GENERAL
Official name of the state
Republic of Croatia.
Capital
Zagreb.
Geography
As a country located in Europe according to remzfamily, Croatia borders Hungary and Slovenia in the north, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the east, the Mediterranean Sea in the west and Montenegro in the south. It has a long, south-narrowing coastal strip on the Adriatic with the ports of Rijeka, Pula, Zadar, Sibenik, Split and Dubrovnik and a larger area inland that extends from Zagreb in an easterly direction to the border formed by the Danube extends to Serbia. Croatia offers diverse landscapes such as the flat plain on the Hungarian border, the mountains with plateaus on the Adriatic coast and the fertile areas between the rivers Dau, Danube and Save. The highest mountain in the country is the Dinara with 1831 m.
Government
Republic since 1991. Constitution from 1990, last amendment 2010. Unicameral Parliament: House of Representatives (Sabor) with 151 members. Croatia was admitted to the Council of Europe in 1996. Since 1997 Croatia has regained sovereignty over Eastern Slavonia and the Republic of Serbian Krajina, which was dissolved in 1995. Independent since 1991 (from Yugoslavia).
Head of state
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, since January 2015.
Head of government
Andrej Plenkovic, since October 2016.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz. No adapter required.
Time zone
Central European Time: CET +2 (CET +3 from March 26 to October 29, 2017)
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is Croatian (Latin script). Serbo-Croatian (Cyrillic script) is spoken by the Serbian population; other minority languages including Italian, Hungarian and Serbian.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Annotation
Muslim believers also celebrate the Islamic holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 00385. Public payphones are equipped with card phones. Telephone cards are available from newspaper kiosks, post offices, hotels, and some tourist shops. Post offices usually have public telephones.
Phone
The country code is 00385. Public payphones are equipped with card phones. Telephone cards are available from newspaper kiosks, post offices, hotels, and some tourist shops. Post offices usually have public telephones.
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800. Cellular companies include Hrvatski Telekom (Internet: www.hrvatskitelekom.hr) and VIPnet (Internet: www.vipnet.hr). The usual roaming contracts with European and international providers exist. The reception and transmission area covers almost the whole country.
Internet
The main provider is Hrvatski Telekom (Internet: www.hrvatskitelekom.hr/). Internet cafes can be found in Zagreb and other larger cities. Mobile surfing on the Internet is made possible, among other things, by the Goodspeed Wi-Fi hotspots (Internet: goodspeed.io/de/index.html). Information on Wi-Fi hotspots is available at www.hotspotlocations.com.
Post Office
The opening times of the post offices are generally Mon-Fri 7 am-7pm and Sat 7 am-1pm. In large cities, post offices are often open until 10 p.m. Postage stamps are available from newspaper kiosks and post offices.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
CULINARY
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
The best hotels are on the Adriatic coast. Especially on the Istrian peninsula (Rijeka-Pula) and on the Kvarner Bay, modern hotel complexes with good facilities are available. So far there are only luxury hotels in Zagreb and the Plitvice tourist areas on the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Further information from the Croatian National Tourist Board (see addresses) or the Croatian Hotel Association, Vladimira Nazora 3, HR-Opatija. (Tel: (051) 71 14 15. Internet: www.huh.hr).
Categories: Hotels are divided into four categories by the Ministry of Tourism:
4-star L: Luxury.
4-star A: Deluxe.
3-star B:First class.
2-Star C: Simple / Budget.
Many hotels are currently being renovated and modernized to meet EU standards. A hotel directory can be requested from the Croatian National Tourist Board.
Camping
There are around 280 campsites in Croatia, most of which are on the Adriatic coast and on the islands, especially in Istria and the Kvarner Bay. Some campsites also have sailing docks.
Further information is available from the Croatian Camping Union, Bože Milanovića 20, PO Box 143, HR-52440 Porec. (Tel: (052) 45 13 24. Internet: www.camping.hr).
It is forbidden to spend the night outside of marked campsites.
Other accommodation options
A particularly original type of accommodation in Croatia is staying in lighthouses. Apartments can be rented in a total of 11 lighthouses, which are located on different islands and on the coast. Further information is available from the Croatian Tourist Office (see addresses).
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Regionally different. Continental climate in the north and northeast, Mediterranean climate on the Adriatic coast. The best time to travel is from May to September.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +385 Area (square km) 56542 Population 4464844 Population density (per square km) 79 Population in 2015 Member of the EU Yes main emergency number 112
