Croatia Geography
LocationSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates
45 10 N, 15 30 E
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: 2,197 km
border countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina 932 km, Hungary 329 km, Serbia and Montenegro (north) 241 km, Serbia and Montenegro (south) 25 km, Slovenia 670 km
Coastline
5,835 km (mainland 1,777 km, islands 4,058 km)
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 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
arable land: 26.09%
permanent crops: 2.27%
other: 71.65% (2001)
Irrigated land
30 sq km (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, 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
