Currency and Politics

The kuna is the currency of Croatia ( HRK). It is subdivided into 100 lipa. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices, hotels and European cheques can be changed only in banks.

The politics of Croatia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Croatia is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Croatian Parliament.

Visa, Passport and Customs

Visa is required for entry into Croatia. Russian citizen do not require visa for entry. An invitation certified by a notary or embassy of Croatia abroad is required at the border.

Time

Local time is 2 hours behind Moscow time.

Geography

Croatia is located in Southeastern Europe between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia. It borders the Adriatic Sea along coastline. Croatia has border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro. There are flat plains along the Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near the Adriatic coastline and islands. Croatia’s strategic location gives it control over most land routes from Western Europe to the Aegean Sea and the Turkish Straits. The country’s natural resources include Petroleum, some coal, grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt and hydropower.

Tourist Attraction

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia since 155 Tourists destinations in Zagreb include St Mark’s Church, sculptures by Ivan Mestrovic, Historical Museum of Croatia, Natural History Museum, and the City Museum. The Art Pavilion in Zagreb hosts momentary contemporary art exhibitions. The Strossmayer Gallery features paintings and ancient inscriptions in Croatian language. The Archaeological Museum offers exhibitions of ancient historical artifacts and also Egyptian mummies. The Roman sculpture garden is also a treat to watch. The Museum Mimara, the finest art

Pula is located near the Istrian peninsula and is the largest city in Istria. The most famous tourist sight that attracts visitors from the whole world is the Roman amphitheatre, which is in Pula, itself. History gives the presumption that Pula has its origin even earlier than the Roman era. The local findings tell us that the history of Pula goes back to over 3, 000 years.

The amphitheatre was built in the 1st century AD. It is a three-story amphitheatre, which makes its mark as the sixth largest buildings in the world. You can enjoy the Pula Opera Festival in the summer season, here. The tourist attractions apart from the amphitheatre include, the Temple of Augustus, the Triumphal arch of the Sergii, Monastery and the Cathedral and the Franciscan Church.

History

Croatia, at one time the Roman province of Pannonia, was settled in the 7th century by the Croats. They converted to Christianity between the 7th and 9th centuries and adopted the Roman alphabet under the suzerainty of Charlemagne. In 925, the Croats defeated Byzantine and Frankish invaders and established their own independent kingdom, which reached its peak during the 11th century. A civil war ensued in 1089, which later led to the country being conquered by the Hungarians in 1091. The signing of the Pacta Conventa by Croatian tribal chiefs and the Hungarian king in 1102 united the two nations politically under the Hungarian monarch, but Croatia retained its autonomy.

Following the defeat of the Hungarians by the Turks at the battle of Mohács in 1526, Croatia (along with Hungary) elected Austrian archduke Ferdinand of Hapsburg as their king. After the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian kingdom in 1867, Croatia became part of Hungary until the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918 following its defeat in World War I. On Oct. 29, 1918, Croatia proclaimed its independence and joined in union with Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The name was changed to Yugoslavia in 1929.

When Germany invaded Yugoslavia in 1941, Croatia became a Nazi puppet state. Croatian Fascists, the Ustachi, slaughtered countless Serbs and Jews during the war. After Germany was defeated in 1945, Croatia was made into a republic of the newly reconstituted Communist nation of Yugoslavia; however, Croatian nationalism persisted. After Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz Tito’s death in 1980, Croatia’s demands for independence increased in intensity.

In 1990, free elections were held, and the Communists were defeated by a nationalist party led by Franjo Tudjman. In June 1991, the Croatian parliament passed a declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. Six months of intensive fighting with the Serbian-dominated Yugoslavian army followed, claiming thousands of lives and wreaking mass destruction.

Climate

The coast of Croatia has Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot, sunny and dry, with an average temperature of 26°C, while winters have cooler weather, though still mild, temperatures dropping to a minimum of 4°C. Inland, Croatia experiences a more severe continental climate, with greater differentiation between the hot summer and cold winter conditions

Cuisine

Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is therefore known as the cuisine of regions, since every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. Its modern roots date back to ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today – Hungarian, Viennese and in some part of land Turkish – while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine – Italian and French.

Banks and Shops

Banks are opened from 7:00 to 19:00 from Monday to Friday and Saturday from 7:00 to 13:00. Hotels accept all major credit cards (Euro Card / MasterCard, American Express, Diners, Visa, Sport Card International). Most restaurants and shops also accept credit cards.

Population

About 4.8 million people live on the territory of Croatia; mostly Croats, but there are also other nationals: Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, Germans, and Italians.

Useful Information

Many tourists are afraid to go to Croatia but those who have been there do not regret at all. In Croatia, people are friendly, especially to Russian tourists, but you still have to be careful outside the main tourist regions. And on the border with Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina you should be very vigilant, although hostilities have ceased since1995 and the situation in the whole country is calm.

Religion

Majority of the population are catholic (76%), orthodox (11%), Muslim (1.2) and other Christian groups.

Transportation

Zagreb: Croatia’s capital city areas are connected by trams. Single ticket costs $ 0.65. Ticket for a day costs $ 1.75. All taxis in Zagreb operate by meter. A kilometer is $0.65 USD, which increases on weekends and at night, each piece of luggage costs 0.20 USD per kilometer.

Speed limit in urban areas is 50 km / h and on motorways is 130 km / h. Allowed rate of alcohol when driving is 0,5 ppm. Mandatory use of seat belts by all passengers while driving.

Language

Croatian is the official language. Also Italian, German, and English are widely spoken.