Croatia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Croatia, it was name derives from the Croats, a Slavic tribe who migrated to the Balkans in the 7th century A.D.. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 20 counties (zupanije, zupanija - singular) 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)
National symbols
Red-white checkerboard; national colors: red, white, blue.
The flag
The National flag of Croatia has three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue - the Pan-Slav colors - superimposed by the Croatian coat of arms; the coat of arms consists of one main shield (a checkerboard of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields) surmounted by five smaller shields that form a crown over the main shield; the five small shields represent five historic regions (from left to right): Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia.
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note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia
The National Anthem
| Title | "Lijepa nasa domovino" (Our Beautiful Homeland) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Antun MIHANOVIC/Josip RUNJANIN |
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note: adopted in 1972 while still part of Yugoslavia; "Lijepa nasa domovino," whose lyrics were written in 1835, served as an unofficial anthem beginning in 1891
More about the government of Croatia
| Date of Independence | 25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia); note - 25 June 1991 was the day the Croatian parliament voted for independence; following a three-month moratorium to allow the European Community to solve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully, parliament adopted a decision on 8 October 1991 to sever constitutional relations with Yugoslavia; notable earlier dates: ca. 925 (Kingdom of Croatia established); 1 December 1918 (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia) established) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Statehood Day (National Day), 30 May (1990); note - marks the day in 1990 that the first modern multi-party Croatian parliament convened |
| Legal system | civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary; note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest adopted 22 December 1990 |
| Amendments | 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; amended several times, last in 2014 |
| 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 |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Zoran MILANOVIC (since 18 February 2020) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Andrej PLENKOVIC (since 19 October 2016) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers named by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 December 2019 with a runoff on 5 January 2020 (next to be held in 2024); the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president and approved by the Assembly |
| Election results | 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% 2015: Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC (HDZ) 50.7%, Ivo JOSIPOVIC (Forward Croatia Progressive Alliance) 49.3% |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral Assembly or Hrvatski Sabor (151 seats; members serve 4-year terms) |
| Elections | Last election held on 17 April 2024 (next to be held by April 2028) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party/coalition - HDZ-led coalition 40.4%, SDP 27.8%, DP 9.3%, MOST 7.3%, We Can! 6.6%, SDSS 2.0%, Independents 1.3%, NPS 1.3%, IDS 1.3%, Bosniaks Together 0.7%, DZMH 0.7%, Focus 0.7%, SRRH 0.7%; seats by party/coalition - HDZ-led coalition 61, SDP 42, DP 14, MOST 11, We Can! 10, SDSS 3, Independents 2, NPS 2, IDS 2, Bosniaks Together 1, DZMH 1, Focus 1, SRRH 1; composition - men 101, women 50, percent of women 33% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of the court president and vice president, 25 civil department justices, and 16 criminal department justices) |
| 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 |
| Subordinate courts | Administrative Court; county, municipal, and specialized courts; note - there is an 11-member Constitutional Court with jurisdiction limited to constitutional issues but is outside of the judicial system |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Pjer ŠIMUNOVIĆ (since 8 September 2017) |
| Chancery | 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 588-5899 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 588-8937 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://mvep.gov.hr/embassy-114969/114969 |
| Consulate(s) general | Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle (WA) |
| Consulate(s) | Anchorage (AL), Houston, Kansas City (MO),Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), New Orleans, Pittsburgh (PA) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Nathalie RAYES (since 25 January 2024) |
| Embassy | Ulica Thomasa Jeffersona 2, 10010 Zagreb |
| Mailing address | 5080 Zagreb Place, Washington DC 20521-5080 |
| Telephone | [385] (1) 661-2200 |
| FAX | [385] (1) 665-8933 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://hr.usembassy.gov/ |
| 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) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Croatia
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Croatia
Want to know more about Croatia? Check all different factbooks for Croatia below.
