Short facts about the geography of Croatia

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 land:  56,414 sq km water:  128 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:

total:  2,028 km border countries:  Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Yugoslavia 266 km, Slovenia 501 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:  21% permanent crops:  2% permanent pastures:  20% forests and woodland:  38% other:  19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

30 sq km (1993 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

Source: World Factbook