As an important country in the Balkans, Croatia is not only very strong in football, but also has more than 1,000 islands and a coastline of about 1,880 kilometers. The whole country is beautiful and stunning, and it will not lose its charm all year round, so it is called "God's back garden", let's learn about this special country.
Geographical location:
Croatia is located at the intersection of Central and Southeastern Europe, with an approximate crescent-shaped silhouette, bordering Slovenia and Hungary in the northwest and north, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in the east and southeast, and the Adriatic Sea in the west and south, making it an important bridge connecting Europe and Asia in the Balkan Peninsula.
Croatia has a land area of 56,600 square kilometers, which is half of South Korea's land area. Larger than Taiwan, the Adriatic coast is southwest and south, with many islands and a tortuous coastline; The south-central part is plateau and mountainous, and the northeastern part is plain. To the southwest is the Dinara Mountains, which are mostly karst. The coast is bounded by the Dalmatian coast, and to the north by the Slavoni Hills and the plains along the Sava River.
Complex History:
Croatia was brilliant in the first decades of the 10th century, with a powerful navy and army, grabbing territory everywhere, and at one point taking land from Bulgaria, Hungary and other countries. Later, because of its own internal strife, the rising Hungary took the opportunity to invade, forcing Croatia to honor the king of Hungary as its own king, and Croatia became part of Hungary.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was defeated in World War I and collapsed. Croatia became part of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, a consolidated kingdom renamed Naslav in 1929 and Croatia held an independence referendum in May 1991. Despite the strong resistance of the Serbs in Croatia, the pro-Croatian Croats won by an overwhelming margin.
As a result, at the moment when Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia, bloody clashes broke out between the two ethnic groups and escalated into the "Croatian War". The war continued until late 1995, when the parties to the conflict signed the Dayton Agreement. Peace has returned and Croatia has come to where it is today.
Economic:
Rhodia's economy is dominated by the tertiary sector, with the secondary industry as the secondary, and tourism is an important pillar of its economic development and the main source of foreign exchange earnings, currently accounting for about one-fifth of the country's GDP. In addition to tourism, the development level of construction, shipbuilding and pharmaceutical industries is also very high, and Croatia is a more economically developed country in the former southern region.
On July 1, 2013, Croatia finally succeeded in joining the European Union, becoming the 28th member state of the European Union. Joining the EU is far-reaching for Croatia, because this small country of more than 4.4 million people needs this large market of 500 million people, and the EU can create jobs for Croatia. Croats can also enjoy European benefits, improved living standards and, more practically, direct access to the EU's $15 billion in financial assistance, which can help Croatia replenish vulnerable industries.
The literacy level of Croatians is very high, the local system is compulsory, so many people have higher education, and the illiteracy rate in Croatia is very low. So you don't need to worry about the language barrier when traveling to Croatia, although the official language of Croatia is Croatian, but many people are also proficient in English
Advantages and disadvantages:
The Adriatic seabed has rich oil reserves and is connected by oil pipelines to refineries in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Strategically located in Western and Southeastern Europe; The port facilities are relatively perfect, and the road and railway transportation is convenient.
However, although Croatia is a coastal country, its location is too narrow, and the international trade maritime transport route will give preference to Greece or Italy when choosing Mediterranean countries as logistics centers.
Referring to China's Belt and Road maritime routes, Greece is chosen as the logistics center in the Mediterranean region, and compared with Croatia, neighboring Greece has more advantages as a logistics distribution center.
Geo-game:
As a meeting place of Eastern and Western cultures and religions, historical grievances are the main source of chaos in the Balkans. Over the centuries, many ethnic groups living in the Balkans have had different historical origins, different geographical environments, and even more different religious and cultural backgrounds. These differences are intertwined with ethnic and religious contradictions, coupled with the fact that the European powers are coveting the Balkans and constantly using internal disputes to provoke conflicts, the Balkans have become a competition field for the interests of major powers.
As a member of the former Yugoslav Republic, Croatia was previously one of the ideological rivals to Western countries. He joined NATO in 2009 and the European Union in 2013. The successful integration into the Western system of the United States and European countries is a great and substantial progress.