The Probert Encyclopaedia of Places of the World

CROATIA

Croatia is a republic in south-eastern Europe. Croatia is comprised of primarily Croat Slavs, with also Serbs, Slavic Muslims, Hungarians, Slovenes, Italians and other European peoples living in the country. The politial system of the Republic of Croatia is one of a parliamentary democracy. After its Constitution was amended in November 2000, the semi-presidential system was transformed into a pure parliamentary system. The Government, headed by the Prime Minister, is politically responsible only to the Croatian Parliament, which comprises of one chamber, the House of Representatives, whose members serve a four-year term. The President of the Republic is the Head of State, directly elected for a term of five years. The President is also Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and represents the Republic of Croatia. The language is Croatian (since 1847 replacing the earlier official language of Latin).
Croatia first emerged as a nation-state in 925 when Ban Tomislav united Pannonian and Dalmatian Croatia and was crowned the first Croatian King. In 1102, after the death of Petar Svacic, the last Croatian king, Croatia entered into a special arrangement (the Pacta conventa) with Hungary, under which
Croatia remained independent but recognized the Hungarian King as its sovereign. After the downfall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy following the Great War, in 1918 Croatia become part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later proclaimed Yugoslavia. For the first time in its history, Croatia's continuous self-rule was interrupted, with all activity of the Croatian parliament suspended and the Croatian state divided within the Kingdom. In 1941 German and Italian forces occupied Yugoslavia and formed the 'Independent State of Croatia' run by a nazi-puppet regime with large territorial sacrifices in favour of their sponsors, particularly Italy. The majority of Croatians opposed the Axis occupation of Croatia and the organised partisan resistance starts, led by Croatian antifascists under the guidance of Josip Broz Tito. Following the Second World War, The Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in 1945 and Croatia was declared a federative republic. In 1971, the Croatian democratic movement, known as the 'Croatian Spring,' was
quashed by dogmatic centralistic forces that were opposed to pluralism and democracy in Croatia. The first free, democratic, multiparty elections were organized in Croatia in 1990; Croatian Assembly elects Dr. Franjo Tudjman as the first president. In the referendum held in May 1991, 94 percent of Croatian voters declared their support for a sovereign and independent Croatia and the Croatian Parliament proclaimed independence in October 1991. The Serbian rebellion subsequently started, supported by the Yugoslav National Army from Belgrade and resulted in the occupation of one third of Croatian territory. In May 1992, Croatia become a member of the United Nations and in 1998, the last occupied part of Croatia, East Slavonia, including the city of Vukovar, was integrated into the country.
Research Croatia