Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe: see in article Europe, or in the CIA World Factbook
Area:
continent: 56,542 km²
- land: 56,414 km²
- water: 128 km²
sea:
33,200 km²
grand total:
89,742 km²
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total:
2,197 km
border countries:
Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km,
Slovenia 670 km,
Hungary 329 km,
Serbia and Montenegro (north) 241 km,
Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km
Coastline:
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
See also: List of islands of Croatia
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: 23.55%
permanent crops: 2.24%
other: 74.21% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
30 km² (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-Sulfur 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
- See also : Croatia
