Croatia
Europe Β· Capital: Zagreb
How it is run: Croatia is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Croatia is home to 3.9 million people in Southeast Europe, where people speak Croatian.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
3.9 million people
That is about 479 people out of every million on Earth (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
56,594 kmΒ²
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
ποΈ How crowded
About 68 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
27th most people in Europe
25th largest by land in Europe.
π£οΈ Official languages
Croatian
π° Money
Euro (β¬)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
78.9 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$27,104
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
57.8% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
13.7% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+385
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.hr
π§ People here are called
Croatian
π·οΈ Name at home
Hrvatska
Also written: Hrvatska, Republic of Croatia, Republika Hrvatska.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Eastern European Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Croatia touches 5 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Croacia
French
Croatie
Arabic
ΩΨ±ΩΨ§ΨͺΩΨ§
Chinese
ε η½ε°δΊ
Japanese
γ―γγ’γγ’
Russian
Π₯ΠΎΡΠ²Π°ΡΠΈΡ
Portuguese
CroΓ‘cia
German
Kroatien
Put it in perspective π
- Russia β the most populated country in Europe β has about 37.0Γ as many people as Croatia.
- Croatia covers roughly 539 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Croatia lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 1,938 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Croatia is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
π·οΈ Official name
Republic of Croatia
ποΈ Capital
Zagreb
π Region
Europe Β· Southeast Europe
π€ Country code
HR
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Croatia π
π§ Where on the map
45.2Β° N, 15.5Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+1 β when it is noon in London it is about 13:00 in Zagreb.
- Croatia sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- ππ· is the flag of Croatia. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is HR.
- Croatia is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Croatia shares its part of the world with Romania. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- The capital of Croatia is Zagreb β that's where the country's big decisions get made.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Croatia has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Croatia can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Croatia spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Croatia?
Zagreb
Which money do people spend in Croatia?
Euro (β¬)
How many countries share a land border with Croatia?
5 β Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia.
Roughly how many people live in Croatia?
3.9 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.