Croatia is a country located in the northwestern part of the Balkan peninsula and the southeastern part of Europe. It is surrounded by several other countries, including Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, and to the west of the country is the Adriatic Sea. Its government is a republic and utilizes a prime minister and president for leadership purposes. Four million people live in the country, with nearly 700,000 living in its capital, Zagreb.
The first evidence of humans in Croatia dates back to more than 30,000 years ago, but evidence of tribes of people dates back to 1000 B.C. The Greeks conquered parts of present-day Croatia in the 4th century B.C., and later Romans came to the area and conquered the region, making it part of the Roman Empire around 9 A.D. Some of the Roman architecture is still standing today, such as the palace of Emperor Diocletian, located in Split.
In the 7th century A.D., Croatian tribes arrived from what is now Poland. The tribes settled in various regions throughout the country and were united as one kingdom in 925 by King Tomislav. Croatia ended up with a Hungarian king in 1091 because the lineage of the Croatian kings had ended. In 1102, there was an unofficial union established with Hungary under the terms Croatia would be its own kingdom with its own governor. This union lasted until World War I.
Due to its location on the Adriatic Sea and its value as a shipping and trade hub, the western region of Croatia located along it had different historical influences. The port city of Dubrovnik was established in the 7th century A.D. and fell under the rulership of the Byzantine Empire and Venice before gaining independence in 1358. The region was known as the Republic of Ragusa and was independent from the rest of the country until the early 19th century when it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
After World War I, Croatia became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which was comprised of six republics. It gained its independence in 1991 but had occupied territories until 1995. Croatia became a member of the United Nations in 1992 and a member of NATO in 2009. The country joined the European Union in 2013.
With thousands of years of history, there are many sites to see in Croatia. Listed below are some examples:
Dubrovnik
- Diocletian’s Palace
- Zadar Sea Organ
- Blue Grotto
- St Ivan/St John’s Fortress
- Pula Arena
- Plitvice Lakes National Park
- Euphrasian Basilica
- Meštrović Gallery
- The Rector’s Palace
