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CultureGrams
Kids Edition
Republic of
2014
Croatia
Republika Hrvatska
The modern necktie is descended from the cravat (scarf or cloth tied around the neck), invented in Croatia in the
1600s and later worn by Croatian soldiers.
The Croatian and Serbian languages are nearly the same when spoken, but they use different alphabets.
There are 30 letters in the Croatian alphabet.
Dalmatian dogs are named for the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, where they are believed to have been bred
originally.
The ballpoint pen was invented by Eduard Slavoljub Penkala, a Croatian who lived in the early 20th century.
Janica Kostelic, a Croatian skier, won three gold medals at the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002.
She became the only woman to win three alpine skiing gold medals in a single Olympics.
Pag Island, off the western coast of Croatia, is famous for its beautiful lace and its distinctive sheep-milk cheese.
Croatian tennis player Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001.
When Croatians give flowers to someone, the flowers are usually given in odd numbers.
Croatian filmmakers are famous for their excellent cartoons.
The oldest university in Croatia, the University of Zagreb, was founded in the 17th century.
The national musical instrument of Croatia is the tamburica, a three-to five-stringed guitar-shaped instrument.
Nearly 25 percent of Croatia is covered in forests.
Many Croatians believe that the famous explorer Marco Polo was born on a Croatian island named Korčula, off
the Adriatic coast.
Famous inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, in what is now Croatia.
Flag
The shield in the center of the Croatian flag has five smaller shields at the top, which
represent the oldest known Croatian coat of arms and the coats of arms for the
Dubrovnik Republic and the regions of Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia.
National Image
Dubrovnik, one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, suffered major damage when war
broke out in 1991 after Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia.
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Land and Climate
Area (sq. mi.): 21,851
Area (sq. km.): 56,594
Croatia is situated on the Balkan Peninsula (a piece of land surrounded mostly by water
but still connected to the mainland). Covering 21,851 square miles (56,594 sq km),
Croatia is slightly smaller than Latvia or the state of West Virginia. Low mountains,
plains, and islands make up Croatia’s landscape. Plitvice Lakes National Park is
located in the mountains of central Croatia and is the largest national park in the
country as well as the largest in southeast Europe. Croatia's 1,105-mile (1,778 km)
Adriatic coast has a Mediterranean climate, which means that summers are warm and
sunny, and winters are mild. An archipelago of nearly 1,200 islands borders the coast,
although only a handful of them are inhabited year-round. Tourists like to visit Croatia
because of its nice weather and location on the Adriatic Sea. In the north, winters are
snowy and cold in the mountains. Inland summers can be hot in the valleys and warm
at higher elevations. Croatia’s three main rivers have many waterfalls, which make
them hard to navigate but great as a source of hydroelectric power (water-powered
electricity).
Population
Population: 4,475,611
About 4.5 million people live in Croatia. Nearly 90 percent of the population are Croats, while Serbs make up less than
5 percent. Slavic Muslims, Hungarians, Slovenes, Czechs, and other small groups make up the rest. A little more than
half of the population resides in cities and towns. Many Croatians live abroad in other European countries, the United
States, Australia, and Argentina. In fact, southern Italy is home to a number of villages made up entirely of Croatians. A
nomadic group known as Vlachs occupied an area south of Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, until 1995, when they were
forced out because they supported Serbia in its war with Croatia.
Language
Croatian is the country’s official language, but some of the words and the pronunciation may change depending on
what part of the country you’re in. Unlike Serbian, a very similar language that uses a Cyrillic alphabet, Croatian uses a
Latin-based alphabet (like English does) with 30 letters. Croatian law allows various ethnic groups to use their own
language in education. English and Latin are required in schools. It’s also common for Croatians to learn German,
Italian, and French.
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Can You Say It in Croatian?
Hello
Bok
(bock)
Good-bye
Do vidjenja
(DOE veed-YAIN-ya)
Please
Molim
(MOE-leem)
Thank you
Hvala
(HVAH-lah)
Yes
Da
(dah)
No
Ne
(neh)
Religion
Religion has traditionally been an important part of Croatian life, but during communism it had a difficult time. During
World War II, religious differences had been a source of great violence between Croats and Serbs. Josip Tito
emphasized nationalism (belief in the nation above everything) over religious belief. Following Tito’s death, in 1980,
churches began to be more open with their religious rituals and celebrations. Now, religion once again plays a
significant role in Croatia. Today, 88 percent of Croatians are Roman Catholic and about 4 percent are Orthodox
Christian. The remainder includes Muslims, Protestants, Jews, and those who belong to no organized church. Freedom
of worship is guaranteed.
Time Line
AD 500
AD 500s
Slavic tribes move to the Balkan Peninsula and conquer the local
peoples
600s
Croats settle in the area known today as Croatia
852
The name Croatia is used for the first time in official documents
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925
Croatia
King Tomislav unites the Croat tribes living in the Balkans into one
nation
1100
1102
The Hungarian king Kalman becomes Croatia’s king as well
1300s
Croatia experiences several civil wars
1433
Ottoman Turks invade Croatia
1500
1530s
Croatia and Hungary seek help from the Austrian king Ferdinand I to
get protection from the Ottoman Turks
1609
Croatia becomes a Catholic-only nation
1699
Croatia is freed from Turkish control
Late 1700s
Napoleon defeats Austria and brings most of Croatia into his empire
1800
Late 1800s
Croats seek greater independence from Hungary and Austria but are
unsuccessful
1815
Upon Napoleon’s defeat, Croatian lands return to Hungarian and
Austrian control
1847
Croatian becomes the official language of Croatia
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1848
Croatia
Hungarians are defeated and Croatia is reunited as one nation
1900
1914–18
In World War I, Croatians fight against Serbia as allies of
Austria-Hungary and Germany
1918
After World War I, Croatia becomes part of the Kingdom of Serbs,
Croats, and Slovenes
1929
Serbia changes the country’s name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
1940s
During World War II, there is a civil war for control of Yugoslavia
1941
Germany and Italy invade Yugoslavia during World War II; Croatia joins
them in fighting Serbia
1945
Croatia becomes part of the new Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia after World War II
1953–80
Josip Broz Tito is president of Yugoslavia
1990
Yugoslavia’s federation collapses; Franjo Tudjman is elected as the
first Croatian president
1991
Croatia declares independence
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1992–95
Croatia fights Yugoslavia in the Balkan War
1995
A peace agreement is signed, ending the Balkan War
1999
President Franjo Tudjman dies and is replaced by a more democratic
government in 2000
2000
2003
Ivo Sanader becomes prime minister
2005
President Mesić wins a second term
2005
Negotiations begin for Croatia to become part of the European Union
2009
Croatia officially joins NATO
2013
Croatia joins the European Union
PRESENT
Greeks and Romans
Illyrians and Celts were some of the earliest peoples in what is now Croatia. They were
often attacked by the Greeks and Romans. Although the Illyrians were able to defeat
the Greeks, by AD 14, the stronger Romans had prevailed and gained control of the
area. Today, one can still find Greek and Roman architecture throughout Croatia.
Rome’s empire fell apart in the fifth century when groups such as the Goths and Huns
invaded the Balkans.
The Balkans
Slavic tribes began moving to the Balkan Peninsula in the 600s. They became known
as the Serbs and Croats. At first these tribes were living in undesirable swampy land,
but later, Rome, which controlled the region, gave them land on the eastern coast of the
Adriatic Sea in return for fighting those who were then occupying that land. Around 800,
the tribes adopted the Roman religion—Christianity. However, Serbs and Croats did not
join the same church. Serbs became Orthodox Christians, and Croats became
Catholics. Religious and political differences led Serbs and Croats to develop separate
cultures.
Hungarian Rule
At the end of the 11th century, a group of Croatian aristocrats signed an agreement
with the king of Hungary. They agreed to let him be their king as long as he would allow
them to remain independent. Many Croatians became very angry about this
arrangement and went to battle against the Hungarians. Hungary won these battles,
and Hungarian kings became the rulers of Croatia for the next several hundred years.
But Croatia was still able to make many of its own decisions. For example, laws were
still made by the Sabor, Croatia’s parliament. Even though the Ottoman Turks and
others later controlled the region, Hungarian influence on Croatia continued up until the
beginning of World War I.
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Yugoslavia
After World War I, a new country called Yugoslavia was created. It included
present-day Croatia, although Croatia would have preferred to maintain its
independence. Yugoslavia became a communist country after World War II. Its leader,
Josip Broz Tito, brought together the six republics of Yugoslavia: Croatia, Bosnia,
Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. In a communist country, the
government controls the land, factories, schools, and people’s lives more than in a
democratic country. When the government became weak in the late 1980s, old conflicts
and hatreds led to the breakup of the country. Out of the former Yugoslavia, we now
have six independent countries.
Croatia
In 1991, Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia. However, Serbians living in
Croatia wanted to remain part of Yugoslavia or have their own Serbian nation. Croatia’s
neighbor, Serbia, wanted a strong central government controlled from Serbia. Croatia
preferred a looser grouping of independent countries. Serbia controlled the Yugoslavian
military and used it to inflict a lot of damage on Croatia when a civil war finally broke
out. Thousands were killed on both sides of the fighting. Many historic buildings in the
old Croatian city of Dubrovnik were damaged or destroyed, while the city of Vukovar
saw the most suffering. In 1995, with the help of military troops sent in by the United
Nations, the Serbs were defeated. Because of war in Croatia, many people were forced
to leave their homes and lands. A lot of these people have still not been able to return.
Games and Sports
Croatians love sports, especially soccer, basketball, and handball. Swimming, skiing,
fishing, and many other activities are also popular. Croatia has also become a world
champion in team handball, which resembles soccer but is played by throwing the ball
instead of kicking it. Sports aren’t the only way to be active though. Families go on
picnics, hikes, and other outings. Croatia’s mountains provide a perfect location for
mountaineering and rock climbing, both of which have become extremely popular in the
past few years. Croatian kids also play with action figures, dolls, video games, and
other electronic devices. They often go to nearby playgrounds to have fun.
Hide-and-seek is a popular birthday-party game. Games such as hopscotch and a type
of dodgeball (called granicar) are also popular. Some adults enjoy balote, which is a
game similar to bowling, or alka, a fast-paced war game where participants ride horses
and use lances to spear a series of rings attached to hanging ropes.
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Holidays
Croatia has many national and religious holidays. Most national days honor events in
the 20th century, like the Day of Croatian Statehood (25 June). Religious holidays vary
according to religion. So Catholic Christians celebrate Christmas on 25 December, but
Orthodox Christians celebrate it on 7 January. All Christians celebrate Easter. Jews can
take a day off for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Muslims take time off for
Ramadan (a holy month of fasting) and the Feast of the Sacrifice. Other, non-religious,
holidays are also popular. For example, many of the smaller towns have festivals
celebrating Croatian history. One town holds a crossbow competition each year, and
another town commemorates the victims of Croatian wars by hosting competitions for
horsemen who employ skills used in ancient battles.
Food
Because of its location on the Adriatic coast, Croatia offers many kinds of food that
come from the sea. Families that live near the coast are likely to eat more seafood and
fish. Those who live inland prefer to eat things like potatoes and meat. Croatia also has
adopted foods from nearby countries, like Italy, Hungary, and Austria. Dishes made
from chicken, beef, fish, pork, or lamb are common throughout Croatia.
Usually, children in Croatia eat cereal or bread for breakfast. They put butter, jam,
cheese, or salami on their bread and have it with cocoa. At lunch, they might eat soup
and salad or a larger meal with meat, potatoes or rice, and a vegetable. For most
families, lunch is the main meal of the day and often includes things like dumplings or
goulash (a stew-like mixture of meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika). Kids love
eating fruit, especially bananas, apples, and oranges. Dinner is usually light and might
include bread, yogurt, cereal, or a sandwich. When eating out, Croatian families enjoy
going to gostionicas (a cross between a restaurant and a bar) or restauracijas (a nicer
restaurant). A favorite fast-food meal is ćevapi (grilled minced meat eaten on flatbread
with onions). Schools
Adult Literacy: 98.8%
Education in Croatia has a long history. The first schools trained young people to be monks or nuns (who worked in the
Catholic churches), and in 1669, a group of Jesuit priests (a special order of priests devoted to service and education)
started the first university in Zagreb, where students learned about language, law, philosophy, and theology (the study
of religious ideas).
In modern Croatia, students are required to attend school for eight years. School starts at 8 a.m. and lasts until 1:30
p.m., with five- or ten-minute breaks after each class. There is no lunchtime, just a ten-minute break in the middle of
the day when kids usually eat a small snack such as an apple or a bagel. In the first years of school, Croatian children
learn the basics: reading, math, science, and art, as well as a foreign language. Several schools encourage their
students to learn how to care for their environment and keep it clean. Before class begins each day, students must
open the classroom door for their teachers and wait until the teacher is seated before they sit down. Croatian children
have more homework than American students and are expected to study at least four hours every night. They have to
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work hard because they are expected to do well in school. They also participate in all kinds of sports from swimming
and handball to karate and volleyball.
Life as a Kid
Kids in Croatia like to watch cartoons, eat snacks, and spend time with their friends.
When the weather is good, they like to go outside to play, ride bikes, or rollerblade on
the sidewalk or in vacant lots. Some kids also like to build tree houses. Many children
attend music school for a few hours each week to learn to play musical instruments.
Sports clubs are also popular. Croatian kids wear jeans and other casual clothes, but
they dress up for special events. Sleepovers are common. On summer break, most kids
spend a few days at their friends' houses, and then their friends come over to their
house for a few days. Kids also spend time with their grandparents while on vacation.
Croatian kids don't move to new homes very often, so they tend to have the same
friends for their entire lives.
Government
Capital: Zagreb
Head of State: Pres. Ivo Josipović
Head of Government: PM Zoran Milanović
Croatia is a democratic country. The president of the country is elected by the people. The president then appoints the
prime minister, who actually leads the government. The parliament is called the Sabor. The 151-member Sabor makes
the laws. There are also local governments for each of Croatia’s 20 counties and for the capital city, Zagreb. Croatia’s
voting age is 18.
Money and Economy
Currency: Kuna
The Croatian economy has gone through a lot of change in the past 20 years. Many
factories went idle (not producing anything) because of the wars in the 1990s and bad
government planning. These factories are slowly rebuilding their capabilities, producing
things like fuel, wine, chemicals, furniture, electronics, clothing, ships, and machines. In
some areas of Croatia (like Dalmatia and Istria), many people earn money from tourism
rather than manufacturing. However, war kept most tourists away for a long time, and
people living in these areas lost their jobs. Recently, the new government has been
working hard to bring tourism and companies back to Croatia. Unfortunately, there are
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still large numbers of people in Croatia without jobs. Prices in Croatia are quite high
compared to the average person's paycheck. Clothes and food are expensive, and
taxes are some of the highest in the world. The Croatian currency is called the kuna. It
is common for the United States dollar or the European euro to be used as well.
Getting Around
Getting from one place to another is relatively easy in Croatia. Although many
Croatians own cars, they often use streetcars and buses to get around in the cities
because public transportation is convenient. Scooters are also common. In small towns
and rural (countryside) areas, bicycles are a popular form of transportation. For
long-distance travel, Croatians use buses, trains, and planes. River travel, either for
passengers or cargo, is less common because the rivers in Croatia are mostly not deep
or wide enough for large boats to pass.
Christmas in Croatia
Christmas is the favorite holiday of many Croatians, although it tends to be a time to
enjoy good food and the company of family and loved ones rather than for exchanging
gifts, which usually happens several days either before or after 25 December. On 6
December, children leave their clean shoes next to their beds or on their window sills
for Saint Nicholas to fill with small gifts such as chocolate, oranges, video games, or
socks. Children who have been bad get a birch branch from Krampus (a beast-like
creature who is the opposite of Saint Nicholas). Celebration meals include fish on
Christmas Eve, and pig, turkey, or beef on Christmas Day. Fancy breads braided to
look like wreaths are common. Friends and family greet each other with Sretan Bozic,
which is how Croatians say “Merry Christmas.” Wheat, ivy, evergreen branches, and
even the fancy breads are used as holiday decorations. Croatians often decorate their
trees on Christmas Eve, and children look forward to presents from Santa Claus
left under the tree.
Learn More
Contact the Embassy of Croatia, 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone (202) 588-5899;
web site www.croatiaemb.org. Or contact the Croatian National Tourist Office, phone (800) 829-4416; web site
www.croatia.hr.
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