Description

Located at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and Central Europe, is the crescent shaped Croatia. The north is bordered by Slovenia and Hungary and the southern border that has the round shape is enclosed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. With a long western coastline to the Adriatic Sea, Croatia has several small islands and isles with Italy lying just across, on the other side of this picturesque sea. This country has a diverse terrain, which causes variations in climate. Croatia has a predominant continental climate, with hot summers and cold winters.

After gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia, the country established a Presidential-Parliamentary Democracy. The administration seats are in the capital of Zagreb, where the President is the Chief of State and the Prime Minister is the Head of Government. The economy suffered major damage as a result of the post Yugoslavia era that resulted in war. With hopes of accession into the European Union, Croatia is optimistic to speeding up its dragging economy that still employs the Kuna. Croatia has eight national parks that are mostly situated next to the Adriatic Coast as well as six UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The culture has a 13 century long history so there have been many important monuments and historical figures that have come out of this country. These World Heritage sites include the Episcopal complex of the Euphrasian Basilica, the cathedral of St. Jacobs, the historic city of Trogir, the historic complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, the old city of Dubrovnik, and the Plitvice Lakes. Croatia's culture is also influenced by its food. Bordered by many diverse countries, Croatia's cuisine is known as the "Cuisine of the Regions". It has characteristics from the early Slavic as well as recent famous gastronomic orders of today from Hungarian, Viennese, Turkish, Greek, Roman, French, and a few others as well. The official and common language, Croatian, is a South Slavic language, using the Latin alphabet. The turbulent twentieth century re-oriented Croatia and affected it in many ways, but it couldn't significantly alter its already unique position at the crossroads of many different cultures.

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