Croatia Geography 1997

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

Geographic coordinates 45 10 N, 15 30 E

Map references Europe

Area
total: 56,538 sq km
land : 56,410 sq km
water: 128 sq km

Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
total: 2,197 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and Montenegro266 km (241 km with Serbia; 25 km with Montenego), Slovenia 670 km

Coastline 5,790 km (mainland 1,778 km, islands 4,012 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 withhot summers and cold winters; mild winters, dry summers along coast

Terrain geographically diverse; flat plains along Hungarian border, low mountainsand highlands near Adriatic coast, 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

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 frequent and destructive earthquakes

Environment - current issues air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain isdamaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; widespread casualties and destruction of infrastructure in border areas affectedby civil strife

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law ofthe Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Desertification

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

NOTE: The information regarding Croatia on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Croatia Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Croatia Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.