Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Croatia
conventional short form: Croatia
local long form: Republika Hrvatska
local short form: Hrvatska

Data code HR

Government type presidential/parliamentary democracy

National capital Zagreb

Administrative divisions 21 counties (zupanijas, zupanija - singular): Bjelovar-Bilogora, Cityof Zagreb, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istra, Karlovac, Koprivnica-Krizevci, Krapina-Zagorje,Lika-Senj, Medimurje, Osijek-Baranja, Pozega-Slavonija, Primorje-Gorski Kotar,Sibenik, Sisak-Moslavina, Slavonski Brod-Posavina, Split-Dalmatia, Varazdin,Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem, Zadar-Knin, Zagreb

Independence 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday Statehood Day, 30 May (1990)

Constitution adopted on 22 December 1990

Legal system based on civil law system

Suffrage 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Executive branch
chief of state: President Franjo TUDJMAN (since 30 May 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Zlatko MATESA (since NA November 1995); Deputy PrimeMinisters Mate GRANIC (since 8 September 1992), Ivica KOSTOVIC (since 14 October 1993), Jure RADIC (since NA October 1994), Borislav SKEGRO (since3 April 1993), and Ljerka MINTAS-HODAK (since November 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election lastheld 4 August 1992 (next to be held 15 June 1997); prime minister and deputyprime ministers appointed by the president
election results: President Franjo TUDJMAN reelected; percent of vote - Franjo TUDJMAN56%, Dobroslav PARAGA 5%

Legislative branch bicameral Assembly or Sabor consists of the House of Districts or ZupanijskiDom (68 seats - 63 directly elected by popular vote, 5 presidentially appointed;members serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives or the ZastupnickiDom (127 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-yearterms)
elections: House of Districts - last held 13 April 1997 (next to be held NA 2001);House of Representatives - last held 29 October 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: House of Districts - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -HDZ 42, HDZ/HSS 11, HSS 2, IDS 2, SDP/PGS/HNS 2, SDP/HNS 2, HSLS/HSS/HNS 1,HSLS 1; note - in some districts certain parties ran as coalitions, while in others they ran alone; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party- HDZ 45.23%, HSS/IDS/HNS/HKDU/SBHS 18.26%, HSLS 11.55%, SDP 8.93%, HSP 5.01%;seats by party - HDZ 75, HSLS 12, HSS 10, SDP 10, IDS 4, HSP 4, HNS 2, SNS2, HND 1, ASH 1, HKDU 1, SBHS 1, independents 4

Judicial branch Supreme Court, judges appointed for eight-year terms by the JudicialCouncil of the Republic, which is elected by the House of Representatives;Constitutional Court, judges appointed for eight-year terms by the Judicial Council of the Republic, which is elected by the House of Representatives

Political parties and leaders Croatian Democratic Union or HDZ [Franjo TUDJMAN, president]; CroatianDemocratic Independents or HND [Stjepan MESIC, president]; Croatian Social Liberal Party or HSLS [Vlado GOTOVAC, president]; Social Democratic Partyof Croatia or SDP [Ivica RACAN]; Croatian Party of Rights or HSP [Ante DAPIC];Croatian Peasants' Party or HSS [Zlatko TOMCIC]; Croatian People's Party orHNS [Radimir CACIC, president]; Serbian National Party or SNS [Milan DJUKIC];Action of the Social Democrats of Croatia or ASH [Silvija DEGEN]; CroatianChristian Democratic Union or HKDU [Marko VASELICA, president]; Istrian DemocraticAssembly or IDS [Ivan JACKOVIC]; Slanvonsko-Baranja Croatian Party or SBHS;Primorje Gorski Kotar Alliance

Political pressure groups and leaders NA

International organization participation CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Miomir ZUZUL
chancery: 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-5899
FAX : [1] (202) 588-8936
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Peter W. GALBRAITH
embassy: Andrije Hebranga 2, Zagreb
mailing address: US Embassy, Zagreb, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5080
telephone: [385] (1) 455-55-00
FAX : [385] (1) 455-85-85

Flag description red, white, and blue horizontal bands with Croatian coat of arms (redand white checkered)

NOTE: The information regarding Croatia on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Croatia Government 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Croatia Government 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.