleven cities: Zagreb (the capital), Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Vukovar, Slavonski Brod, Sisak, Karlovac, Dubrovnik (the most popular tourist destination), Pula, and Zadar. Zagreb is the largest city in Croatia with a population of just over 800 thousand people.

It is the capital of Croatia but Varazdin in northern Croatia and Nin on the Dalmatian coast. It's also the political and economic center of the country.

Split is the second-largest city in Croatia and is well-known for its ancient architecture, including Diocletian's Palace, which was built in the fourth century. Dubrovnik is a popular tourist destination due to its well-preserved medieval walled city and crystal clear waters.

Croatia Economy

The Croatian economy is in the process of recovering from a recession that began in 2009. The main sectors of the economy are services, industry, and agriculture.

The service sector employs the majority of the population and includes activities like tourism, transportation, and telecommunications. Industry accounts for around one-third of GDP and includes sectors like food processing, automotive manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and metalworking.

Agriculture represents only a small percentage of GDP but is still an important part of the Croatian economy. Some of the main crops are corn, wheat, sugar beets, sunflowers, olives; livestock production includes pork meat production; beef cattle farming; poultry farming (egg production).

Croatia's income comes from taxes and other payments made by businesses. These include payments for goods and services, value-added tax, corporate tax, excise duties, and social security contributions.

Tourism is also an important source of revenue, particularly in the cities of Dubrovnik and Split. Other sources of revenue include foreign investment, remittances from Croatian workers abroad, and funds transferred by Croats living in other countries.

In 2013, Croatia joined the European Union. This has helped to improve the country's economic prospects and has encouraged foreign investment. The main challenges facing the Croatian economy include a high level of public debt, a large budget deficit, and an aging population.

These problems are caused in part by low economic growth rates and poor labor productivity. To address these issues, the Croatian government has introduced measures to reduce public spending and increase tax revenue. It has also sought to attract foreign investment and improve the business environment.

Fun fact, Croatian soldiers of the Croatian military were the first ones to wear neckties! It was nicknamed 'cravat', which is a french word. If you are wondering why, it is because these soldiers served as mercenaries for the King of France!

Croatian Food

Croatian food is a mix of Mediterranean and Central European cuisine. You can also find Italian, Turkish, Austrian, and Hungarian traces in Croatian cuisine! Still, Croatian dishes manage to retain their own unique tastes!

The people of Croatia strongly believe in three meals a day and great importance is given to lunch, the big meal of the day. Unfortunately, with recent trends and changes in their daily lifestyles, people have started working more, adopting the nine to five routine.

As a result, they are unable to make it home on time. Nonetheless, they make sure to always get together for a big family lunch on the weekends.

The most popular dishes include black squid ink pasta, octopus salad, and roast pork. The country's coastline means that seafood dishes are popular, as are dishes made with fresh vegetables and herbs.

Some of the most famous Croatian dishes include black squid ink pasta, octopus salad, čevapčići (minced meat kebabs), štrukli (a cheese pastry dish), strukli (cabbage rolls filled with minced meat and rice). Wine production in Croatia is also on the rise and there are now many wineries located throughout the country.

There is an underwater winery in Croatia which is in southern Dalmatia located in Drace on the Peljesac peninsula.

Maturing of wine takes place at a depth of 65.6 ft (20 m) underwater. Many of these produce wines using indigenous grape varieties like Plavac Mali, Tribidrag, and Frankovka.

Tourist Attractions In Croatia

There are so many places to visit in this country if you make a trip here and there are many natural wonders to take a look at! The country is home to eight national parks, 11 nature parks, and two nature reserves. Furthermore, you will see some of the most stunning beaches you'd ever find on the planet!

Croatia is an animal-friendly country and they are abundant in fish aquariums throughout due to the Croatian waters all around. Believe it or not, the last specimen of the Mediterranean seal is in the Croatian aquarium.

Throughout the capital of Zagreb, many majestic houses can be seen. The Plitvice Lakes National Park is another you must definitely visit and is quite popular among tourists. The Plitvice Lakes National Park is famous for its wide number of waterfalls and is an exceptional delight during the summers. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site!

Did you know Gladiators used to fight in Croatia? That's right! The Pula Arena in the Croatian town of Pula is where gladiators used to fight in earlier times.

This arena is almost similar to the Colosseum in Rome. Another place to visit is Split which is Croatia's second-biggest city after Zagreb.

In this city, you can find the huge Diocletian's Palace, which is more of a fortress than a palace. Overlooking the Adriatic Sea, this palace was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian. Split has also been used as one of the many famous film locations in Croatia!

Dubrovnik is another town in Croatia very popular for its sensational seafront location on the Dalmatian Coast connected with its historic and evocative Old town district.

The famous movie 'Mamma Mia 2' was filmed on the Dalmatian Coast so if you loved the movie, make sure to keep this place on your list of places to visit. This city will offer you a lot of artistic visuals and numerous cultural festivals.

Lord Byron, the famous British Romantic poet, called Dubrovnik 'The Pearl of the Adriatic' and this is justified to its truest sense!

If you're a science lover then you are going to love this. Croatia is home to Nikola Tesla, the famous scientific inventor, and engineer. He was born in Smiljan, a small town in Croatia and you can see his house that has been rebuilt as it was blown up twice by the Croats in 1942 and 1992.

For mountain and hiking lovers, you can hike the highest mountain peak in Croatia! This is the Dinara peak.

It is over 6,000 ft (1,831 m) and is one of the most rugged mountainous areas of Europe. If you want to catch a breathtaking glimpse of the Dinara Alps rising from the Dalmatian coast, you can stay at Makarska, a resort in the south of Split.