World Factbook
Croatia
Republika Hrvatska
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue -- the pan-Slav colors -- with the Croatian coat of arms in the center, which consists of a main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver fields) with five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield meaning: the small shields represent the five historic regions (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia history: Russia's 19th-century flag inspired the pan-Slav colors
Capital
name
Zagreb
etymology
the city's name means "beyond the bank (or ditch)"; za in Old Croat means "beyond," and greb means "bank" or "ditch," relating to the city's original site above the Sava River
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
45 48 N, 16 00 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Croatia
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990
amendment process
proposed by at least one fifth of the Assembly membership, by the president of the republic, by the Government of Croatia, or through petition by at least 10% of the total electorate; proceedings to amend require majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; passage by petition requires a majority vote in a referendum and promulgation by the Assembly
Country name
former
People's Republic of Croatia, Socialist Republic of Croatia
etymology
name probably derives from the Croats, a Slavic tribe who migrated to the Balkans in the 7th century A.D., but that name may be related to the Russian word khrebet , meaning "mountain chain"
local long form
Republika Hrvatska
local short form
Hrvatska
conventional long form
Republic of Croatia
conventional short form
Croatia
Independence
25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia); notable earlier dates: ca. 925 (Kingdom of Croatia established), 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes established, later became Yugoslavia)
note: 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; the legislature adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia
Legal system
civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary
Government type
parliamentary republic
Judicial branch
note
note: an 11-member Constitutional Court has jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues, but it is outside the judicial system
highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices)
subordinate courts
Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts
judge selection and term of office
president of Supreme Court nominated by the president of Croatia and elected by the Sabor for a 4-year term; other Supreme Court justices appointed by the National Judicial Council; all judges serve until age 70
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly
chief of state
President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020)
election results
2025: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 74.6%, Dragan PRIMORAC (independent) 25.3% 2019: Zoran MILANOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Zoran MILANOVIC (SDP) 52.7%, Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 47.3%
head of government
Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016)
most recent election date
December 2024 (first round) and January 2025 (second round)
election/appointment process
president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly
expected date of next election
2029
National holiday
Statehood Day (National Day), 30 May (1990)
note: marks the day in 1990 that the first modern multi-party Croatian parliament convened
National color(s)
red, white, blue
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
10 (8 cultural, 2 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Plitvice Lakes National Park (n); Historic Split (c); Old City of Dubrovnik (c); Euphrasian Basilica; Historic Trogir (c); Šibenik Cathedral (c); Stari Grad Plain (c); Zadar and Fort St. Nikola Venetian Defense Works (c); Primeval Beech Forests (n); Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards (c)
Political parties
Bosniaks Together The Bridge or MOST (formerly the Bridge of Independent Lists) Croatia Romani Union Kali Sara (SRRH) Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ Democratic Union of Hungarians in Croatia (DZMH) Focus or Fokus Homeland Movement or DP (also known as Miroslav Škoro Homeland Movement or DPMS) Independent Democratic Serb Party or SDSS Independent Platform of the North (NPS) Istrian Democratic Assembly or IDS Social Democratic Party of Croatia or SDP We Can! or Mozemo!
Legislative branch
note
note: of the 151 seats, 140 members come from 10 multi-seat constituencies, with 3 members in a constituency for Croatian diaspora; voters belonging to recognized minorities elect an additional 8 members from a nationwide constituency: the Serb minority elects 3 members, the Hungarian and Italian minorities elect 1 each, the Czech and Slovak minorities elect 1 jointly, and all other minorities elect 2
term in office
4 years
number of seats
151 (all directly elected)
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Croatian Parliament (Hrvatski Sabor)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
4/17/2024
expected date of next election
April 2028
percentage of women in chamber
33.1%
parties elected and seats per party
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) (55); Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) (37); Homeland Movement (DP) (11); We Can! – Political Platform (Možemo!) (10); Bridge (Most) (7); Other (20)
National anthem(s)
title
"Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland)
history
adopted in 1972 while still part of Yugoslavia; the lyrics were written in 1835, and it served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891
lyrics/music
Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN
National symbol(s)
red-and-white checkerboard
Administrative divisions
20 counties ( zupanije , singular - zupanija ) and 1 city* ( grad - singular) with special county status; Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska (Bjelovar-Bilogora), Brodsko-Posavska (Brod-Posavina), Dubrovacko-Neretvanska (Dubrovnik-Neretva), Istarska (Istria), Karlovacka (Karlovac), Koprivnicko-Krizevacka (Koprivnica-Krizevci), Krapinsko-Zagorska (Krapina-Zagorje), Licko-Senjska (Lika-Senj), Medimurska (Medimurje), Osjecko-Baranjska (Osijek-Baranja), Pozesko-Slavonska (Pozega-Slavonia), Primorsko-Goranska (Primorje-Gorski Kotar), Sibensko-Kninska (Sibenik-Knin), Sisacko-Moslavacka (Sisak-Moslavina), Splitsko-Dalmatinska (Split-Dalmatia), Varazdinska (Varazdin), Viroviticko-Podravska (Virovitica-Podravina), Vukovarsko-Srijemska (Vukovar-Syrmia), Zadarska (Zadar), Zagreb*, Zagrebacka (Zagreb county)
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 588-8937
chancery
2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 588-5899
consulate(s)
Anchorage (AL), Houston, Kansas City (MO),Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), New Orleans, Pittsburgh (PA)
chief of mission
Ambassador Pjer ŠIMUNOVIĆ (since 8 September 2017)
consulate(s) general
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle (WA)
email address and website
washington@mvep.hr https://mvep.gov.hr/embassy-114969/114969
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[385] (1) 665-8933
embassy
Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb
telephone
[385] (1) 661-2200
mailing address
5080 Zagreb Place, Washington DC 20521-5080
chief of mission
Ambassador Nicole McGRAW (since 21 October 2025)
email address and website
ZagrebACS@state.gov https://hr.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
AIIB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EMU, EU, FAO, G-11, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction