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Croatia: Croatia Geography Profile 2012

2012/03/06

Croatia Geography Profile 2012

Croatia, or Republic of Croatia, a country in eastern Europe. Croatia lies in the northwest part of the Balkan Peninsula and includes all of the historic regions of Dalmatia and Slavonia, and most of the historic region of Istria. The total area is 21,830 square miles (56,538 km2). Croatia has a rocky coastline that gives way to hills and plains in the interior.

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:

56,594 sq km

Comparison to the world:

126

Land:

55,974 sq km

Water:

620 sq km

Area comparative:

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries Total:

1,982 km

Land boundaries Note:

Border countries

Countries:

Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia 241 km, Montenegro 25 km, Slovenia 455 km

Coastline

Value:

5,835 km

Note:

mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km

Maritime claims

Territorial sea:

12 nm

Exclusive economic zone:

200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower

Land use

Kind:

arable land

Percentage:

25,82%

Year:

2005

Kind:

permanent crops

Percentage:

2,19%

Kind:

other

Percentage:

71,99%

Irrigated land

Value:

110 sq km

Year:

2003

Total renewable water resources

Value:

105.5 cu km

Year:

1998

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-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

Geography note:

controls most land routes from Western Europe to Aegean Sea and Turkish Straits; most Adriatic Sea islands lie off the coast of Croatia - some 1,200 islands, islets, ridges, and rocks

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