Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates 45 10 N, 15 30 E

Map references Europe

Area
total: 56,542 sq km
water: 128 sq km
land: 56,414 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
total: 2,185 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Yugoslavia 254 km, Slovenia 670 km

Coastline 5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)

Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate Mediterranean and continental; continental climate predominant with hot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Terrain geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coastline and islands

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Dinara 1,830 m

Natural resources oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 74% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits

NOTE: The information regarding Croatia on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Croatia Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Croatia Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.